Curriculum Based Professional Learning: The State of the Field

Posted on April 4, 2023March 27, 2023 by coreeducation

In recent years, promising open-source, high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) have presented exciting opportunities to enhance students’ engagement and agency in their learning, expand access to grade-level content, and narrow the boundaries between home and school —all without increasing the cost that schools and districts incur for curricula. However, research suggests that curricula, on their own, Read more about Curriculum Based Professional Learning: The State of the Field[…]

Traditional University Teacher Ed Programs Face Enrollment Declines, Staff Cuts

Posted on September 29, 2022September 27, 2022 by coreeducation

A new piece from the 74 explores the lagging enrollment in teacher preparation programs at the university level, as well as steps teacher ed is taking to ward off local shortages. Excerpts from the piece appear below: The pandemic has exacerbated a troubling national trend: Fewer potential teachers are entering the profession. Nearly every state Read more about Traditional University Teacher Ed Programs Face Enrollment Declines, Staff Cuts[…]

Sustaining Investments in Teachers beyond the American Rescue Plan

Posted on July 5, 2022June 29, 2022 by coreeducation

A recent fact sheet from the U. S. Department of Education outlines ways states and districts can sustain their investments in teachers beyond the use of American Rescue Plan funding. Excerpts appear below: Federal investments are available to support states, districts, and schools as they work to address immediate teacher shortages exacerbated by the pandemic Read more about Sustaining Investments in Teachers beyond the American Rescue Plan[…]

Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship Programs Provide Path to Become a Teacher for Free

Posted on February 15, 2022February 13, 2022 by coreeducation

Tennessee is the first state to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a permanent Grow Your Own model, with Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and Austin Peay State University’s Teacher Residency program becoming the first registered apprenticeship program for teaching in the country. Tennessee is the first state in the country to Read more about Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship Programs Provide Path to Become a Teacher for Free[…]

Teacher Professional Development Is in a Rut, but Better Research Can Help

Posted on January 19, 2022January 17, 2022 by coreeducation

For years, researchers have found teacher professional development programs to be largely ineffective. But a new and growing body of research suggests that professional learning, done well, can both increase teacher morale and raise student outcomes. This means it is: Grounded in the content and curriculum of the teachers receiving it; Dependent on the expertise Read more about Teacher Professional Development Is in a Rut, but Better Research Can Help[…]

High-quality Curriculum Doesn’t Teach Itself

Posted on April 22, 2021April 18, 2021 by coreeducation

Recently in Fordham’s Flypaper, Robert Pondiscio reviewed the new “Professional Learning Partner Guide” published by Rivet Education. Excerpts of the piece appear below: A new initiative is taking up the challenge of reviewing and rating professional learning in a more rigorous way, centered on the adoption and use of “high-quality instructional materials” (HQIM), and with Read more about High-quality Curriculum Doesn’t Teach Itself[…]

Responding to Crisis With A Tiered Support System

Posted on December 1, 2020November 21, 2020 by coreeducation

Eric Nentrup, writing for Getting Smart, reviews Turnaround Children’s new tiered support toolkit for educators who are supporting children and families in crisis. Excerpts of the piece appear below: Turnaround Children recently released a tiered support system action pack that takes advanced learning science and makes it accessible for educators to respond to the crises Read more about Responding to Crisis With A Tiered Support System[…]

Educator Preparation During COVID-19: Lessons Learned

Posted on September 22, 2020September 20, 2020 by coreeducation

As U.S. schools closed their doors this past spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a little-considered effect was the impact of school closures on the preparation of the next generation of educators. Teacher and leader candidates all over the country had their field experiences abruptly cut short, and educator preparation programs (EPPs)-in partnership with Read more about Educator Preparation During COVID-19: Lessons Learned[…]

How Teacher Preparation Programs Can Help All Teachers Better Serve Students With Disabilities

Posted on February 20, 2020February 16, 2020 by coreeducation

The Center for American Progress recently released recommendations to states, teacher preparation programs, and districts to improve the preparation of teachers to serve students with disabilities. Excerpts of the piece appear below: Roughly 7 million students in the K-12 public school system–14 percent–are identified as students with disabilities. Of these, more than 62 percent spend Read more about How Teacher Preparation Programs Can Help All Teachers Better Serve Students With Disabilities[…]

Scaling Effective Teacher Professional Development

Posted on February 5, 2020February 4, 2020 by coreeducation

Writing for Brookings, authors Molly Curtiss and Jenny Perlman Robinson explore the promises and challenges associated with scaling up effective teacher professional development. Excerpts of their piece appear below: The outsized impact of teachers on student learning makes it clear that successfully improving learning outcomes at scale will require reckoning with how to scale teacher Read more about Scaling Effective Teacher Professional Development[…]

The Power of The Science of Learning in Action

Posted on January 29, 2020January 27, 2020 by coreeducation

What happens when teachers start using science of learning principles? A new, rigorous study suggests some very powerful outcomes for students. A group of researchers have been exploring the question of what happens when teachers get professional development based on the science of learning. Their latest research article explores the effectiveness of two approaches to Read more about The Power of The Science of Learning in Action[…]

Teachers Learning from Teachers: Dynamic Initiative Taps into Educators’ Expertise

Posted on June 11, 2019September 1, 2021 by coreeducation

The Center for the Future of Teaching & Learning at WestEd collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch the Teacher Practice Network (TPN) initiative, which supports a vast national network of teacher leaders who mentor and coach their peers. By providing high-quality standards-aligned resources and ongoing professional learning led by teacher leaders, Read more about Teachers Learning from Teachers: Dynamic Initiative Taps into Educators’ Expertise[…]

Instructional Coaches: The Heroes of the Golden Age of Educational Practice

Posted on March 28, 2019March 25, 2019 by coreeducation

Recently in the Fordham Flypaper, Michael Petrilli wrote about the practice and promise of instructional coaches. Excerpts from the piece appear below: Whether initiated from the bottom-up or the top-down, any effort to help educators align their practice with the best evidence is going to succeed or fail on the strength of its implementation. This Read more about Instructional Coaches: The Heroes of the Golden Age of Educational Practice[…]

Rethinking the way we Coach, Evaluate, and Appreciate Teachers

Posted on March 21, 2019March 17, 2019 by coreeducation

Over five decades as a teacher, central office administrator, principal, leadership coach, and research reader, Kim Marshall has honed a system for supervising, coaching, and evaluating teachers. Here are the key elements: Short, frequent, unannounced classroom visits—at least ten a year for each teacher—replacing traditional formal observations; A humble, curious, low-tech approach to visits: observing Read more about Rethinking the way we Coach, Evaluate, and Appreciate Teachers[…]

Center on Great Teachers and Leaders releases M&I Toolkit

Posted on February 28, 2019February 22, 2019 by coreeducation

High-quality, evidence-based mentoring and induction (M&I) programs can transform classroom instruction, improve teacher retention rates, narrow gaps in equitable access to effective educators, and raise student performance. The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders’ updated toolkit helps states and districts design M&I programs that support beginning teachers in strengthening classroom instruction in high-need schools and Read more about Center on Great Teachers and Leaders releases M&I Toolkit[…]