Let’s Get Real: Deeper Learning and the Power of the Workplace

In this report, Nancy Hoffman argues that in a period when very few teens have access to jobs, high school experience must incorporate gradual exposure to the workplace. Educators today assert that “college and career readiness” should be the goal for every high school student, but “career readiness” is too often an empty tagline. What… Read More ›

STEM Connection: From Classroom to Workplace

This case study, part of the Schools that Work series on Edutopia, showcases MC2 STEM High School in Cleveland, Ohio. A short overview is accompanied by many supporting resources that describe how the school gets its results. Also of note are the articles on project-based learning and mastery-based assessment. Each article describes the process used… Read More ›

Partnership for Change

This website, established in 2012, brings together local nonprofit and education organizations, government, and businesses within the school districts of Burlington and Winooski, Vermont to improve student-centered education. They are working in partnership to implement five levers of change: strengthening youth engagement and leadership, reshaping teaching and learning, personalized and proficiency based learning, family and… Read More ›

Sanford Strong Coalition

The Sanford Strong Coalition-a network of residents, organizations, businesses and others invested in the future of Sanford-provides for the exchange of information and the leveraging of resources in an effort to identify community needs and create solutions that strengthen the health, well being, and success of Sanford’s children, youth and their families. Resources include: Strategies… Read More ›

The Promise of Extended Learning Opportunities: New, Powerful, and Personalized Options for High School Students

In this article, Nellie Mae Education Foundation president Nicholas Donohue describes the potential that expanded learning opportunities can have in systematically changing a learning ecosystem. Expanded learning opportunities can serve as a “sweet spot” for school-community partnerships and collaboration. Source Organization: The Nellie Mae Education Foundation VISIT THE RESOURCE

Expanding Equity Through More and Better Learning Time

This article from VUE (Voices in Urban Education) discusses the More and Better Learning Time initiative which moves toward education equity by recognizing that though we all value extended and improved learning time, not all students have the resources to make it possible. College readiness calls for tapping the resources of the whole community — higher education,… Read More ›

Roadmap for Next-Generation State Accountability Systems

This report presents the vision of chief state school officers and state education agencies to dramatically improve student achievement through the development and implementation of next-generation state accountability systems. This roadmap serves as a foundational tool for states to take bold action in developing next-generation accountability systems that are based on the goal of college-… Read More ›

Preparing for the Future: Employer Perspectives on Work Readiness Skills

The UMass Donahue Institute recently collaborated with the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE) on a project designed to inform educators and policy-makers about the work-readiness skills that employers expect of Massachusetts high school graduates, and to describe the skills and characteristics these corporations require for entry-level positions with potential for growth and advancement. Institute… Read More ›

Teacher Design for Education

Using hands-on activities and project-based challenges, Teacher Design for Education (TD4Ed) harnesses the creativity and problem-solving skills educators use everyday to solve some of the toughest problems within education. Through this curriculum, educators will tap into skills they already have and build new competencies to identify challenges, generate new ideas, and implement solutions. Source Organization:… Read More ›

ELO: Beyond Classroom

This website is written for New Hampshire educators who are ready to explore student learning outside the traditional classroom. Here you can find information, tools, and resources to help educators understand what extended learning opportunities (ELOs) are (as defined in New Hampshire), how they work, and and they can be used at schools. This website… Read More ›

The Courage to Confront Equity Issues in Competency Education

This article discusses the importance of maintaining conversations about equity as the field moves towards more learner-centered models. It makes compelling arguments for thinking about and working to alleviate five key equity concerns: Keeping students in school Addressing inequity in educational/social capital Balancing personal choices and equity in the transition from high school to life Language as asset… Read More ›