Richmond County schools Superintendent Dana Bedden has hinted at changes he would like to see within the system -- changes expected to be made possible when an extensive audit is released to school board members Thursday.

Dr. Bedden wants to overhaul the human resources department, reduce the size of the central office, infuse more technology into classrooms and departments and establish greater accountability, he said in an interview to discuss his reform plans.

The superintendent is moving ahead with substantial plans to increase accountability and raise pupil achievement. He has directed every school and department to develop annual goals that reflect the goals of the school system.

Dr. Bedden is also moving toward a score card, a system of assigning specific goals to individual employees.

He is also trying to address the tendency to set schools up to fail by assigning the least experienced teachers and principals to the most troubled schools. He has cited as an example Tubman Middle School, which has been on the "needs improvement" list for eight years and where many pupils come from three housing projects. He had to step in when teachers tried to leave earlier this school year.

His initiatives aren't original. They come from many influences, he said, with a number resembling those implemented by Miami-Dade County Superintendent Rudy Crew, the American Association of School Administrators' 2008 national superintendent of the year.

Though the two school systems differ greatly in size, Dr. Bedden said he uses core issues that are hallmarks of Dr. Crew's career to guide the changes in Richmond County. He listed improving teaching and learning, business efficiency, public engagement, staff quality and accountability.

Dr. Crew has "been very successful in moving school districts forward," Dr. Bedden said.

WHEN DR. CREW joined Miami-Dade in 2004, he quickly moved to create a school improvement zone to attract veteran educators to the most struggling schools.

The school system he inherited, the fourth largest in the country, suffered from subpar academics, high violence, widespread overcrowding and a special committee appointed by the state to oversee its facilities program, said Chief of Staff Carolyn Spaht, who arrived in Miami as part of Dr. Crew's administration.

"I think when you have a community that is hungry for change, it's not real hard to sell the ideas that are more extreme," she said. "I think they were ready for it."

The new superintendent and the school board restored the community's confidence by doing what they said they would, Ms. Spaht said. Over a six-month period, for instance, all of the recommendations from the state's oversight committee were implemented, and the governor disbanded it.

Dr. Crew also required veteran administrators, who had settled into their positions, to change the way they operated and to expect consequences if they didn't, spokesman John Schuster said.

"They would be performing in different ways, and they would be held accountable for the performance," he said of the change.

Mr. Schuster said Dr. Crew immediately put his staff on notice as he raised expectations.

"He told people, 'I'm going to be watching your performance, I'm going to be looking for you and if you're not out there doing your job, I will find you,' " he said.

Resistance came when Dr. Crew established score cards, a performance pay system that rewards administrators for meeting predetermined goals assigned for each management employee.

"It was hard for some to see their colleagues getting bonuses, and some to see that they were not getting bonuses," Ms. Spaht said.

The initiative makes Miami-Dade one of the few school systems in the country to assign specific performance goals to its employees. The move also changed the operational culture of the school system.

"There were just a series of bad things that the district always seemed to be reacting to, instead of being proactive and planning ahead," Mr. Schuster said.

In all, Dr. Crew implemented about 35 initiatives in his first three years, Ms. Spaht said. Some showed results quickly, leading to rebuilt public trust and improved employee morale. Overcrowding has been reduced by building new schools, which has improved the school system's image, she said.

DR. BEDDEN HAS maintained a high visibility in his efforts to restore trust, said Richard Harrison, the dean of Augusta State University's College of Education. He said he never met or spoke with Dr. Bedden's predecessor, Charles Larke, but he has talked with Dr. Bedden on many occasions.

In his first six months, Dr. Bedden has given more than 40 speeches. He has also reached out to city, business and other community leaders, joining the governing boards of the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club and Children's Network while maintaining his positions in national professional organizations. Should his reforms take root, Dr. Bedden is confident they will make Richmond County more competitive.

"Without a doubt in my mind, I think if we turn the corner -- I'm not going to say turn the ship around -- I think we need to turn the corner," the superintendent said. "We are a big part of success and failure in the whole region."

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.