How Can Your Schools Recruit and Retain More Black Teachers?
This article provides an overview of a report focused on recruiting and retaining black male teachers. The report, “Having Our Say: Examining Career Trajectories of Black Male Educators in P-12 Education,” was written by The National Network of State Teachers of the Year and the University of Phoenix. This article summarizes several of the report’s… Read More ›
From the Pueblo to College: The Journey of Two Rural Students
This series of three videos documents the personal and academic stories of two students from the Pueblo of Jemez in New Mexico. Temeya Gachupin from Walatowa High Charter School, run by the Pueblo of Jemez, and Justin Madalena from Jemez Valley High School, a traditional district school, discuss the challenges they faced in high school… Read More ›
Quality Counts 2020
Every year, Education Week releases a Quality Counts report which examines state-level efforts to improve public education and pulls together a large number of statistics to create a picture of progress in each state. A National Summary Report and State Highlight Reports rank each state using the Chance-for-Success Index, which looks at 13 family, school,… Read More ›
Modernizing the Teaching Workforce for Learner-Centered, Competency-Based, Equity-Oriented Education: State Policy Recommendations
This issue brief discusses opportunities in state policy to modernize educators’ professional learning to support a mastery-based k-12 education system. In particular, it challenges state leaders to: Convene state task forces to craft a unifying vision and roadmap Increase the diversity of the educator workforce Prepare teachers for learner-centered, competency-based equity-oriented education Redesign teacher licensure… Read More ›
How Systems of Assessments Aligned with Competency-Based Education Can Support Equity
This report from the Aurora Institute and Center for Assessment looks at ways in which state leaders can build balanced assessment systems that support mastery-based education. In assessment systems aligned with competency education, assessments are coherently linked to target competencies and learning progressions, provide a range of evidence for each student, and monitor progress over… Read More ›
Teaching Students to Think About Thinking
The articles in this issue of ASCDExpress explore metacognition, the ability to understand ones own mental processes and to monitor and influence them. The authors provide both general suggestions for promoting metacognitive awareness and regulation, as well as specific ideas tailored to particular subject areas. Read as a whole this collection of articles offers many… Read More ›
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
CAST is a nonprofit research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Developed by CAST, UDL is a widely recognized framework to guide the design of learning experiences to proactively meet the needs of all learners. The organization conducts research… Read More ›
Youth Action Researchers at the Intersection – A Story Begins!
For most of us who work in education reform, we strive to pursue education equity and eliminate the opportunity gap so that all students can flourish. But predominant policies and approaches persistently fail to move the needle on student outcomes. Within all these efforts that aspire for equity and inclusive excellence, what role do students… Read More ›
Measuring SEL
This collection of resources can help schools, districts, and states determine how to measure students’ social emotional learning (SEL). Compiled by the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI), a partnership between WestEd and the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CRESST), it includes overviews of relevant ESSA regulations, links to guiding documents, and a… Read More ›
The National Standards for Quality Online Learning
More and more students are taking part in some type of online learning. To guide educators, families, and students, the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance and Quality Matters have created new national standards for virtual education. This is the first revision of these standards, originally written the Aurora Institute (formerly known as iNACOL), in ten years. … Read More ›
The State Education Agency’s Role in Supporting Equitable Student-Centered Learning
This guide was designed to help state education agencies empower local districts to create student-centered learning environments. State agencies have a large role to play in the transformation process and this tool provides guidance and relevant examples, highlighting ways to gather support for a state-wide vision, align curriculum, assessment and funding policies with practice; and… Read More ›
Exploring the Impact of Personalized Learning on Student Outcomes
We believe in the power of personalized, competency-based learning because we want each and every student to learn and be challenged as individuals. We believe it is the path toward equitable outcomes for ALL students. We intuitively understand that having clear learning targets, meaningful and flexible assessments, personalized student supports, and student ownership of their own… Read More ›