Case Studies & Research Notes
PELP case studies illuminate systems-level leadership challenges in large urban districts and education-related organizations. Together with research notes and teaching notes for instructors, the PELP case library is an extensive body of working knowledge for academics and practitioners alike.
The Case Library at Harvard Business School Publishing
The following cases are publicly available to access below. For the multimedia cases (PEL-097, PEL-098, PEL-099), when redirected to Harvard Business Press, make a free educator's account, create a coursepack, select "institution pay" (cost remains free), add the multimedia case to the coursepack, add an enrollment number, and publish the coursepack to access the multimedia case link that you can share with students/participants. Harvard Business Publishing can answer additional questions about accessing multimedia cases. For the multimedia cases, printer-friendly accessible versions are available upon request by emailing pelp@gse.harvard.edu.
PEL-100:
Freshman On Track: Humanizing Student Data to Improve Graduation Rates in Chicago Public Schools, Multimedia Case
PEL-099:
BMore Me: Empowering Youth Through Learning in Baltimore City Schools, Multimedia Case
PEL-098:
The Cure is in the Culture: Systems Change for Black Boys in the Oakland USD, Multimedia Case
PEL-097:
The HR Life Cycle: Human Capital Systems in the Madison Metropolitan School District, Multimedia Case
PEL-093:
Access, Autonomy, and Accountability: School Governance Dilemmas in Post-Katrina New Orleans (B) Case Supplement Note on Governance
PEL-092:
Access, Autonomy, and Accountability: School Governance Dilemmas in Post-Katrina New Orleans (A)
PEL-091:
Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools): The [Entry] of a New Chief Executive Officer
PEL-090:
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS): The [Entry] of a New Director of Schools
PEL-089:
PLIE: Improving the Capacity of School Leaders in Argentina
PEL-087:
The Nike School Innovation Fund: Scaling for Impact in Oregon Public Schools
PEL-085:
Decentralization in Clark County School District: Strategy is Everyone's Job
PEL-084:
Denver Public Schools (B): Innovation and Performance?
PEL-080:
Uncommon Schools (B): Seeking Excellence at Scale through Standardized Practice
PEL-079:
Uncommon Schools (A): A Network of Networks
PEL-076:
Denver Public Schools 2015 (A): Innovation and Performance?
PEL-074:
Organizing for Family and Community Engagement in the Baltimore City Public Schools
PEL-073:
Between Compliance and Support: The Role of the Commonwealth in District Takeovers
PEL-071:
Career Pathways, Performance Pay, and Peer-Review Promotion in Baltimore City Public Schools
PEL-070:
Baltimore City Public Schools: Implementing Bounded Autonomy (B)
PEL-068:
Central Falls High School
PEL-067:
Meeting New Challenges at the Aldine Independent School District (B)
PEL-063:
Baltimore City Public Schools: Implementing Bounded Autonomy (A)
PEL-062:
The Parent Academy: Family Engagement in Miami-Dade County Public Schools
PEL-061:
The Turn-Around at Highland Elementary School
PEL-055:
Taking Human Resources Seriously in Minneapolis
PEL-054:
Focusing on Results at the New York City Department of Education
PEL-053:
Managing Schools for High Performance: The Area Instruction Officer at Chicago Public Schools
PEL-047:
Using Data to Improve Instruction at the Mason School
PEL-044:
Race, Accountability, and the Achievement Gap (B)
PEL-043:
Race, Accountability, and the Achievement Gap (A)
PEL-041:
Managing at Scale in the Long Beach Unified School District
PEL-039:
The STAR Schools Initiative at the San Francisco Unified School District
PEL-033:
Managing the Chicago Public Schools
PEL-030:
Meeting New Challenges at the Aldine Independent School District (A)
PEL-029:
Reinventing Human Resources at the School District of Philadelphia
PEL-028:
Differentiated Treatment at Montgomery County Public Schools
PEL-027:
Memphis City Schools: The Next Generation of Principals
PEL-026:
New Leadership at Portland Public Schools
PEL-024:
Staffing the Boston Public Schools
PEL-013:
Learning to Manage with Data in Duval County Public Schools: Lake Shore Middle School (B)
PEL-009:
The Campaign for Human Capital at the School District of Philadelphia
PEL-008:
Learning to Manage with Data in Duval County Public Schools: Lake Shore Middle School (A)
PEL-007:
Long Beach Unified School District (B): Working to Sustain Improvement (2002-2004)
PEL-006:
Long Beach Unified School District (A): Change That Leads to Improvement (1992-2002)
PEL-005:
Pursuing Educational Equity at San Francisco Unified School District
PEL-004:
Aligning Resources to Improve Student Achievement: San Diego City Schools (B)
PEL-003:
Aligning Resources to Improve Student Achievement: San Diego City Schools (A)
PEL-002:
Compensation Reform at Denver Public Schools
PEL-001:
Bristol City Schools (BCS)
PEL-096:
Note on Racial Equity in School Systems
PEL-095:
Successfully Restarting Schools in the Face of COVID-19: A Framework
PEL-082:
Superintendents of Public School Districts as Sector Level Leaders
PEL-081:
Creating Public Value: School Superintendents as Strategic Managers of Public Schools
PEL-078:
Principals as Innovators: Identifying Fundamental Skills for Leadership of Change in Public Schools
PEL-083:
A Problem-Solving Approach to Designing and Implementing a Strategy to Improve Performance
PEL-011:
Note on Strategy in Public Education
PEL-010:
Note on the PELP Coherence Framework
The following case studies are available for purchase from Harvard Ed Press. If you are interested in receiving the teaching note(s) for the KC-designated cases listed below, please email hepg@harvard.edu.
KC37CHA:
Challenges to Implementing Innovation and Accountability in Denver
KC36INVE:
Investing in Teachers: The Lawrence Public Schools Respond to State Receivership
KC39SCAL:
Scaling Up Data Wise in Prince George's County Public Schools
KC40NAV:
Navigating Governance Changes and District Improvement: Strategic Leadership in St. Louis Public Schools
KC41LEAD:
Leaders Change, Policies Evolve: The Lawrence Public Schools Respond to State Receivership (Act II)
Available Upon Email Request
PEL-094:
Access, Autonomy, and Accountability: School Governance Dilemmas in Post-Katrina New Orleans (A) & (B)
PEL-088:
The Nike School Innovation Fund: Scaling for Impact in Oregon Public Schools
PEL-086:
Denver Public Schools: Innovation and Performance?
PEL-075:
Organizing for Family and Community Engagement in the Baltimore City Public Schools
PEL-072:
Career Pathways, Performance Pay, and Peer-Review Promotion in Baltimore City Public Schools
PEL-069:
Central Falls High School
PEL-066:
Managing Schools for High Performance: The Area Instruction Officer at Chicago Public Schools
PEL-065:
Baltimore City Public Schools: Implementing Bounded Autonomy
PEL-060:
Baltimore City Public Schools: Implementing Bounded Autonomy
PEL-059:
Taking Human Resources Seriously in Minneapolis
PEL-058:
Memphis City Schools: The Next Generation of Principals
PEL-057:
Focusing on Results at the New York City Department of Education
PEL-052:
Southwest Airlines: Using Human Resources for Competitive Advantage (A) - Using the Case with Education Administrators
PEL-049:
Bristol City Schools
PEL-048:
Using Data to Improve Instruction at the Mason School
PEL-046:
Race, Accountability, and the Achievement Gap (A) and (B)
PEL-042:
Managing at Scale in the Long Beach Unified School District
PEL-040:
The STAR Schools Initiative at the San Francisco Unified School District
PEL-036:
Meeting New Challenges at the Aldine Independent School District
PEL-035:
Reinventing Human Resources at the School District of Philadelphia
PEL-034:
Managing the Chicago Public Schools
PEL-032:
New Leadership at Portland Public Schools
PEL-031:
Staffing the Boston Public Schools
PEL-023:
Long Beach Unified School District (B): Working to Sustain Improvement (2002-2004)
PEL-022:
The Campaign for Human Capital at the School District of Philadelphia
PEL-021:
The Campaign for Human Capital at the School District of Philadelphia
PEL-020:
Long Beach Unified School District (A): Change That Leads to Improvement (1992-2002)
PEL-019:
Pursuing Educational Equity at San Francisco Unified School District
PEL-018:
Aligning Resources to Improve Student Achievement: San Diego City Schools Case Series
PEL-017:
Compensation Reform at Denver Public Schools
PEL-016:
Bristol City Schools