No similar supporting funds are offered in Canada. The packaged approach to school improvement is based on the rationale that successful practices are transferable. The models claim to provide coherent, replicable components of effective practice, allowing for appropriate modification for individual school needs and circumstances. It is hoped the adoption of successful 'formulas'' will expand the number of exemplary schools. School change is a difficult and risky process.
Most schools face a myriad of challenges and competing goals in developing their improvement plans.
The best-intended reforms may be implemented in a piecemeal way without regard for how various initiatives might interact with each other. Even when agreement on goals has been reached, counterproductive practices may persist in the absence of coordinated professional development and resources to support new instructional strategies. Schools may also unwittingly adopt unproven or ineffective approaches to achieve their desired outcomes. Proponents suggest that where a formula has been piloted and proven successful, it is efficient to encourage its reproduction in thousands of other schools, thus building on best practices already established. The decision to adopt a particular school-wide approach should not be taken lightly, and the process of choosing a model is important to its successful implementation.