ACB Consulting was established in 2012 by owner Ann Cummins Bogan. Ann is a former educator passionate about the need to continually refine systems and practices to meet the increasingly diverse needs of all students.

Ann has worked with many experienced researchers and consultants who served as mentors and thought partners. As a result, consulting services provided by ACB Consulting are grounded in theory and research about organizational change, systems effectiveness, and pedagogy.

Our Purpose:
To analyze, assess, and create a dynamic culture for change and innovation in school districts to ensure the acceleration of learning of all children.

Core Beliefs that drive our work:

Equity is foundational to excellence and must be embedded in all aspects of the system, it is not a separate initiative.
All systems can improve.
Continuous improvement is a journey, and no matter where you are, there is a path forward.
Collaboration and shared decision-making are critical for authentic engagement and mutual accountability of all responsible for meeting the needs of students.

Exploring the Building Blocks for Excellence

Whether you are an educator working in a classroom, a school or district leader, or a community member that supports the work of educating children, there are essential components that must be developed and continually refined to create positive outcomes and excellence for all. Our experience as educators and consultants has resulted in a focus on 6 key building blocks for excellence.

A Common Vision of Excellence

A clearly defined picture of excellence encompassing values and diverse perspectives is essential in realizing a common vision. Leaders must know where they are headed, what they hope to accomplish, and the tools, strategies, and pathways that will get them to their destination. Aligning goals and integrating time, resources, and talent must be intentional to impact change and to improve systems. Exploring the meaning of collaboration and teamwork to ensure productivity and shared decision-making builds an environment of engagement and shared accountability and maximizes each member of the team’s contributions.

Innovative & Responsive Instructional Practices

The ongoing need to develop authentic ways to engage learners has never been more urgent. Research and theory about the most effective ways to accelerate learning for all students are readily available. Still, they are not always accessible to truly transform instructional practices to impact student learning positively. Educators need time and discretion to clarify learning outcomes, develop success metrics that inform assessment and design engaging and relevant learning experiences for students.

Data-Driven Decision Making

The word “data” has become a trigger for many educators and is often perceived as a judgment rather than a driver for excellence. Engaging team members in understanding that “data” is simply information to design necessary actions to impact change. A growth mindset and spaces for vulnerability foster an authentic and critical examination of data to drive improvement. Working collaboratively to identify accessible data sources, develop authentic new data sources, and build structures and processes for examining data to drive improvement, reinforces a common focus and shared priorities.

Impact Monitoring

In order for collaboration and teamwork to be effective, there must be ongoing reflection on the impact of initiatives and strategies to achieve goals. Result oriented cycles of inquiry with established intervals for analyzing impact, drive the flexibility and responsiveness needed to address the complexities associated with teaching and learning. Establishing and communicating processes for teams to evaluate the impact of their work informs potential refinements to strategies, and helps prioritize intentional support for impactful professional growth and development.

Accountability through
Shared Commitments

Accountability is critical when working to continually refine and adapt the way we work collaboratively to achieve goals. The most effective strategies for establishing shared accountability is ensuring all parties know the intended purpose of the work, and establishing the roles and responsibilities for teams.
Establishing standard practices to assess the work of the team, reflect on individual strengths and challenges, and create mutually supportive feedback loops ensures personal and team commitment to the work.

Robust Information Systems

Typically information about goals and strategies is known by the leaders of the system and is not widely broadcasted or known among all members of the school community. Robust two-way systems for information sharing provide timely updates to partners and intentionally seek diverse perspectives to inform the decision-making. As a result, school goals and plans for continuous improvement are meaningful, relevant, practical and reflect the experiences and perspectives of those most closely connected to students and families.