Introducing a Framework for High Quality Project Based Learning

Posted on May 22, 2018March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

A growing number of educators around the world believe that project based learning (PBL) is an important instructional approach that enables students to master academic skills and content knowledge, develop skills necessary for future success, and build the personal agency needed to tackle life’s and the world’s challenges. Projects are an easy way to engage Read more about Introducing a Framework for High Quality Project Based Learning[…]

College Success Awards: Celebrating high schools that prepare students to succeed in college

Posted on May 16, 2018March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

GreatSchools has released a first-of-its-kind award recognizing and celebrating high schools that excel in ensuring students are prepared for college based on school-level postsecondary data collected and shared by their states. The award also underscores the need to open up new sets of data so we can shine the light on success and find the Read more about College Success Awards: Celebrating high schools that prepare students to succeed in college[…]

Reimagining Middle School

Posted on May 10, 2018May 6, 2018 by coreeducation

Robert C. Pianta, Dean of the University of Virginia Curry School of Education, recently wrote an article for RealClear Education in which he discusses the pitfalls of middle school and the possibilities for middle grades education. Excerpts from his piece appear below: Compliance. Restraint. Passivity. These are the behaviors and habits of mind that our Read more about Reimagining Middle School[…]

Critical Success Factors for Great School Leaders

Posted on May 9, 2018May 9, 2018 by coreeducation

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 be as effective as the Read more about Critical Success Factors for Great School Leaders[…]

50-State Comparison: School Leader Certification and Preparation Programs

Posted on May 8, 2018May 8, 2018 by coreeducation

Research shows school leadership is a pivotal factor in improving student achievement and retaining quality teachers. In fact, among school-related factors, leadership is found to have one of the greatest impacts on student learning — second only to classroom instruction. However, many districts are challenged by high rates of turnover, resulting in shortages and inexperienced Read more about 50-State Comparison: School Leader Certification and Preparation Programs[…]

Guiding Principals: State Efforts to Bolster Instructional Leadership

Posted on April 26, 2018April 23, 2018 by coreeducation

In her newest policy paper and accompanying data visualization, Roxanne Garza explores how support systems for principals vary across the country. Over the last decade, the term instructional leader has worked its way into the vernacular of the education community to describe the role of school principals. What people actually mean when using this term, Read more about Guiding Principals: State Efforts to Bolster Instructional Leadership[…]

School Staffing Innovations

Posted on April 19, 2018April 13, 2018 by coreeducation

How can schools begin to address all their students’ individual learning needs? Blended learning is increasingly part of the answer schools consider, but what about a broader rethinking of how schools are organized and staffed? Public Impact and the Clayton Christensen Institute have been taking a close look at eight schools/school networks serving disadvantaged populations Read more about School Staffing Innovations[…]

Wonk-A-Thon Winners

Posted on April 18, 2018April 13, 2018 by coreeducation

This year, the Fordham Foundation hosted a Wonkathon, asking assorted education policy experts whether America’s graduation requirements need to change. Replies were rated and the winners have been announced: 2018 First Place: High school reimagined (and we truly mean reimagined) by Jessica Shopoff, M.Ed., and Chase Eskelsen, M.Ed. To build a personalized learning model that Read more about Wonk-A-Thon Winners[…]

Finding Time for Collaborative Planning

Posted on March 21, 2018March 16, 2018 by coreeducation

In Igniting the Learning Engine: How school systems accelerate teacher effectiveness and student growth through Connected Professional Learning (which we blogged about here: https://www.coreeducationllc.com/blog2/igniting-learning-engine/), authors profiled four school systems that, with an intensive focus on improving the quality of instruction through professional learning, have seen above-average results with a relatively high-need student population. Making the Read more about Finding Time for Collaborative Planning[…]

‘No-Excuses’ Charter Schools Could Close the Achievement Gap

Posted on March 8, 2018March 1, 2018 by coreeducation

A new survey of research into charter school effectiveness has linked so-called no-excuses practices in urban charter schools to sizable academic gains. Published in the Winter 2018 edition of The Future of Children, a journal jointly published by Princeton University and the Brookings Institution, the survey found that spending three years in one of these Read more about ‘No-Excuses’ Charter Schools Could Close the Achievement Gap[…]

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning

Posted on March 6, 2018March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

For the past 35 years, the prevailing narrative about America’s public education system is that it is “broken.” Reform efforts have failed to find a fix because they fundamentally misunderstand this reality: the system is not broken. It is doing exactly what it was designed to do-educate the masses in a standardized fashion that completely Read more about Evidence for Student-Centered Learning[…]

New Case Studies: Policy Implementation Hinges on Educator Support

Posted on February 21, 2018February 16, 2018 by coreeducation

Many states will be transitioning to new ESSA-aligned accountability systems over the next few years, and the way those accountability systems are presented to teachers could have a dramatic impact on how they are perceived in states. A new PIE Network resource offers lessons learned from successful implementation efforts, and a useful reminder of what Read more about New Case Studies: Policy Implementation Hinges on Educator Support[…]

Building Systems Knowledge for Continuous Improvement

Posted on February 12, 2018February 9, 2018 by coreeducation

In California, recent policy shifts have created a high degree of local control with the expectation that school districts will think differently about school and district improvement. However, many districts lack the individual expertise and organizational capacity to support these changes at scale. In large part, this is due to a lack of a shared Read more about Building Systems Knowledge for Continuous Improvement[…]

The Elements of Success: 10 Million Speak on Schools that Work

Posted on February 7, 2018March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

Based on a review of seminal documents from the Learning First Alliance member organizations, the Alliance has identified six elements around which successful schools are organized, whether formally or informally, that each impact several important aspects of schooling. These elements are: Focus on the Total Child Successful schools support all students’ needs, inside and outside Read more about The Elements of Success: 10 Million Speak on Schools that Work[…]