Karin Chenoweth of Education Week recently wrote about lessons learned from schools with “unexpected” success. Excerpts of the article appear below: Educators in unexpected schools change the fundamental way schools have traditionally been organized. Back in 2000, Harvard researcher Richard Elmore argued that because teaching has primarily been an isolated, Read more
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released new data that provide a more comprehensive look at the percentage of degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who are successfully completing postsecondary education. Unlike the previously reported graduation rates, the new Outcome Measures (OM) account for non-traditional students, such as those who attend part Read more
After an extensive organizational review, literature review and stakeholder listening sessions, Education Evolving has released its newly refined vision for student-centered learning. It involves the following seven principles: Positive Relationships – Students have relationships with adults and peers who care about, believe in, and hold them to high expectations Whole Read more
A new report from a group of the nation’s boldest state and district education leaders finds that improving curriculum is a powerful, but underutilized strategy for school improvement. Curriculum has long been a third rail in U.S. education policy, dismissed by policymakers despite related, highly visible efforts to develop college- Read more
How do you know if your school is on track for implementing high-quality competency-based education (CBE) strategies in the classroom? States, districts, and schools that want to realize the college- and career-readiness potential of CBE must look beyond the CBE label to ensure that core CBE features are happening in Read more
eSchool News recently published articles by Amanda Stedke and Gene Kerns, discussing the definitions and differences among personalization, individualization, and differentiation. The pieces cut right to the heart of the issue by noting that most of us struggle to clearly delineate differentiation, individualization, and personalization. This struggle for a definition Read more
An iNACOL Issue Brief by Dale Frost and Maria Worthen provides an overview of competency-based education and offers state policy recommendations and resources for policymakers who are ready to enable and support competency-based education. Competency-based education is a next generation learning model that focuses on all students achieving mastery, preparing Read more
The College & Career Readiness & Success Center at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) has released a new brief, Evidence-Based Practices to Support College and Career Readiness in High School: Early College High School. Early-college high schools are a partnership between secondary and postsecondary institutions and businesses that allow Read more
Social emotional learning (SEL) holds great potential for improving learning and college and career-ready outcomes for all students. But there is much work to do to ensure that high-quality, integrated SEL is present in a meaningful and asset-based manner in all schools. How should funders and other SEL supporters invest their Read more
For the first time ever, any student anywhere can take top-quality courses online in every major freshman college subject, taught by professors from the most prestigious universities, that lead to full academic credit at 2,900 traditional colleges, such as Purdue, Penn State, Colorado State and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all Read more
Of the nearly 100 different types of high school diplomas that are awarded across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, less than half prepare students for success in college and a career, according to a new report by the Alliance for Excellent Education. And while the national high Read more
The number of students finishing high school has increased over time for students in all racial/ethnic groups. However, the rate of progress has varied and racial/ethnic gaps persist. The National Center for Education Statistics released a new report in July entitled Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Read more
Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs, which previously have been shown to immediately improve mental health, social skills, and academic achievement, continue to benefit students for months and even years to come, according to new research (Promoting Positive Youth Development Through School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Interventions: A Meta-Analysis of Read more
A new AEI paper by Jonathan Wai and Frank C. Worrell, “Fully Developing the Potential of Academically Advanced Students: Helping Them Will Help Society” argues that gifted students are often left out of education reform conversations. In the $59.8 billion 2015 federal education budget, one dollar was spent on gifted Read more
Mark Tucker, writing for the Top Performers blog, recently weighed in on a discussion about the value of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) by providing an international perspective. Excerpts from his piece appear below: One of the things that has really impressed us about the schools serving very vulnerable children Read more
Among high school students who consider dropping out, half cite lack of engagement with school as a primary reason, and 42 percent say that they don’t see value in the schoolwork they are asked to do. In What Teens Want from Their Schools: A National Survey of High School Student Read more