Education Initiatives History

The history of Education Initiatives reflects Carl Ball's longstanding commitment to combining theory and practice. When Education Initiatives was first established in 1992, we collaborated with the University of Illinois to develop the School Design Collaborative, a model for shared leadership and decision-making in schools which aims to produce sustainably high levels of student achievement and parent satisfaction. Using a team approach to address improvement opportunities, the model was first implemented in a number of elementary schools throughout Illinois, including schools in Springfield Public School District 186.

In 1995 and 1998, the foundation brought together leaders from various sectors, including industry, finance, health care, government, and education, to address the issue of productivity in the education system. Our 1995 report, Using What We Have to Get the Schools We Need: A Productivity Focus for American Education, along with the 1998 follow-up, 20/20 Vision: A Strategy for Doubling America's Academic Achievement by the Year 2020, identified the major subsystems in education, explored key characteristics of productive organizations across sectors, and recommended strategies for increasing educational productivity and student achievement.

In the late 1990s, the foundation established a few charter schools. The first Ball Charter School, Galveston Academy, was opened in Arizona in 1997. In 1998, Dobson and Hearn Academies opened in Arizona; Galveston merged into Dobson a year later. The foundation's relationship with Springfield District 186, which began with the School Design Collaborative, continued with the establishment of the Springfield Ball Charter School in 1998. The foundation is committed to helping these three charters remain excellent schools as they move towards self-sufficiency.

Education Initiatives began a new phase of its work in 1999, creating partnerships with school districts. Through partnerships, the foundation and our partner districts work together to become highly productive learning organizations that significantly increase the literacy and achievement levels of all the students that they serve.