To quote from the ncrel site,
‘Q: What is a “Critical Issue”?
A: “Critical Issue” is a multimedia document that examines a particular issue being tackled by educators engaged in school improvement. Currently, more than 75 Critical Issues are available in the following 10 areas: Assessment, At-risk, Family and Community, Instruction, Leadership, Literacy, Mathematics and Science, Policy, Professional Development, and Technology in Education. For example, under Literacy, you’ll find the Critical Issue “Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction,” as well as several other Literacy-related Critical Issues.’
The ncrel directory of critical issues can be found here.
There are n number of ways in which the issue of school improvement can be approached.
ncrel ( north central regional educational laboratory) has adopted the approach of defining critical issues and examining each one in details. We, in India, can also adopt this methodology and identify critical issues pertinent to our respective environments and compile such documents. e.g. critical issue: supporting ways parents and families can become involved in schools can be found here.
