Expertise: Practice

The Novice to Expert Shift

This article presents useful take-aways from a small scale study of students participating in a student-driven, problem-based science curriculum. Researchers found the prompts and support instructors used to guide students through the curriculum and activities, sometimes called thinking scaffolds, were critical to the growth of deeper level thinking skills. Any teacher launching a problem-based project… Read More ›

Making SEL Culturally Competent

This article provides strategies for educators to ensure social-emotional learning (SEL) practices are enacted in ways that are culturally responsive and equitable for youth. In particular, it introduces the concept of critical consciousness, which refers to youths’ ability to recognize and resist oppressive forces shaping their lives and communities. Any educator of any grade-level can… Read More ›

Del Lago Academy Series

This is a four-part series of articles featuring Del Lago Academy Campus of Applied Science, which was created by community members and staff in Escondido, California to offer a more student-centered learning option to the district’s high school students. The school focuses on competency-based practices, personalization, and authentic interdisciplinary learning projects. Articles in the series… Read More ›

10 Reasons Edtech Works Sometimes, But Not All the Time

This article outlines the plans of the EdTech Genome Project, a collaborative effort of more than 100 education research and advocacy organizations, to research the contextual factors that impact education technology (ed-tech) implementation. The organization identified the ten factors hypothesized to have the greatest influence, such as adoption plans and school culture. They are now… Read More ›

Scaling is All the Rage, but How Do You Make It Happen?

It’s fall 2017 in New Hampshire. The state’s Performance Assessment for Competency-based Education (PACE) system is entering its third year. Using this alternative state accountability system, 150 teachers in nine school districts have created 14 performance assessment tasks in mathematics, English language arts (ELA) and science. The tasks have been validated against standardized state tests… Read More ›

How Hands-On Projects Can Deepen Math Learning for Teens

In this article, teachers from Science Leadership Academy, a public magnet school in Philadelphia committed to project-based learning, share the benefits of hands-on projects in math class. Their experiences show that gathering and applying real data brings meaning to the purpose of math which increases engagement. They have also found that through problem-based learning, students… Read More ›

3 Steps to Rethink Failure

This article focuses on the important role failure plays in the creation of future success. It outlines three steps educators can use to help students rethink their negative associations with failure and see its more positive side. The suggestions are general and could be useful to any educator or parent who wants to instill a growth… Read More ›

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 ›

Culturally Responsive Schools

This issue of ASCD Express focuses on ways to build culturally responsive schools. It features articles on several related topics including the importance of understanding students’ home culture, relevant lessons from the historical study of black academic excellence, and steps school leaders can take to encourage equity school-wide. It also showcases a video on supporting… Read More ›

The Best Edtech for Students Is Backed by Research

In this article, researchers draw on their experience studying technology and learning to offer advice on selecting effective ed-tech products. While there is a thriving marketing industry surrounding ed-tech, there are few resources to help teachers and school leaders determine which products have the evidence-base to support their claims of positive learning outcomes.  The authors… Read More ›

Leaders to Learn From Report

This yearly report from Education Week recognizes excellence in school district leadership. The report identifies some of the nation’s most exceptional school district leaders and highlights their impact on the success of educators and students. The report includes short case studies of 12 leaders which include superintendents, principals, teacher leaders and executive directors. They serve… Read More ›