To address the root causes of performance discrepancies and improve student outcomes, Jefferson County Schools expanded their long-standing partnership with Cognia through a Diagnostic Review model.
Jefferson County Schools, located in Birmingham, Alabama, has engaged in Cognia’s continuous improvement-driven accreditation process for the last 15 years. Building on the strength of this work, the district enacted a partnership in 2021 to expand and develop its improvement planning through a Cognia Diagnostic Review. With a focus on an integrated system of support for intensive school improvement, the partnership aimed to roll out a cohort model, enrolling five schools each year, until all district schools participated in the review process. This study examines the initial impacts of the partnership on individual schools and on the broader district, including early indications of improvement relating to staff motivation and engagement, and to key learner outcomes.