The Elements of Success: 10 Million Speak on Schools that Work

Based on a review of seminal documents from the Learning First Alliance member organizations, the Alliance has identified six elements around which successful schools are organized, whether formally or informally, that each impact several important aspects of schooling. These elements are: Focus on the Total Child Successful schools support all students’ needs, inside and outside Read more about The Elements of Success: 10 Million Speak on Schools that Work[…]

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The Promise of Performance Assessments

As states, districts, and schools are expanding instruction to include the competencies associated with college, career, and civic readiness, they are also developing ways to measure mastery of these deeper learning and higher-order thinking skills. These measures include performance assessments, such as portfolios, capstone projects, and senior defenses, alongside classroom performance. Meanwhile, more than 900 Read more about The Promise of Performance Assessments[…]

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Early College High Schools Take on Teacher Preparation

Writing for New America, Roxanne Garza describes how early college high schools specializing in the teaching profession work to encourage more young people to become educators. Excerpts of the article appear below: Early College High Schools, which allow students to earn an associate degree in addition to a diploma while in high school, are rapidly Read more about Early College High Schools Take on Teacher Preparation[…]

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Out of the Loop

Nearly 20 percent of the country’s students are enrolled in rural schools, yet are not provided the same focus in national policy or research as students in urban and suburban school districts. “Out of the Loop,” a new report from the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA), Center for Public Education (CPE), finds that poverty, isolation Read more about Out of the Loop[…]

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January Issue Brief: Not Just a High School Diploma

High school students are now graduating with much more than their high school diplomas – some have already earned an Associate’s degree or industry-recognized credentials. Many have amassed enough AP, IB, or community college credits to begin their postsecondary studies a semester or two ahead. Research is showing that these early college/credentialing models promote college Read more about January Issue Brief: Not Just a High School Diploma[…]

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Education Data 101

The Data Quality Campaign has released Education Data 101, a primer on the most important concepts and research related to education data. The purpose of this publication is to bring policymakers up to speed, but it also provides a nice summary of talking points for anyone involved in education. The publication focuses on eight pressing Read more about Education Data 101[…]

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Innovative Assessment in New Hampshire

For those wondering what ESSA’s Innovative Testing Pilot might bring, look no further than New Hampshire. The Obama administration granted New Hampshire a first-of-its-kind waiver in 2015, allowing a subset of school districts to try out new exams made up of “complex, multi-part tasks that ask students to apply what they have learned in sophisticated Read more about Innovative Assessment in New Hampshire[…]

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How School Buildings Affect Teacher Collaboration

Writing for Education Next, researchers James P. Spillane and Matthew Shirrell describe the findings of a four-year study of a midwestern suburban district, where they analyzed collaboration patterns among teachers and teased out the impact of teacher proximity to one another, shared workspace, and school design. Their analysis finds that physical proximity predicts staff interactions, Read more about How School Buildings Affect Teacher Collaboration[…]

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New Evidence that Students’ Beliefs about their Brains Drive Learning

Responding to the need to look beyond test scores to measure school quality, an increasing number of school districts are striving to incorporate socio-emotional learning measures in their accountability policies. Growth mindset – believing that intelligence and talent can change – is one of these measures. Experimental research has found that developing a growth mindset Read more about New Evidence that Students’ Beliefs about their Brains Drive Learning[…]

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5 Tips for Engaging Educators in Advocacy

As a growing network of advocates recognizes the immense value of incorporating educators in the policymaking process, the landscape of opportunities for educators to share their perspectives is expanding and diversifying. In a new Policy Innovators in Education (PIE) Network report, advocates working across 29 states provided details on the educator voice opportunities they’ve built, Read more about 5 Tips for Engaging Educators in Advocacy[…]

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Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Work and Learning

Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have already begun to revolutionize countless fields. Education is no exception. Tom Vander Ark recently authored a report, “Ask About AI: The Future of Work and Learning“ and released it via Getting Smart, the digital consulting firm he started. The following mark five important takeaways on how AI will Read more about Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Work and Learning[…]

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Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance Across Four Years

The Institute of Education Sciences has released the fourth and final evaluation report on the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants, which were awarded in 2010 to support performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals in high-need schools. The report, conducted by IES’ National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), provides basic implementation information Read more about Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance Across Four Years[…]

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New audio podcast series: “Teachers of the Year”

A 45-part audio podcast series, produced by NWEA, the not-for-profit creator of assessment solutions, is featuring the voices of Teachers of the Year (TOY). From personal childhood stories of poverty and violence to the immense struggles that ESL students face today – these teachers share their personal and powerful accounts of the moment that crystallized Read more about New audio podcast series: “Teachers of the Year”[…]

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How States and Districts Can Use ESSA funds to Support SEL

Mounting evidence suggests that social and emotional (SEL) skills are critical to students’ success in and out of the classroom. For schools, districts and states looking to help children build these competencies, a new RAND report offers guidance on how educators can use funding streams in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to implement SEL Read more about How States and Districts Can Use ESSA funds to Support SEL[…]

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States’ Sense of Urgency to Improve Teacher Policies Grinds to a Halt

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has released its biannual 2017 State Teacher Policy Yearbook (Yearbook), which finds that the rapid progress made by states over the last decade to modernize their teacher policies has largely slowed. Since the last edition of the Yearbook in 2015, few states have initiated any new actions to Read more about States’ Sense of Urgency to Improve Teacher Policies Grinds to a Halt[…]

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Credential Engine Launches Platforms and Tools to Promote Credential Transparency

The nonprofit Credential Engine has launched tools and services to pave the way to a new level of transparency for educators, employers, students, and workers looking to navigate the postsecondary credentialing system. At an event attended by higher education and business leaders, the organization debuted a first-of-its-kind centralized credential data platform called the Credential Registry, Read more about Credential Engine Launches Platforms and Tools to Promote Credential Transparency[…]

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