Next Generation Accountability: Creating Performance Frameworks for Student Success

A new issue brief from Aurora Institute explores how policymakers can approach rethinking, redesigning, and rearchitecting next generation accountability systems. Next generation accountability systems can empower states, districts, communities, and schools with timely, relevant information and provide the capacity to analyze and continuously improve instruction and learning. Continuously improving education systems use evidence-based practices and Read more about Next Generation Accountability: Creating Performance Frameworks for Student Success[…]

Share

Transforming education systems: Why, what, and how

The Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings and the Ministry of Education of Sierra Leone have teamed up to pose a shared vision of education system transformation. Collectively they offer insights on transformation from the perspective of a global think tank and a national government, highlighting on-the-ground lessons from designing and implementing system-wide educational Read more about Transforming education systems: Why, what, and how[…]

Share

The Education Combination

A report from the Alliance for Resource Quality and The Education Trust identifies and explores 10 dimensions for providing better, more equitable education. The report argues that utilizing the right combination of resources will significantly impact the learning experiences of students of color, students with disabilities, and other students with high needs. The report notes Read more about The Education Combination[…]

Share

Transforming Education into a Learning System: Reflections on the Pandemic

In a new brief, Carnegie Corporation of New York and EducationCounsel explore how the American education system responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying gaps (missed opportunities and systemic shortcomings that deepened the challenges our schools faced) and bright spots (existing and new efforts where learning system approaches supported more effective action). Drawing on those lessons, Read more about Transforming Education into a Learning System: Reflections on the Pandemic[…]

Share

Innovation Zones: Policy Flexibility to Reimagine and Modernize K-12 Education Post-COVID-19

Innovation zones represent an important policy lever states can use as K-12 reimagines its future post-COVID. Innovation zones are created through state legislation to give schools and districts freedom from burdensome administrative regulations. This flexibility gives schools and districts a chance to modernize teaching and learning. An updated policy brief from the Aurora Institute examines Read more about Innovation Zones: Policy Flexibility to Reimagine and Modernize K-12 Education Post-COVID-19[…]

Share

Continuous Improvement in Schools Workbook

The COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on students from historically marginalized communities underscore the value of continuous improvement (CI) as a framework for understanding the depth of unfinished learning and responding to it in an urgent, data-driven, and adaptive manner. Working alongside school-based teams, Bellwether has developed a refined and balanced approach to the Read more about Continuous Improvement in Schools Workbook[…]

Share

Finding Your Path: A Navigation Tool for Scaling Personalized, Competency-Based Learning

The way teachers teach and students learn is changing. As more learning communities embrace personalized, competency-based learning – learning that centers each students’ strengths, needs, and interests and provides differentiated supports and ways to demonstrate what they know and know how to do – educators and leaders are also working to ensure the changes they Read more about Finding Your Path: A Navigation Tool for Scaling Personalized, Competency-Based Learning[…]

Share

Restructuring the High School-to-College Transition

The College in High School Alliance (CHSA) has released a series of resources focused on providing design principles for policymakers at the federal level looking to expand support for college in high school programs like dual enrollment and early college. Federal Design Principles are provided for: Creating a Dual Enrollment State Grant Program Proposes the Read more about Restructuring the High School-to-College Transition[…]

Share

Education in the Balance: Tensions Affecting Education’s Future

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 virtual, hybrid, and place-based settings.  Read more about Education in the Balance: Tensions Affecting Education’s Future[…]

Share

Transforming Education into a Learning System

Every day, educators, advocates, and families strive to ensure that our schools prepare all students to excel academically and thrive in life. To realize that ambitious goal, we must ensure that our education sector functions at all levels as a learning system. Too often, though, a culture of compliance and a desire to preserve the Read more about Transforming Education into a Learning System[…]

Share

Determining Attendance and Alternatives to Seat-Time

Attendance looks dramatically different in the COVID-19 era of remote and online learning, and states are grappling with setting policies that account for what attendance should mean and what it should look like. The Aurora Institute has responded to multiple requests for technical assistance on this subject with a new issue brief, Determining Attendance and Read more about Determining Attendance and Alternatives to Seat-Time[…]

Share

Chief Innovation Officer Toolkit

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 developed for those currently in, Read more about Chief Innovation Officer Toolkit[…]

Share

November Issue Brief: School and System Innovation

Saul Alinsky, American activist, once said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Across the globe, educators are thinking about how to leverage the current upheaval in the education field to promote long-term innovation and positive change. In Core Education’s November issue brief, we explore recommended actions to guide transformation of education systems after Read more about November Issue Brief: School and System Innovation[…]

Share

Uncharted Waters

In the latest paper by Education Resource Strategies (ERS), authors explore how a whole-system approach to continuous improvement can help districts chart a course to equity and excellence this pandemic school year.  ERS’ new paper, Uncharted Waters, makes the case that the key to districts making progress towards equity and excellence amidst so much uncertainty Read more about Uncharted Waters[…]

Share

15 Invention Opportunities in Learning

Writing for Getting Smart, Tom Vander Ark outlines 15 opportunities to improve learning through invention. Excerpts of the piece appear below: The education and development systems that help people grow and contribute are facing 15 great challenges that block global progress in learning. These big invention opportunities are outlined below. Community Agreement Challenges Shared reality: Read more about 15 Invention Opportunities in Learning[…]

Share

Planning for High-Quality Remote Learning – a Future Ready School Guide

The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), in conjunction with the Future Ready Schools® (FRS) advisory team of nationally recognized school- and district-level practitioners, has developed Planning for High-Quality Remote Learning, a new resource to share ideas, best practices, and practical considerations for addressing the unique challenges of virtual learning. This guide helps school and district Read more about Planning for High-Quality Remote Learning – a Future Ready School Guide[…]

Share