We think readers learn a lot from the experiences of small, out-of-the-way school systems that don’t necessarily have major profiles. It’s an editorial philosophy we’ve followed for years here at School Administrator magazine.

In this month’s issue, we hold up school districts in Solon, Iowa, and Lindsay, Calif., for distinctive educational practices we believe are worth sharing with many others.

The Solon Community School District has been a pacesetter in the way it has integrated standards-based grading. Matt Townsley, director of instruction and technology, discusses how Solon has overhauled the gradebook to communicate student mastery in their various courses.

Meanwhile, the Lindsay Unified Schools came to our attention in the form of a new, practical book (Beyond Reform) about its learner-centered instructional model. The authors, including Director of Advancement Barry Sommer whose byline appears in this issue, concretely detail a paradigm shift and their efforts to transform teaching and assessment.

Both Solon and Lindsay make the point that progressive thinking about schooling is happening in many places outside our customary attention zone.