Supporting Teachers Through Policies for Personalized Learning

Posted on September 3, 2019April 30, 2020 by coreeducation

If state leaders want more student-driven learning in classrooms, creating policies that support teachers is critical. That’s according to a new report from iNACOL, a nonprofit that supports competency-based education. The report outlines five recommendations for state policy leaders on how to help develop teachers so they’re prepared for competency-based instruction: 1. Convene a state Read more about Supporting Teachers Through Policies for Personalized Learning[…]

DC Public Schools release scores showing four years of steady gains

Posted on August 29, 2019August 26, 2019 by coreeducation

FutureEd has published a piece about how changes to curriculum and instruction in DC have made a difference: During five and a half years as chief of teaching and learning at the District of Columbia Public Schools, Brian Pick led one of the nation’s most comprehensive—and successful—overhauls of a school district instructional system. Pick introduced Read more about DC Public Schools release scores showing four years of steady gains[…]

Principal Pipelines: A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way for Districts to Improve Schools

Posted on August 13, 2019August 8, 2019 by coreeducation

Rand has released a new report on The Wallace Foundation’s Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI). Students performed up to 6 points above the median percentile on state tests in schools that implemented the program, which is aimed at improving school leaders. Research across the decades has confirmed that effective school leadership is associated with better outcomes Read more about Principal Pipelines: A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way for Districts to Improve Schools[…]

Attendance Activities Year-Long Planning Calendar

Posted on August 7, 2019August 3, 2019 by coreeducation

Attendance Works has developed year-long planning calendars for districts and schools seeking to improve student attendance. The calendars include example activities to do before the start of class (July-August) through year end (May-June). Activities are provided for staff, Tier 1 (universal) intervention, Tier 2 (targeted) intervention, and Tier 3 (intensive) intervention. The calendars can be Read more about Attendance Activities Year-Long Planning Calendar[…]

Selecting Evidence-based Practices to Improve Schools

Posted on August 1, 2019July 30, 2019 by coreeducation

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires the use of evidence-based practices to improve outcomes at low-performing schools-but how can education leaders and policymakers make sure they are choosing the right ones? A new AIR guide provides concrete action steps and resources that state and district leaders can use to ensure they choose the right Read more about Selecting Evidence-based Practices to Improve Schools[…]

Why do we have public schools?

Posted on July 27, 2019July 27, 2019 by coreeducation

Recently in Forbes, John Merrow wrote an interesting piece on the purpose of public schooling. Excerpts appear below: Why do we have public schools? Prior to the pervasive growth and ubiquity of the internet, it was easy to answer that question because a school’s objectives were clear and rarely questioned: 1) teach, 2) socialize, and Read more about Why do we have public schools?[…]

Reimagining the Teaching Profession for the 21st Century

Posted on July 25, 2019March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In a new issue brief, iNACOL outlines five key opportunities for state policymakers to transform the teaching profession to enable it to support the shift toward student-centered learning models in K-12 education. Modernizing the Teaching Workforce for Learner-Centered, Competency-Based, Equity-Oriented Education: State Policy Recommendations makes five recommendations to leverage the unique role of state policymaking: Read more about Reimagining the Teaching Profession for the 21st Century[…]

Tools to Evaluate whether Instructional Materials meet English Learners’ Needs

Posted on July 11, 2019July 6, 2019 by coreeducation

Learning Forward has released a set of instructional tools that will help education practitioners determine if instructional materials meet the needs of English learners. The tools are intended for those developing, procuring, or using instructional materials and for those who want to create better learning conditions and academic outcomes for English learners. One set of Read more about Tools to Evaluate whether Instructional Materials meet English Learners’ Needs[…]

Alignment Matters: A Framework for Advancing Student Learning and Promoting Equity

Posted on June 20, 2019March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

What do high performing schools have in common? Among other things, they have rigorous academic standards, rich curriculum, and high-quality assessments. They also have well-trained educators who have regular access to accurate and useful data. And they have a culture of equity that undergirds their work. All of these reinforce one another to drive student Read more about Alignment Matters: A Framework for Advancing Student Learning and Promoting Equity[…]

Coleman: Applying to college has become an endless chore

Posted on June 6, 2019March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

Recently in The Atlantic, David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, reflected on the hoops that students are jumping through to get admitted to college and recommended a renewed focus on what really matters. Excerpts of his piece appear below: The crazed pursuit of college admissions helps no one thrive. And while the Varsity Blues Read more about Coleman: Applying to college has become an endless chore[…]

Perceptions of School Leadership

Posted on June 4, 2019June 3, 2019 by coreeducation

Effective principal leadership practices improve school organization, teaching, and student achievement outcomes. These practices include framing and communicating a school’s goals and mission, creating shared expectations of high performance, clarifying roles and objectives, and promoting professional development. However, research demonstrates that teachers tend to rate principals lower on important leadership practices than principals rate themselves, Read more about Perceptions of School Leadership[…]

Report Proposes Common Definition for Successful STEM Talent Development

Posted on May 14, 2019May 12, 2019 by coreeducation

A new report by professional services firm STEMconnector defines a successful result for talent development in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields as the emergence of “a diverse and STEM-ready talent pool with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets needed to secure and succeed in careers today and in the future.” The report, “Input Read more about Report Proposes Common Definition for Successful STEM Talent Development[…]

Real Strategies from Real Districts

Posted on May 8, 2019May 4, 2019 by coreeducation

Education Resource Strategies (ERS) has developed detailed profiles of eight school systems that have transformed how the central office supports schools and have seen student results. The new Districts at Work series looks specifically at how districts achieved their strategic priorities through: A clear theory of action that included both school-level changes and central office Read more about Real Strategies from Real Districts[…]