I wanted to end the book with two final observations on capacity building and the scary process often referred to as second-order change.

Building Your School's Capacity for the 6+1 Model

School leadership teams have to decide how much of the 6+1 Model for High School Reform they have the capacity to take on. First, there is the issue of building and district leadership. Substantial evidence supports the commonsense conclusion that when it comes to improving student achievement, leadership matters (Marzano, 2008). Implementing the 6+1 Model for High School Reform requires extraordinary leadership from building and district administrators who know instruction, embrace effective schools research, and have a vision for high school education in the 21st century. These leaders also need to be well versed in organizational change theory, ready to devote financial and human resources to developing capacity, and willing to risk the political liabilities that often accompany moving a school from good to great. Such leadership is not in place in every school and district in the country. Visionaries interested in creating great high schools would be wise to assess building and district leadership capacity before deciding on how much or which parts of the model to take on.