Featured Case

Success Academy Charter Schools

The multimedia case follows the story of Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy, a network of high-performing charter schools in New York City. The case explores the role of the government in the provision and funding of education and demonstrates how Success Academy’s adoption of business principals — high expectations, aggressive testing, spirit of innovation, and experimentation — contribute to positive outcomes for students.

The Success Academy Springfield Gardens Elementary School
Professor Robin Greenwood on location in Harlem for the filming of the Success Academy case

Professor Robin Greenwood, on location in Harlem for the filming of the Success Academy case

When Professor Robin Greenwood decided to produce a case about Success Academy, he felt the traditional case format could not fully capture the passion Moskowitz and her team have for every detail of their schools and how focused the young students are on their lessons. In class discussions, he saw that many students dug more deeply into the key questions than they might have with a print case. “You can’t just skim a multimedia case. You really have to invest the time, but the payoff is huge,” he said. “The impact of the multimedia case is that it puts everything in context. People’s stories come across in a much more vibrant and emotional way.”

The multimedia components of the case make the students more invested in the issues because they really get a sense of who the people are and what they are trying to do.

Robin Greenwood profile photo
Robin Greenwood; George Gund Professor of Finance and Banking Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research

More Featured Cases