Putting Districts First! SST 16 Builds Regional Capacity to Improve Student and Adult Learning

State Support Team (SST) 16 serves 24 districts, seven county boards of developmental disabilities, four career centers, and a variety of other agencies across an eight-county region.

"Our number one non-negotiable as a staff is that we put districts first when it comes to all of our work," said Heather Wolfe, director of SST Region 16.

This core belief is evident in SST 16's longstanding rule that staff spend more time in the field than in their offices, and in how SST 16 deploys personnel resources - with more staff time dedicated to in-district/school coaching, and less time spent in holding regional professional development sessions for interested district and school personnel. SST 16 also uses a different approach in helping districts identify what is most essential in improving results for all learners.