What We Believe

  • We believe public schools can help to address long-standing equity issues in our society.
  • We believe in the brilliance of teachers.
  • We believe that implementation is keystone to getting better results.

Our Approach

Our approach is based on practices and research about what gets results for ambitious reforms. We leverage our experience and the work of W. Edwards Deming (PDSA), Michael Barber (Delivery), Governor Martin O'Malley (Stat), the Carnegie Foundation (Improvement Science), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Michael Fullan, Patrick Lencioni, and many others.

A must-read for any educator or education leader, "How to Implement (just about) Anything" shares four lessons for implementation, drawing on 25 years of experience applying research and best practice to complex reforms in U.S. public education.

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Lesson 1: Beware of fat plans. Focus on 3-7 priorities and ground them in reality.

Lesson 2: Build a guiding coalition and an exceptional team. To get to scale, it takes a village.

Lesson 3: Don't wait! Start routines early and integrate capacity building.

  • Lesson 3a: Strike a balance between support and accountability. It's about improvement and shared learning; think carrots, not sticks.
  • Lesson 3b: Course correction. Build feedback loops to drive improvement.
  • Lesson 3c: Celebrate! Get proof points and highlight quick wins with early adopters.

Lesson 4: Be consistent.
Small and consistent victories compound over time.

Explore the book

Our Team

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Tom DeWire,
Founder and Principal Consultant

For two decades, Tom has worked with states, districts, schools and education-focused organizations to get better results through a relentless focus on effective implementation. Tom helps educators take practices to scale through his expertise in strategy, implementation, capacity building and operations.

Prior to founding EdScale in 2016, Tom consulted with public organizations and nonprofits at the U.S. Education Delivery Institute (EDI) for four years. At EDI, Tom built the organizational capacity of partners to deliver on ambitious goals for students using a proven approach to implementation used by more than 50 governments across the world.

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Having worked in education for 10 years, Sarah has expertise in areas such as English as a Second Language, Dual language Education, and Special Education. She holds a Bachelor’s in Applied Linguistics as well as a CELTA from Cambridge University. Sarah’s experience in the field has given her knowledge of the challenges facing educators today, and she is passionate about helping to create solutions that improve the experience of all stakeholders.

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How We Can Help

EdScale helps educators get better results through a relentless focus on effective implementation. We partner with schools, districts, states, and education-focused organizations to support strategic planning, progress monitoring, capacity building, and operations.

Lesson 1: Beware of fat plans

Needs
Assessment

We conduct data analysis, document reviews, focus groups, and self-assessments with stakeholders and leadership teams to get a shared view of the landscape.

Workshops &
Retreats

We lead a collaborative process with a facilitator agenda, high-quality materials, high engagement, and input from attendees, all with a focus on shared objectives and outcomes. We regularly plan and facilitate day-long workshops and retreats with partners.

Strategic
Planning

We create short, focused strategic plans, supported by research and promising practices, critical to driving implementation and accelerating learning and improvement. At times, these plans also include core values and differentiators for how teams will achieve their goals.

Lesson 2: Build a guiding coalition and an exceptional team

Guiding
Coalition

We support the establishment of a project charter and facilitating periodic guiding coalition meetings of leaders across the system to inform and advocate for implementation.

Implementation
Team

We support the establishment of an implementation team to drive month-to-month implementation and reflect on what’s working and what’s not to refine and stick with implementation to get better results.

Lesson 3: Don’t wait! Start routines early and integrate capacity building

Project
Planning

We establish a project plan to deliver on-time and with quality. We build a simple but exhaustive project plans and setup routines with partners to regularly monitor progress and course correct.

Progress
Monitoring

Regular cycles of progress monitoring focus and drive implementation. We establish tools and processes, facilitate progress meetings anchored on evidence of implementation progress, and capture decisions and next steps. We also support monthly progress touch points.

Intensive
Support

We provide more intensive support on projects, building the capacity of partners to lead this work. This might include developing a network for learning, rubrics, and walkthrough tools.

Lesson 4: Be consistent

Advising &
Coaching

Whether through one-on-one or group content-focused sessions, we advise and provide leadership support for existing staff, those transitioning to new roles, and new staff.

Speaking

We regularly conduct implementation workshops with our partners at the start of an engagement. We also engage with leaders in Maryland, Delaware, and around the county via book talks and workshops.

Papers &
Case Studies

We develop white papers and case studies that inform approaches and support deep implementation of core strategies.

About EdScale

EdScale helps educators get better results through a relentless focus on effective implementation. We partner with schools, districts, states, and education-focused organizations to support strategic planning, progress monitoring, capacity building, and operations.  

Contact Us

Tom DeWire, Founder and Principal Consultant
2517 Saint George Way, Brookeville, MD 20833
(302) 540-4596 | tom@edscalellc.com

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