Quotes from Principals Who Participated in the Beat the Odds School Partners Program:

"Beat the Odds has been an outstanding professional development opportunity for me.”

"I have gained knowledge in just one year that might have taken me several years to attain. I am a better principal because of my experiences."

"Beat the Odds helped me maintain my focus. I believe that assisted in leading us to our school’s A+ award."

"The Beat the Odds strategies, philosophy and support helped me to bring about positive and enduring changes in my school.”

"I have used many of the ideas shared during the Beat the Odds meetings on my campus. The Beat the Odds principles, the school survey and the action plan were easy to incorporate into what we already do.”

“The process of continually revisiting the (Beat the Odds action) plan and updating it keeps me focused on the work we have established as important to our success."

"The rich conversation and opportunities to share with peers have helped me to make better decisions and plan more completely.”

“The monthly cohort meetings have been outstanding. The presentations have been informative and timely. I came away from each meeting with an idea that I could use the next day.”

“My mentor has a clear understanding of the challenges that a principal faces day to day and has provided me with invaluable coaching.”

"The monthly meetings of the Beat the Odds district cohort are a wonderful opportunity as a principal to see my school's teaching and learning strategies through the eyes of my peers and to see what is happening at other school sites.”

“Our conversations have definitely moved from what we can't control to what we can.”

"I have learned valuable lessons on data tracking, ongoing assessment, and goal setting for my school.”

“I have developed a greater understanding about how to utilize our parent liaison in a more effective and efficient way to move from parent involvement towards parent engagement."

“The Beat the Odds school assessment survey provided me with staff insights and a clear understanding of how they view our school. The results of the survey provided me with clear information that enabled me to develop an action plan and measure its effectiveness."

"I came away with an armful of wonderful strategies, processes and action ideas to take my school to the next level."

"My mentor’s expertise, her focus on rigor and relevance, and the open conversations about helping all students to achieve has been a tremendous help to my own leadership skills. She has helped me to look critically at what we are doing as a school to raise student achievement."

"Beat the Odds … enabled me to channel my energies into activities of impact versus the tasks that could have drowned me."

"My school brought many challenges, from low test scores to many social, economic, and environmental factors that impacted my students and school community. Beat the Odds helped to transform my trepidation into power and confidence."