During the 2020-21 school year, schools and families learned in particularly dramatic ways that they can’t effectively support students without being in partnership with one another. Every family faced its own unique challenges navigating distance learning, and many schools had to create new family communication strategies on the fly. While Read more
Navigating pathways through high school, higher education and training, and into the workforce can be overwhelming for students and families. Families need to be engaged early and often to ensure they have the resources and support they need to make informed decisions. But as the economy has shifted—including dramatic changes Read more
How have principals experienced changes in schooling over the last two years? To answer this question, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) launched Leaders We Need Now, a series of research reports on how the unprecedented crises and turmoil in 2020–21 have affected the work of principals and Read more
Theatre education can help young people develop a strong sense of self and identity, build empathy and learning among peers, and broaden the ways they make meaning of the world around them. Yet the last comprehensive arts education study, examining the state of art education during the 2008-09 school year, Read more
Three new REL West infographics are designed to support understanding of research studies so decisionmakers can make better use of evidence to inform practices and policies. Effect Size Basics: Understanding the Strength of a Program’s Impact – https://ies.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a9bab6ebb1d1e641170c090cf&id=311c2abf04&e=fa5cdec643 This infographic explains what effect size is, the difference between effect size Read more
For years, researchers have found teacher professional development programs to be largely ineffective. But a new and growing body of research suggests that professional learning, done well, can both increase teacher morale and raise student outcomes. This means it is: Grounded in the content and curriculum of the teachers receiving Read more
Recently, Amber Northern reviewed the top six education studies of 2021 from the Education Gadfly Show. Excerpts of three of the studies appear below: The Evolution of Gender Gaps in Numeracy and Literacy between Childhood and Young Adulthood, by Francesca Borgonovi, Alvaro Choi, and Marco Paccagnella. Research indicates that gaps Read more
Design Principles for Schools: Putting the Science of Learning and Development Into Action is a new playbook created by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) and Turnaround for Children in partnership with the Forum for Youth Investment and in association with the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) Alliance and more Read more
As educator preparation programs prepare teacher candidates to be successful in the classroom on day one, they recognize that they must anchor that preparation in teacher residencies – high-quality clinical experiences where candidates receive a full year of practice under an experienced, highly effective mentor teacher in a K-12 classroom. Read more
Fewer elementary and middle school students started the 2021 school year on grade level for reading and mathematics, according to a new report released by Curriculum Associates. The report, Understanding Student Learning: Insights from Fall 2021, analyzes data gathered from the edtech company’s i-Ready Assessment tool on reading and mathematics Read more
Recently, Turnaround for Children released a toolkit for elevating student voice by co-creating classroom community. The toolkit includes the following resources: Educator Reflection: Personal and Community Values The purpose of this tool is for educators to reflect on how their own values (shaped by their identity, culture, and experiences) show Read more
In partnership with the Barr Foundation, the Center on Reinventing Public Education conducted longitudinal interviews with ten teachers and seven parents across four school systems in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, and Massachusetts between January and June of 2021. The interviews expose how ill-equipped New England schools were to address adolescent Read more
Recently in The 74, Emily Murphy wrote an opinion piece on the importance of the teacher that touched my heart. Excerpts of the piece appear below: Our country spends billions of dollars every year to fix education. This often involves seeking the next shiny object as a silver bullet — Read more
Writing for The Hechinger Report, Jill Barshay reviews the research basis on gifted education. Excerpts of the piece appear below: Researchers have been studying ways to diversify the ranks of gifted-and-talented programs. David Card, an economist from the University of California, Berkeley, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in economics Read more
Over the last few years, social and emotional skills have been rising on the education policy agenda and in the public debate. Policy makers and education practitioners are seeking ways to complement the focus on academic learning, with attention to social and emotional skill development. Social and emotional skills are Read more
Recently in The 74, representatives from three philanthropic organizations supporting public education shared their perspective on COVID innovations worth supporting. Excerpts from their piece appear below: The Canopy Project tracked how hundreds of schools across the country adapted and innovated last year in student-centered ways. The following adaptations these schools Read more