Principle: Real-World Connections

The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Student Success

This short research brief and accompanying video, produced by the UChicago Consortium on School Research, highlight some of the big ideas from their research on noncognitive factors.  It outlines the importance of the following five factors to student success in the classroom and beyond and examines the importance of student’s environments in the development of these factors… Read More ›

The 2017 Lawrence W. O’Toole Teacher Leadership Awards Winners

As high schoolers around New England return to class for another exciting year, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation is proud to honor the innovative educators who are rethinking how, when and where learning happens to put students at the center of their education. In celebration of their outstanding work to renovate and reinvent learning across… Read More ›

How Maker Mindsets Can Be An Easy Fit For Rural Schools

This article explores how rural schools are adapting to the maker movement in ways that are unique to their rural environments. The blog highlights maker projects – like building air sensors to help assess and ultimately alleviate air pollution in a town in rural Montana–that can be adapted in other schools, or used to spark… Read More ›

How to Artfully Enroll Parents in Learner-Centered Transformation

This article from the Principal of Red Bank Elementary School in South Carolina, shares successes and failures the school faced while building family support for student-centered changes. The author asserts that for successful school transformation, parents must be “artfully enrolled” in the process. This began with challenging parents to grapple with tough questions about traditional schooling.… Read More ›

Digital Promise Research Map

This database managed by Digital Promise brings together thousands of research articles on key education practices. The database is searchable and organized to allow the user to see relationships between topics and subtopics. The database includes  student-centered learning topics such as: Student motivation, Cognition and learning Online learning The website features an “Ask A Researcher” section… Read More ›

To Engage Students and Teachers, Treat Core Subjects Like Extracurriculars

This article shares varied examples from schools across the country that have implemented a project-based learning model in which core classes mimic extracurricular projects and activities. Researchers Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine have been observing school systems over six years to try to understand what promotes deeper learning. They found that in many school environments students were… Read More ›

Do I Have a Voice? Student Ownership Drives Engagement Among Urban Youth

Student disengagement is a rampant problem in our schools. It can lead to lack of participation and effort, behavioral problems, disaffection and withdrawal, and failure to invest deeply in learning. According to national studies, more than 50 percent of students show signs of disengagement (Yazzie-Mintz, 2007; Yazzie-Mintz & McCormick, 2012). The consequences are especially severe… Read More ›

Research Collaborative Seminar: What We’ve Done, Where We’re Going

The Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative launched in November 2016 with over 100 researchers, practitioners, and policymakers coming together to break down silos and advance the field. Join Eric Toshalis, Research Director at Jobs for the Future, as he kicks off the second year of the Research Collaborative by highlighting its exciting progress, future plans, and… Read More ›

Literacy: More than Lexiles – Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Students

In this edWebinar, Kevin Baird, Chairman and Senior Faculty Member at the Center for College & Career Readiness, goes beyond Lexile® scores to explore two often overlooked keys to increasing literacy – motivation and engagement. Literacy is driven not only by differentiation to skills, but also by differentiation to interests and passions. In this session, Kevin… Read More ›

Five Resources to Help You Learn About Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom

In this article, Kate Westrich from KnowledgeWorks shares five resources on social-emotional learning. She suggests watching or reading the resources together to gain background, and provides short descriptions of how each resource can benefit the reader: Social-Emotional Learning: What It Is and Why It Matters “When Social and Emotional Learning Is Key to College Success” Spring… Read More ›

Get Recognized for Advancing Digital Teaching and Citizenship

This webinar presented by Louisa Sullivan, Senior Community Strategist at  Common Sense Education, will provide an overview of the Common Sense Recognition Program. Common Sense Education supports educators working to teach students to be safe, responsible, and respectful as they participate in the digital world. Their recognition program is designed to recognize good teacher practice and… Read More ›