Since 2014, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has hosted the annual Summit on Improvement in Education. It is a key moment where individual practitioners and teams from schools, districts and charter school organizations, institutions of higher education, and intermediaries come together to learn and connect with fellow Read more
In 2011, CASEL launched the Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI) to study whether it was possible to implement SEL systemically in large, urban districts across the United States. Systemic SEL implementation is more pervasive and complex than the introduction of a single lesson or class period. It permeates all aspects of Read more
There is no doubt that teachers exert an incredible influence on students and their learning. But what if teachers hold the key to school and district-wide reform as well? In Core Education’s September Issue Brief, we explore the many ways schools and districts are offering exceptional teachers opportunities to share Read more
The Wallace Foundation recently released a report focusing on the potential for Assistant Principals to help foster educational equity, school improvement, and principal effectiveness. Recent years have seen a surge in the number of assistant principals and the percentage of schools with them, but despite its growing presence, the AP Read more
A new resource from KnowledgeWorks offers guidance on influencing the future of learning in turbulent times. As we navigate uncertainty, leaders at all levels of education and throughout the community need to grapple with key issues and the tensions that they raise as they strive to meet learners’ needs in Read more
Education First, the NewSchools Venture Fund, and the Broad Center have partnered to release the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Toolkit. This research-backed toolkit is designed to help districts, and CIOs, understand why a CIO is a critical cabinet-level role and what should be expected from one. The CIO Toolkit was Read more
Writing for the Fordham Institute, Chester E. Finn, Jr. presents an explanation of what is needed to fundamentally change schooling in America. Excerpts from the piece appear below: What distinguishes problems we tackle in a serious way from those we mostly just wring our hands and protest over? What distinguishes Read more
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 Read more
Candice McQueen and Charla Hurt recently shared the progress of a Tennessee initiative to engage effective teachers as teacher leaders for The 74. Excerpts of their piece appear below: The idea seemed like common sense: Engage the most effective teachers, ask them to come up with ideas for improving schools, Read more
A functional consensus is emerging among the nation’s boldest education leaders, producing not identical policies, but a set of vital principles that drive approaches shaped to the needs of each of their communities. It’s a set of principles born of extensive work, with the needs of students at the center. Read more
Of all in-school influences on student learning, leadership is second only to teaching quality. Indeed, when it comes to whole-system improvement, some argue that improving the quality of school leadership is a higher strategic priority than improving the quality of individual teachers, due to a principal’s influence across a school. Read more
A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics summarizes the characteristics of public elementary and secondary school principals in the United States. The report provides descriptive statistics and basic information from the 2015–16 National Teacher and Principal Survey Public School Principal Data File. Main findings include: There were about Read more
The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd has produced a new CenterView, focused on teacher leaders as instructional leaders and how districts can enable successful teacher leadership to improve standards-aligned instructional practices. In the current landscape of rigorous standards implementation, teacher leadership is gaining increased attention Read more
State policy plays a critical role in determining whether and how well local education improvement strategies can be implemented. As states rework their education policies under ESSA, state and local leaders need a way to assess their current policy environment and identify the changes needed to encourage local innovation and Read more
A new suite of teacher leadership self-assessment and readiness tools have been designed for teachers exploring leadership opportunities and leaders considering teacher leadership initiatives. Developed in collaboration and consultation with the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, REL Midwest, and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders 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