Acceleration Formula: Using Baseline Systems Studies to Advance Educational Excellence

Achieving educational excellence and academic achievement for every student requires more than isolated initiatives—it demands a deep understanding of the systems and conditions shaping student outcomes. For many school and district leaders, inequities persist not because of a lack of effort, but because the root causes remain hidden within policies, practices, and long-standing structures.

The Acceleration Formula session explores how Baseline Systems Studies can help leaders surface these root causes and use evidence to drive meaningful, system-wide change—especially for historically underserved and vulnerable student populations.

Facilitated by Janet Hwang, Vice President at Orenda, this presentation highlights how a Baseline Systems Study provides districts with a clear, comprehensive view of how existing systems are producing current results. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes, leaders are supported in examining the conditions, decisions, and structures that shape student achievement.

Participants will also hear directly from Westminster School District’s Superintendent, Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen, and Chief Academic Officer, Michelle Watkins, who will share their firsthand experience using study findings to guide targeted, sustainable implementation across their school communities. Their leadership story offers a compelling example of how intentional systems analysis can lead to tangible improvements in teaching, learning, and academic achievement for all students.

What Participants Will Learn

Attendees will leave with practical insights and tools, including:

  • How to uncover systemic barriers to equity
    Learn how a Baseline Systems Study reveals the underlying systems, policies, and practices shaping student outcomes—particularly for historically marginalized groups.

  • A real-world example of systemic transformation
    Explore Westminster School District’s journey from study findings to actionable strategies that drive coherent, district-wide improvement.

  • A framework to drive collective action
    Gain access to a replicable process for conducting systems analysis and engaging cross-functional teams in continuous improvement work aligned to shared goals.

This session is designed for district and school leaders committed to moving beyond surface-level change and toward equity-driven system redesign. If you are seeking clarity, structure, and a proven approach to accelerating achievement, this conversation offers both inspiration and actionable guidance.

The push for College and Career Readiness is one of the most urgent—and misunderstood—challenges facing today’s K–12 school systems. While the phrase is widely used in education leadership spaces, many districts still lack systemic clarity around what readiness truly means in practice. When this clarity is missing, the unintended consequences disproportionately impact historically marginalized and vulnerable students.

True college and career readiness is not a checklist, a single pathway, or a compliance exercise. It is a system-wide commitment to ensuring students graduate prepared for every postsecondary option—college, career, military, or beyond. Achieving this level of readiness requires intentional system design, aligned expectations, and a willingness to examine long-standing inequities embedded in policy and practice.

This session brings together research, system design, and lived leadership experience to explore what it truly takes to build equitable pathways for student achievement.

Join Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle and Dr. Sarah Mott Gonzalez, alongside partner superintendents Antonio Garcia and Ilsa Garza-Gonzales, for a candid discussion on what it means to lead this work at the district level. Speakers will share real-world insights into redesigning systems, aligning leadership teams, and communicating a compelling vision for equity-driven student achievement.

What Attendees Will Gain

Participants will leave with:

  • Clear, actionable definitions of College and Career Readiness

  • Research-based insights grounded in equity-focused system design

  • Leadership wisdom from superintendents actively doing the work

  • Current labor market forecasting insights to inform strategic planning

  • Concrete examples of how effective leaders mobilize followership around a shared vision

This session is designed for education leaders who are ready to be stretched—those committed to confronting inequities, questioning assumptions, and building systems that expand opportunity for every student.

If you are seeking clarity, inspiration, and practical tools to bring back to your leadership team, we invite you to join us for this powerful conversation on the future of college and career readiness in K–12 education.

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