Case Study | Lou Mardesich | Community of Schools Administrator in LAUSD, San Pedro, CA

Testimonial

“I brought in Renee to help us take a student-centered approach with our curriculum. Renee’s mission was to help teachers and principals empower kids and give them more choice in their learning.
With Renee’s help, one of our San Pedro schools saw an 87% increase in their API score, jumping from 698 to 801 (the state standard). There was also a palpable culture shift among the students and teachers; the students were more efficient, and voluntary staff development grew from 40-50% to 80-90%.
Renee has a never-ending quest to get better. She’s always pushing to stay ahead. Renee is in this work for the right reason, and no one will outwork her when it comes to learning.”

The Story

When Lou Mardesich, Community of Schools Administrator in San Pedro, California, felt that his curriculum didn’t offer kids choice, he sought out the help of Renee to develop strategies for student-centered and empowered learning.

The Challenge

Lou wanted to offer kids more choice in their learning through independent reading and writing strategies.

He chose to work with Renee to shift the focus from the message to the messenger by working with the principals and teachers to make them “lead learners”, learning alongside the students, rather than instructing them.

This required developing relationships and getting buy-in from the staff; not always an easy thing to do! Renee came in with a passion that everyone would adapt and change. In the process, Renee learned a lot about the art of motivation and convincing people.

The Change

With Renee’s help, Lou saw the following results:

Increased API Score

One San Pedro school saw an 87% increase in their API score following Renee’s involvement, jumping from 698 to 801 (800 being the state standard).

A Culture Shift

Lou felt a culture shift in the efficiency of students and the staff. Following Renee's work, the number of teachers who voluntarily decided to seek personal and professional development went from 40-50% to 80-90%.

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