In my fourth year of teaching, I joined a school that aimed to revolutionize education, one where we didn’t use traditional textbooks. Instead, teachers were expected to create their entire curriculum—or the sequence of lessons that build essential knowledge and skills—themselves. While we received training on standards—the broad learning goals for what students should know, … Continued
Expanding Opportunity at Acceleration Schools It was August 2019, and Charleston County School District (CCSD) was facing a unique challenge. For a couple of years, school ratings were on the rise, and while students were eager to learn, nearly half of students were struggling with math and reading. Leaders in CCSD’s central office realized something … Continued
Introducing Field Notes The past few years have been filled with some discouraging news about education. However, we have seen much of the opposite first-hand. Our partners across the country—visionary K-12 educators, instructional leaders, and district decision-makers —are proving what’s possible for students by making smart instructional moves at a time of high stakes. We’re … Continued
Malipatil: 3 years after COVID began, it’s time to assess whether dollars spent have made a difference, and what they should be used for going forward This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your … Continued
RPPL’s Dr. Stacey Alicea on the State of Professional Learning For many teachers, the school year so far may feel rife with challenges and increasingly complex paths to navigate. The question before those of us dedicated to advancing professional learning under these circumstances is a simple one: how can we help? With the challenges teachers … Continued
Without guidance on classroom materials or effective professional development, teachers may give students classwork not appropriate for their grade This story was produced by The 74, a non-profit, independent news organization focused on education in America. The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress results brought news that educators and families alike were dreading: Math and reading scores for … Continued
A Recap of Rivet Education’s Professional Learning Power Hour It’s no secret that the pandemic disrupted student learning, and many school system leaders are grappling with how to rebound. But one of the most promising solutions is getting little attention: curriculum-based professional learning. Recently, four members of our team joined Jennifer Wells from Rivet Education … Continued
Commentary on Leading Educators’ study of long-term Impact School districts nationwide invest 3-5 percent of their budgets each year in developing their educators. Yet, professional development programs often fail to improve teachers’ instructional practice or student achievement (Kraft et al., 2018). In the 2016-17 school year, U.S. spending on public elementary and secondary schools totaled … Continued
How Leading Educators Supported Chicago Public Schools During Pandemic Teaching This case study originally appeared in the 2021 Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Annual Report. We have re-published it as originally written with the foundation’s permission. Photography by Roark Johnson. A Chicago teacher of third-grade math saw her students struggling with multiplication. “There was this refrain: … Continued
This piece was originally written for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s What We’re Learning blog. You can find the original link here. When the crisis struck in March, we immediately thought: ‘Will we need to tap the brakes?’” Brielle Brewick, an Associate Director of Networks at Leading Educators, reflects. “We thought there would be … Continued
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