Getting Smart has released three new resources on Place-Based Education. The first guide and infographic, What is Placed Based Education and Why Does it Matter?, offers an overview of Place-Based Education including definitions, benefits and examples. It features diverse examples of Place-Based Education in practice submitted by educators all over Read more
When the Center for American Progress released its 2012 report, Do Schools Challenge Our Students?, many states had just committed to the Common Core State Standards. The standards were an attempt to raise expectations by establishing a new set of rigorous K-12 academic benchmarks, and the CAP analysis underscored the Read more
Results for America and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) recently released Leverage Points, a new report that spotlights 13 opportunities for states to accelerate their use of data and evidence to improve K-12 schools. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires in some parts (and encourages in Read more
AIR’s Cortney Rowland has written a new report examining the opportunities provided by ESSA for states to focus on principal professional development. Again and again, states and districts have focused on teachers rather than principals when making policy and allotting funds and resources for professional development and support. Principals’ groups Read more
The Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University has released its much anticipated website called Evidence for ESSA (www.evidenceforessa.org), a free web-based resource that provides easy access to information on programs that meet the evidence standards defined in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The website Read more
A new series of reports summarizes what is known about social and emotional learning (SEL) and effective strategies that promote SEL for students ages 3-8. The four-part series is based on a literature review conducted by Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Mid-Atlantic. Social and emotional learning is the process by which Read more
Research shows that dual enrollment programs have positive effects on high school achievement and completion, as well as college access, enrollment and degree attainment, according to a new What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention report. The Institute of Education Sciences recently released a report that summarizes research reviewed by the WWC Read more
State education agencies have a unique opportunity through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to access the funding and support needed to advance their approach to teacher leadership. The State Teacher Leadership Toolkit provides a playbook for states to develop a framework to guide the planning, design, implementation, and assessment Read more
Ruth Neild of the American Youth Policy Forum recently provided advice on what types of interventions educators should be looking for when they strive to meet the ESSA evidence standards. Her explanation encompasses programs, models, policies, practices, and products. Excerpts of her piece appear below: “Invest in what works, and Read more
Teachers in the U.S. spend far more time engaged in active instruction than their peers in other parts of the world. Yet some of teachers’ most important responsibilities–such as planning and collaborating with peers–require non-instructional time. Fortunately, there are several promising models schools have used for creative scheduling to provide Read more
The stakeholder engagement provisions in ESSA (the Every Student Succeeds Act) will fundamentally alter how education policy is made. If implemented as intended, it will ensure that the expertise of the parents, educators and other leaders working with, and on behalf of, students every day informs the development of state Read more
Teachers often can’t easily get a teaching job in a new state – usually because of confusing bureaucracy, a battery of expensive exams, and complex rules about which university courses will be accepted. There is little research showing these rules lead to better teachers, but some evidence that they harm Read more
The Center on School Turnaround at WestEd (CST) has released the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement. This report was developed as a framework to assist states, districts, and schools in leading and managing rapid improvement efforts. The framework shares, in practical language, the critical practices of successful school turnaround Read more
The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) have released a new interactive tool for principals: Principals Action Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Providing All Students with a Well-Rounded and Complete Education. Principals’ crucial voices are needed Read more
Despite decades of efforts to support teachers with coaching, most teachers still do not get the support they need in their own classrooms. Yet many teachers, including experienced ones, need support to continue to evolve professionally, hone their practice, and use new tools. Based on experience, the research base on Read more
Manuelito Biag recently reflected on educational improvement in the Carnegie Commons Blog, arguing that improvement requires a user-centered strategy. Excerpts of the article appear below: In education, knowing what works, for whom, and under what conditions requires deep understanding of individuals — their needs, concerns, and motivations — as well Read more