In the first of a series of reports from Digital Promise Global, Making Learning Personal For All – The Growing Diversity in Today’s Classroom explores learner diversity and learning variability across a variety of factors impacting student performance. A growing body of evidence stresses the need for the research community, Read more
The National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (NCTAF), the author of the seminal “What Matters Most” report of 1996, is calling for a new compact with teachers in order to capitalize on this moment in time when policy and practice are shifting toward more engaging and relevant teaching and Read more
The 74 recently released a piece titled, “9 Things Science Tells Us about How Kids Learn to Read and Think Critically.” The article makes a compelling argument for more exposure to science and social science content matter even in the face of easy access to information. The argument is that Read more
Anna Duncan, writing for New America, explores the power of teacher leaders to transform the debate around teacher evaluation and place the emphasis more squarely on professional development. Excerpts from the article appear below: That teacher leadership systems have to serve as a key link between teacher evaluation and professional Read more
Recent research reveals that although districts spend large amounts of money on professional development, PD has a poor reputation for actually improving instructional practice, and teachers claim that current approaches are not meeting their needs. In this month’s issue brief, we focus on the problems with professional development, look to Read more
Charlotte Danielson is author of a number of books including Framework for Teaching, first published in 1996. She has consulted with state departments of education across the United States, as well as ministries of education abroad. She recently offered her view on how to improve current systems of teacher evaluation: Read more
Historically, states and districts have invested large sums on teacher professional development or “PD” as the primary strategy to help teachers improve their practice. Despite its potential, in its present state, PD has gained a poor reputation among educators and those who study education, in part because little evidence exists Read more
Each month in Core Education’s issue brief, we post a call for commentary. We always enjoy hearing great ideas from our readers! Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Margie Johnson of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) about an innovative approach to collaborative inquiry that the district is implementing. Read more
Whether the goal is to enhance instruction, create a culture of excellence, or broaden education options for parents, it’s nearly impossible to improve schools without strong leaders. This is hardly news; much evidence has indicated the importance of effective principals for decades. Yet reform strategies have largely lacked a coherent Read more
A recent Education Week blog by Marc Tucker examines what it truly takes to get a first-rate teacher in front of every student, and compares the United States systems to the rest of the world. Some experts estimate that half of those who start a career in teaching are gone in Read more
Nowadays, most employers expect their workers to continually seek out learning opportunities. Micro-credentials offer students and working professionals alike a way to bulk up their resumes with field-specific skills. Micro-credentials are like certifications. Students or professionals take courses and develop specific skills in certain fields. This could include topics like: Read more
A recent report written by the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and Learning Forward examines what teachers and educational leaders can learn about professional development from other industries. The education field has long recognized the importance of ongoing professional learning and growth opportunities, and recent policy priorities have underscored Read more
Sarah Brown Wessling, high school English teacher in Johnston, Iowa and 2010 National Teacher of the Year recently offered advice for teacher leaders in Education Week. An excerpt of her post appears below: As many of our systems work to make space for elevating the profession by calling on the Read more
Learning Forward and the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (NCTAF) are pleased to announce that the application process for the Agents for Learning Competition (www.learningforward.org/get-involved/agents-for-learning-competition) is now officially open. The goal of the competition is to engage educator teams in advocating for the best use of federal funding Read more
Effective teacher teams can produce a variety of positive outcomes, from increased student achievement, to improved school climate, to high levels of teacher resilience and retention. But cultivating effective teacher collaboration is more complex than simply assigning a common planning period to a group of teachers. In this month’s issue Read more
In a recent Getting Smart article, Bonnie Lathram and Tyler Nakatsu explore how educators can get started with Deeper Learning. They suggest six entry points: Be a maker As an educator, what artifacts are there that can showcase the “makers” that you and your students are? Bring your own talents Read more