The Real-Time Scaling Lab

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    Scaling Overview 

    Scaling effective education practices reduces policy churn, closes the equity gap, aids in school improvement, and ameliorates poverty.

    The Scaling Challenge 

    “The education field is littered with impactful efforts that, at best, remain islands of excellence and, at worst, cease to exist.”   ---The Brookings Institution

    Many effective education practices work at a small scale, but this does not often translate to the large-scale, systemic change needed to improve learning around the world.

    The Real-Time Scaling Lab 

    The Real-Time Scaling Lab for NYCPS supports districts and schools as they adapt and scale up lessons from elsewhere into their own contexts and settings. Core Pillars of the Real-Time Scaling Lab.

    To build scaling know how across NYCPS, the Real-Time Scaling Lab undertakes the following pillars of work:

    Capturing 

    • The RTSL captures via mini-docuseries and multimedia case studies the scaling journey of education practices in schools and districts. 
    • Spanning months or years, the stories unfold over six episodes and are told from the perspectives of NYCPS educators and practitioners.

    Sharing

    • The RTSL convenes experts, educators and practitioners doing the work of scaling.
    • The RTSL also shares information and scaling know-how via broader education networks to raise awareness and spotlight the impactful scaling work that NYCPS is doing in schools, districts, and across the school system.

    NYC Reads: A Scaling Story in Community School District 1  

    In 2023, New York City launched a major, citywide campaign to boost literacy for all students after years of little progress. Called NYC Reads, the initiative required each of its 32 community school districts to choose one of three “science of reading,” phonics-based curriculums. 

    The Office of Knowledge Management’s Real-Time Scaling Lab is producing a series of videos exploring how District 1 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan is scaling up New York City Reads during the 2024-25 school year. 

    The first episode focuses on the district’s work to develop a winning coalition of school leaders, educators, students, parents, researchers, advocates, elected officials, and policymakers to support the efforts to scale up NYC Reads. Here are four takeaways: 

    1. Create a districtwide listening tour 

    Result: During 2023-24, parents, students, teachers, principals, community members, and advocates met with the leaders of District 1 to share their perspectives on NYC Reads, which yielded a consensus behind the selection of EL Education for the District. 

    2.   Make explicit for students and parents the connection between the curriculum and their own lived experience. 

    Result: Students attending school more often because they’ve bought into what they’re learning in the classroom.​

    3. Use “lab sites” to demonstrate NYC Reads in action. 

    Result: Generates excitement across key stakeholders (school leaders, educators, staff) for what’s to come and equips all with an NYC Reads implementation toolkit. 

    4. Engage teachers early and often in the ramp up of NYC Reads and provide them with support along the way. 

    Result: Builds teacher confidence, creates community, and shores up their buy-in for the initiative. 

    View: NYC Reads: A Scaling Story in Community School District 1  

    Teaser ( Click here ) 

    Episode One: Winning Coalition ( Click here )  

    Get Involved

    New York City Public Schools, we want to hear from you!  Please share your stories of scaling education practices for impact in your school or district by emailing KnowledgeManagementTeam@schools.nyc.gov