Educators have long known that focusing on academics alone is not enough. Children need support to develop academically, physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Whole child approaches attempt to integrate these needs into a coherent whole. In Core Education’s March issue brief, we explore whole child approaches, look at alternatives for defining student success, and review Read more about March Issue Brief: Whole Child Approaches[…]
New Schools Venture Fund has released a new insight brief, “Using Expanded Measures of Student Success for School Improvement.” Nearly five years ago, in 2015, NSVF began investing in a national portfolio of innovative public schools that all embrace what they call an expanded definition of student success. So far, the organization has invested in Read more about Using Expanded Measures of Student Success for School Improvement[…]
Each year in the United States, 46 million children are exposed to violence, crime, abuse, homelessness, or food insecurity, as well as a range of other experiences that cause psychological trauma. These experiences create toxic stress that can affect children’s attention, learning, and behavior. Research on human development shows that the effects of such trauma Read more about Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success[…]
Recently in Getting Smart, Tyler Thigpen wrote a piece on fear in the classroom, offering educators some insight into the debilitating anxiety that some students experience. Excerpts from the piece appear below: What if by understanding where fears stem from, educators could design the learning environment for optimal courage? Courage is not about avoiding fear. Read more about How Schools Can Cultivate Courage in the Face of Fear[…]
Writing for AEI, Laura Hamilton and Heather Schwartz explore the complex topic of measurement of social and emotional learning (SEL). They posit that the way in which advocates choose to measure SEL will play a critical role in shaping the effort’s goals and success, but provide several warnings about measurements: First, the lack of clarity Read more about Getting smart about social and emotional learning measurement[…]
Transforming Education has released a new resource, SEL Integration Approach for Classroom Educators. In A National at Hope, the Aspen SEAD Commission highlighted the importance of “integrat[ing] social, emotional, and cognitive development into academic curricula and throughout the day.” By integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into the fabric of the school day, educators can support students Read more about SEL Integration Approach for Classroom Educators[…]
Research increasingly points to the importance of social and emotional learning to student success. Teachers play a central role in these dimensions of learning, particularly in helping students feel connected to school and have a positive sense of themselves as learners. Through the messages they send and the experiences they provide in classrooms, teachers shape Read more about Teacher Mindsets: How Educators’ Perspectives Shape Student Success[…]
Children graduating from K-12 schools are largely unprepared for workplace challenges, and with the rise of smart machines, workforce readiness gaps are likely to increase. What are promising practices for preparing students for the changing world of work? How can educators help students develop their uniquely human attributes and flexible skills that can be applied Read more about Issue Brief: Preparing Learners for an Uncertain Future[…]
Integrating Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD): An Action Guide for School Leadership Teams provides practical advice, curated resources, and action steps for school leaders to improve the student experience, calling out specific equity implications in every section. Published by Education First and co-developed with practitioner-leaders from Minneapolis and Nashville public schools and experts from the Read more about Integrating Social, Emotional and Academic Development[…]
Most teens see anxiety and depression as “major problems” among their peers, according to a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. It suggests that 7 in 10 teens ages 13 to 17 think those issues are more prevalent than bullying, drug addiction, drinking alcohol, poverty, teen pregnancy and gangs. Concern about mental health Read more about Anxiety and Depression as this Generation’s Major Problem[…]
The intensifying interest among education policymakers in the social and emotional dimensions of student success is encouraging news. By complementing the important work in recent years to raise standards and strengthen instruction, the increasing focus on school climate and students’ relationships to their peers and their schools is a potentially powerful catalyst for school improvement Read more about Measuring the Social and Emotional Sides of Student Success[…]
The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) launched The CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL that provides an interactive planner, step-by-step guidance, field-tested tools, and continuous improvement processes to help educators implement social and emotional learning (SEL) in their schools. The free, online resource helps school teams coordinate and build on their evidence-based practices Read more about CASEL Releases Comprehensive Guide to Help Schools Implement SEL[…]
The Aspen Institute’s National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development has released a major national report, “From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope,” calling on all sectors of society to accelerate efforts to ensure that all U.S. students have access to quality social and emotional learning (SEL). The report is an Read more about A Nation at…. Hope[…]
In an economy driven by technological innovation and a complex social landscape, schools must invest in instructional approaches that allow students to express more agency over their learning and create space to apply what they learn to solve real-world problems. Based on a two-year study of personalized learning in 39 schools across the country and Read more about Mind the Gap: Will All Students Benefit From 21st Century Learning?[…]
Restorative justice is the focus of a series of reports authored by the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center, through funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The reports include: What Further Research is Needed on Restorative Justice in Schools? Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: Summary Findings from Interviews with Experts Restorative Justice in U.S. Read more about Restorative Justice: An Alternative to Traditional Punishment[…]
In Education Next, researcher C. Kirabo Jackson explores the results of an important study that reveals that a teacher’s effects on student behavior are more predictive than their effects on test scores — and that the teachers who are most successful in raising test scores are not the same teachers who are most successful in Read more about The Full Measure of Teacher Effectiveness[…]