By Ryan Steuer | CEO, Magnify Learning
Every administrator says they want an exceptional school. Fewer are willing to do the uncomfortable work it takes to actually build one. The difference between a top 10% school and the other 90% isn’t a new initiative, a shiny program, or longer hours—it’s how leaders think, what they prioritize, and what they refuse to accept.
Top-performing PBL schools don’t accidentally land there. They act differently on purpose. They design systems that outlast them. They protect their time like it matters—because it does.
This post unpacks three defining characteristics of top 10% schools using Project Based Learning: the mindset of the leader, the systems they build, and the daily leadership moves that redefine what “normal” looks like for staff and students. If your goal is to be the school everyone talks about—for the right reasons—this is your playbook. 🚀
Top 10% Schools Are Driven by an Unapologetically Bold Vision
Great schools don’t start with tactics—they start with conviction. Leaders of top-tier schools are clear about what they’re building and why mediocrity is not an option.
One of the most powerful moments I’ve seen comes from principal Cynthia Bruno, who articulated a fear many strong leaders quietly carry: “My biggest fear is that we’d be an ordinary school with an ordinary day and kids would have ordinary experiences…that is morally unacceptable.” That sentence alone draws a hard line in the sand. Ordinary isn’t neutral—it’s harmful.
Top 10% leaders don’t aim to be “a little better.” They aim to be meaningfully different. And that means acknowledging a truth many avoid: if you’re doing what 90% of schools do, you cannot be in the top 10%.
These leaders write their vision down. Literally. Once you write it down, it’s real. A written three-year vision becomes the filter for decisions, professional development, hiring, coaching, and even celebrations. It’s not a poster on the wall—it’s a compass.
Just as important, they say the same things over and over and over again. Not because staff are slow—because culture is built through repetition. When you ask teachers in these schools what their principal stands for, they don’t hesitate. They can tell you. That clarity doesn’t happen by accident.
Top 10% Schools Build Systems That Outlive the Leader
Strong leadership is important. Sustainable leadership is everything.
One of the biggest differentiators of top 10% schools is their obsession with systems—not paperwork, not compliance, but repeatable structures that keep excellence alive even when leadership changes.
Take legendary coach John Wooden, for example, who ensured that when he retired, “the cupboard wasn’t bare.” Top 10% administrators think the same way. They aren’t building a school that only works because of them. They’re building one that works without them.
That’s why leadership teams matter. These schools don’t rely on a single heroic principal grinding 80-hour weeks. They build distributed leadership teams that include assistant principals, instructional coaches, and teachers. Vision isn’t handed down—it’s built collaboratively and spread intentionally.
Instructional coaches play a massive role here—and they’re not glorified data clerks. Coaches in top schools are doing “the real work”—co-teaching, modeling lessons, leading professional learning, and helping teachers get better at their craft. Data gets handled quickly so the thinking work can take center stage.
And then there’s time. Top 10% leaders protect their calendars like elite athletes protect recovery. Deep work is scheduled. Weekend work is questioned. Delegation is strategic. One leader I worked with was still handling a task out of habit—until they realized someone else could do it just as well. That’s not laziness. That’s leadership.
If you’re constantly busy but never strategic, your systems are broken. Top schools fix that early. 🧠
Top 10% Schools Redefine “Normal” Through Daily Leadership Moves
What leaders tolerate becomes the culture. Top 10% schools are crystal clear about what they accept—and what they don’t.
For starters, sit-and-get faculty meetings are gone. Administrative updates live in newsletters. Meetings are reserved for collaboration, learning, and problem-solving.
These schools also operate from a relentless growth mindset. When problems show up (and they always do), the response isn’t blame or resignation. It’s curiosity. Top leaders don’t say, “Some kids just don’t learn.” They say, “We haven’t figured it out yet—but we will.”
Visibility matters too. Top leaders are in classrooms—not to evaluate, but to notice. They leave handwritten notes. They name specific practices they saw. They connect those moments directly back to the school’s vision.
Then—and this part matters—they celebrate those moments publicly. When vision-aligned practices show up in newsletters and meetings, they become the new normal. What you focus on grows.
And no, these leaders aren’t working more hours than everyone else. They’re working differently. Let me be clear on this: top 10% leadership is not about grinding harder—it’s about being intentional enough to rest, reflect, and lead with clarity.
Ordinary schools default to survival mode. Top schools design culture on purpose. 🎯
Becoming a top 10% school isn’t about copying someone else’s program—it’s about committing to a different way of leading. It starts with a bold vision that refuses to settle for ordinary. It grows through systems that sustain excellence. And it’s reinforced by daily leadership moves that redefine what’s expected, celebrated, and protected.
The good news? You don’t have to figure this out alone. Visit schools that are already doing it. Listen to the words they use. Watch how they spend their time. Ask what they repeat again and again. Top leaders don’t hoard good ideas—they share them.
If you want to be in the top 10%, you can’t behave like the 90%. But if you’re reading this and nodding along, you’re probably closer than you think. Lead inspired—and lead differently. 💡
Click here for more information on Magnify Learning’s Workshop options.
Click here to schedule a PBL Model School visit.
To watch a webinar customized to your context, visit us at pblwebinar.com
If you have PBL heroes in your district, have them apply to be a part of our nationwide network tackling current issues in education innovation by going to pblnetworks.com