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
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
Olivia Piontek of the Fordham Institute recently wrote a piece reviewing the research on the effects of social-emotional development on student academic achievement. Excerpts appear below: Can attending schools that promote social-emotional development boost a student’s chance of postsecondary success? A recent study from researchers at the University of Chicago Read more
A new report from Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce explores how 120 knowledge areas, skills, and abilities are demanded across the workforce and within specific occupations—and how the intensity with which workers use these competencies, along with their education level, can affect their earnings. Workers need more than Read more
New research by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) finds 11 key skills gaps among college graduates. These skills include the following: Understand Role in the Workplace and Have Realistic Career Expectations Recognize and Deal Constructively with Conflict Accept and Apply Critique and Direction in the Workplace Listen Read more
Despite a low unemployment rate, many new workers are unable to secure stable employment due to lack of skills. A new report from the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) aims to narrow the gap between what employers need and the type of skills employees entering the Read more
Writing for the Hechinger Report, Jill Barshay reviews a Chicago analysis that finds that schools that foster social-emotional development get better results for students. Excerpts of the piece appear below: We hear the phrase “failing schools” a lot but what really defines a failing school? Generally, we look at test Read more
As its name suggests, the middle-skills pathway sits between a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree. There are a wide variety of credentials associated with this pathway, but certificates and associate degrees are the most popular. In general, associate degrees include a mix of general education courses and career Read more
The Aspen Institute’s National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development has released a major national report, “From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope,” calling on all sectors of society to accelerate efforts to ensure that all U.S. students have access to quality social and emotional learning Read more
Preston Cooper, writing for Forbes, has reviewed a new article by Matthew Chingos of the Urban Institute that finds high school GPA to be a better predictor of college completion than SAT score. For excerpts from the article, see below: For obvious reasons, students who exhibit better academic preparation in Read more
As the Latino population in this nation has increased over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic surge in the numbers of Latino students pursuing postsecondary credentials and degrees on college and university campuses across the country. In addition, graduation rates for Latino students at four-year institutions have Read more
Mounting evidence suggests that social and emotional (SEL) skills are critical to students’ success in and out of the classroom. For schools, districts and states looking to help children build these competencies, a new RAND report offers guidance on how educators can use funding streams in the Every Student Succeeds Read more
Education researchers at Pearson teamed up with the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) to conduct a review of the research literature on the importance of collaboration skills for employers, as well as how to teach and assess these skills in K-12 and higher-education classrooms. The ability to work in Read more
Marc Tucker recently penned a letter to President-Elect Trump, outlining the importance of education to the American economy. Portions of it appear below: Dear President-Elect Trump, People are counting on you because you told them that you can restore their jobs and their incomes, and, most important, their pride and Read more
They are called non-cognitive skills, skills for success, soft skills, or social-emotional learning skills. These are the elusive student abilities to persevere, collaborate, make decisions, communicate, and exhibit agency, self-discipline, self-direction and conscientiousness. Employers tell us that these skills are essential for success in the workforce, and researchers are reporting Read more
Students at the Center’s Hub team developed the Reflection Tool For 21st Century Learning to support deeper learning and computational thinking for secondary students. The tool defines and scaffolds essential skills for both students and educators, in easy-to-understand language with opportunity for reflection and growth. This reflection tool is a Read more