2018 NSAESC National Convening
The National Student Attendance, Engagement, and Success Center (NSAESC) has the mission to disseminate evidence-based practices and build and facilitate communities of practice to help students attend every day, be engaged in school, and succeed academically, so that they graduate high school prepared for college, career, and civic life. The 2018 National Convening will be… Read More ›
Lawrence O’Toole Award Winner 2016: Sunny Pai of Diploma Plus – Charlestown HS
This post, originally published on June 3, 2016, provides an overview of the wonderful work Sunny Pai does everyday as the Director of Diploma Plus at Charlestown High School. Sunny is still the Director at Diploma Plus. He is currently part of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation Speaker’s Bureau and you can watch a fall… Read More ›
How to Ease Students Into Independent Inquiry Projects
This post is an excerpt from the book, Inquiry Mindsets: Nurturing the Dreams, Wonders, and Curiosities of Our Youngest Learners. Trevor MacKenzie first describes a powerful passion-based, free inquiry project completed by an introverted student in his H.S. English course. Next he describes the type of scaffolding students need in order to take on such inquiry projects.… Read More ›
Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative 2018 Convening
Join JFF’s Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island on October 10th and 11th to share new evidence for student-centered practices, gain insights about what works and may be worthy of scaling, and advance the field’s attention to equity. In attendance will be the vanguard of leading researchers, educators,… Read More ›
Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools
This resource page focuses on restorative justice practices. This student-centered approach to discipline moves away from punitive zero tolerance discipline policies and gives students more agency and responsibility for their actions. Restorative justice can contribute to a positive school climate and build students’ social and emotional skills. This resource page provides a clear definition, case… Read More ›
Student-Centered Learning with Kasie Giallombardo
2017 Lawrence W. O’Toole Award winner Kasie Giallombardo is a social studies teacher at Nokomis Regional High School in Maine. A strategy she employs to empower student voice in learning is to act as a coach. She encourages students in class with probing questions to lead them deeper in their analyses. She approaches each lesson with… Read More ›
Students LEAD
This online course was designed for high school students by the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University to help them understand and advocate for their own learning needs. Specifically, the course will help students: Understand their own learning and learning differences Develop and apply strategies to strengthen their own learning Gain strategies for… Read More ›
Why Seeking Purpose Matters for Opportunity Youth
This piece, originally posted in September 2016, remains relevant to the conversation about non-IQ competencies such as self-regulation and “grit”. The intersection of “grit” and equity remains an opportunity for further discussion and analysis. I recently read an article in The New York Times by Angela Duckworth entitled Graduating and Looking for Your Passion: Just… Read More ›
Disengagement Problems Disguised as Discipline Problems
In this article, a long-time principal discusses her school’s work to decrease behavior incidents by increasing student engagement. The school created an Incident Reduction Plan which included efforts to deescalate incidents as well identify and change punitive policies and practices that inadvertently contributed to incidents. The staff recognized that many incidents were the result of… Read More ›
Student-centered Learning Reflects Science of Learning for All Youth
Originally posted in Youth Today My 6-year-old is obsessed with baseball stadiums. All summer his attention was captured by stadium history, especially for our local team the St. Louis Cardinals. Every day this summer, he constructed stadiums from magnet tiles and blocks. Before bed, he gave me tours of his elaborate structures and explained the… Read More ›
2018 Blended and Personalized Learning Conference
BPLC18 will convene educators, leaders, and innovators for three days of sharing, networking, and learning in Providence, RI. From Thursday, April 5 to Saturday, April 7 the Highlander Institute, the Christensen Institute, and the Learning Accelerator are showcasing the best classroom, school, and district implementers from across the nation at our 2018 Blended & Personalized Learning… Read More ›
Yale Education Leadership Conference
Each year, the Yale SOM Education Leadership Conference gathers over 750 education experts, practitioners, and leaders to discuss innovations in K-12 education reform. The theme of this year’s conference, Fostering the Ecosystem for Change, will ask participants to explore various approaches to promoting educational equality and creating lasting social change through education. Through panels, keynotes, and small group… Read More ›