Review Probes Successes, Challenges of San Diego Reforms

San Diego

In 1998, the San Diego schools embarked on an aggressive campaign to improve instruction and achievement in the more than 140,000-student district. Now, on the eve of a school board election that could decide the fate of those initiatives, a review by more than a dozen education experts and researchers has found solid growth in elementary school literacy but few gains at the high school level.

Moreover, the fast-paced, centralized approach has come at a political price: The district administration has yet to gain the deep-seated support of teachers.

Undertaken at the request of Superintendent Alan D. Bersin, the “San Diego Review” also has the support of a range of outside foundations and sponsors, including the Council of the Great City Schools. It touches on virtually every aspect of the district, from professional...