Fairfield Junior High educators describe progress using High Reliability Schools framework

Adam Thompson, principal at Fairfield Junior High, and several teachers described the school's progress implementing the High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework and said the school earned Level 1 certification and is working toward Level 2, according to remarks in the meeting transcript.

The educators said HRS gives the school a common set of priorities and clearer expectations for classroom instruction, curriculum planning and teacher collaboration. "My name is Adam Thompson. I'm principal at Fairfield Junior High," Thompson said as he described HRS as a framework that "provides schools with a clear vision on those things that are most important for school success." Thompson used a sports metaphor to explain the approach: "You have, like, offense, defense, maybe special teams when we're talking football, and all 3 phases have to work together."

Thompson said the school gathered input from teachers, parents and students and used that information to identify areas for improvement and to change how staff communicate and involve teachers in school operations. A teacher who spoke later said HRS helps align classroom assessments and curriculum to district and national standards and gives teachers "direction where I wanna go with planning the curriculum and the assessments."

Teachers described practical classroom changes tied to the framework. One teacher said students in STEM and science classes are completing final projects that follow the engineering design process, including research, prototyping and iteration. Another teacher said the process of teacher collaboration is not about creating materials for students alone but about teachers learning from each other to refine instruction.

Educators emphasized cultural effects of the work. "It's changed culture. Students feel like they're safe. Teachers feel like they're heard," one teacher said, adding that the framework keeps staff focused on the central goal of ensuring "all students learn at a high level." School staff said Level 1 certification indicates Fairfield is a "safe, supportive, collaborative environment," and that Level 2 focuses on strengthening shared instructional practices.

The transcript did not specify timelines, district-level approvals, cost or external funding for HRS implementation, nor did it identify specific district offices managing the certification process. The teachers and principal did not report a schedule for completing Level 2 or any formal vote or action taken at the meeting.