Despite the pervasive effect of traumatic experiences on student performance,only 11 states encourage or require school staff training on the effects of trauma. Half of states have policies on suicide prevention. And just one state, Vermont, requires a school nurse to be available daily at every school campus. Those are among the key findings of Read more about Few States Have Policies to Fully Address Student Trauma[…]
On the path to strengthen teacher pipelines, support excellent teaching and improve retention, many states have developed opportunities for teacher leadership and advancement. While most states offer advanced licenses to encourage ongoing learning and growth within the teaching profession, many are now also including supports and incentives to encourage more teachers to become leaders in Read more about 50-State Comparison: Teacher Leadership and Licensure Advancement[…]
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[…]
Writing for New America, Melissa Tooley and Taylor White highlight how the policies undergirding most states’ licensure renewal systems not only conflict with what is known about best practices in adult learning, but that “whether a teacher grows considerably while fulfilling her state’s renewal requirements or does not improve at all is of no consequence Read more about Promoting Professional Learning Through Teacher Licensure Renewal Policies[…]
Eric Hanushek recently wrote an issue brief for AEI detailing the connection between quality education and a state’s economic future. Key points of the brief include the following: A key element of any successful economy, whether a nation or a state, is the quality of its workforce. The economic gains to each state from improving Read more about Every State’s Economic Future Lies with School Reform[…]
The Learning Policy Institute has examined national data and recent research on the barriers teachers of color face to both entering and staying in the profession. Their new report, Diversifying the Teaching Profession: How to Recruit and Retain Teachers of Color, includes recommendations intended to help policymakers increase teacher workforce diversity-an especially important strategy to Read more about Teachers of Color: In High Demand and Short Supply[…]
Writing for The 74, Beth Rabbitt reflects on the takeaways from the Learning Accelerator’s work with more than 100 leaders across eight regions nationally in the past year. Excerpts from the article appear below: Looking at patterns across each region, our biggest finding was this: ecosystems matter. Leaders can only be as effective as the Read more about Critical Success Factors for Great School Leaders[…]
Research shows school leadership is a pivotal factor in improving student achievement and retaining quality teachers. In fact, among school-related factors, leadership is found to have one of the greatest impacts on student learning — second only to classroom instruction. However, many districts are challenged by high rates of turnover, resulting in shortages and inexperienced Read more about 50-State Comparison: School Leader Certification and Preparation Programs[…]
In order for a school reform effort to succeed, it must be owned by teachers. Those responsible for change must have a voice in creating and directing that change: teachers cannot be viewed as simply the implementers. In Core Education’s April issue brief, we discuss lessons learned from successful implementation efforts that have privileged teacher Read more about April Issue Brief: Empowered Educators[…]
NCTQ’s 2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide highlights leading state work across 37 different policy areas that impact teacher quality. This resource serves as a guide to all states seeking concrete ideas and examples of how to improve teacher policy. Despite consistent concerns regarding whether states are acting quickly and ambitiously enough to improve Read more about NCTQ Releases 2018 State Teacher Policy Best Practices Guide[…]
This year, the Fordham Foundation hosted a Wonkathon, asking assorted education policy experts whether America’s graduation requirements need to change. Replies were rated and the winners have been announced: 2018 First Place: High school reimagined (and we truly mean reimagined) by Jessica Shopoff, M.Ed., and Chase Eskelsen, M.Ed. To build a personalized learning model that Read more about Wonk-A-Thon Winners[…]
Students on the Prichard Committee Student Voice Team recently wrote, “Young people are ready to help lead the charge. Policymakers would be wise to heed our interest and energy and enlist us a full partners in finding solutions.” As the national conversation around student voice swells, these students and millions of others are raising their Read more about Student Voice: The Power of Amplifying Education’s Ultimate Stakeholder[…]
The National Association of State Boards of Education has released a policy brief exploring state mentoring policies related to the support of novice teachers and the research on effective mentoring programs. Policy recommendations as well as state exemplar programs are offered. The brief finds that although there is evidence that formal induction programs lasting at Read more about State Mentoring Policies Key to Supporting Novice Teachers[…]
The Education Commission of the States is out with policy snapshots of enacted state legislation related to teachers. Each snapshot covers all teacher legislation in 2017 as well as select 2018 introduced legislation and details various state approaches to attracting and retaining a high-quality teacher workforce. Access the snapshots at the following links: Teacher Evaluations: Read more about State Education Policy Tracking[…]
Earlier this month, John White, Louisiana state superintendent of education and board chair of Chiefs for Change, wrote a piece for the Washington Post that explored the progress made in America’s public schools over the past decade. Excerpts appear below: On the extremes of the right and the left, there is a growing desire to Read more about What’s Working in America’s Public Schools[…]
Educators seeking to measure student attainment of 21st century skills and deeper learning are increasingly looking to performance assessment as a way to assess student performance meaningfully. ESSA’s innovative testing pilot and new test-optional college admissions policies are removing roadblocks that once stood in the way of widescale adoption of performance assessment. In this month’s Read more about February Issue Brief: Performance Assessment[…]