The Coalition is rooted in ten basic principles. Instead of serving as a blueprint for change, these Principles challenge a school community to examine its priorities and to redesign curriculum, instruction, assessment, and organizational structures.

1. The school should focus on helping students learn to use their minds well (intellectual rigor);

2. each student should master a limited number of essential skills and areas of knowledge ("Depth over breadth");

3. the school's goals should apply to all students, while the means to these goals will vary as those students themselves vary;

4. teaching and learning should be personalized to the maximum feasible extent;

5. the governing practical metaphor of the school should be student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach, rather than the more familiar metaphor of teacher-as-deliverer-of-instructional-services;

6. students should demonstrate mastery of knowledge through exhibitions;

7. the tone of the school should stress values of high expectations, trust, respect ("Tone of Decency");

8. the staff should expect multiple obligations and reveal a sense of commitment to the entire school;

9. resources will be committed to support the school change process; and

10. schools will model democratic practices, honor diversity, and challenge all forms of inequality.

In addition to these ten principles, CES has created five benchmark categories, student achievement, classroom practice, organizational practice, community connections, and leadership, which are embedded in each of the principles to advance powerful teaching and learning in an environment respectful of human relationships.

The principle-based approach assumes that rather than being "implementers", teachers, administrators, and community members are, in fact, "inventors". It assumes that good schools must be finely attuned to their students and to their local needs and resources. The faculty and community of a CES school must decide how to apply the principles in its school's unique context, for the principles assert powerful ideas about schooling rather than mandating a particular action.