National Action Civics Collaborative
The National Action Civics Collaborative (NACC) brings together a group of diverse education and youth serving organizations committed to advancing action civics, a project-based authentic way to empower students to get engaged in their schools and communities. Designed for teachers and community-based educators, the NACC site provides an overview of the approach, powerful stories of… Read More ›
Civics Education and Student-Driven Civic Action
In this article a Washington DC government teacher shares her experience using action civics in her classroom. Action civics empowers students to become engaged around issues of relevance to them. In this school, students created an advocacy group to spark city-wide conversations around issues like violence, housing insecurity, and mental health. This story was written… Read More ›
Amplifying Student Voice
This website was designed to introduce educators to action civics. Action civics projects empower youth to become agents of change in their schools or communities. They learn to identify issues important to them and develop evidence-based arguments to influence public policy. This website is full of practical tools for school and community-based educators. Teachers can… Read More ›
Distinguished Fellow’s Leadership Produces Results
One of the Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative’s six Distinguished Fellows, Arria Coburn, was recently featured on WBUR’s On Point program. Coburn is the Principal of the Springfield Renaissance School in Springfield, MA, which WBUR notes has “attracted national recognition for raising the achievement of students from low-income families and students of color.” Principal Coburn has led multiple efforts that have helped produce these amazing… Read More ›
Educator Professional Development Through Public Research Lesson Events
Have you been looking for an educator professional development structure that builds teacher leadership and inquiry capacity, develops robust content and pedagogical knowledge, and centers on deeply understanding student thinking? If so, we invite you to explore Lesson Study – a collaborative inquiry structure that can transform professional learning communities (PLCs) or discipline meetings into… Read More ›
Student-Centered Approaches to Equity, Empathy and Engagement in School
How does a predominantly White, middle class, rural high school in Vermont prioritize racial justice and educational equity? Mike McRaith, former principal of Montpelier High School and current assistant executive director for the Vermont Principals’ Association, shares five tips for how his former school approached this challenge: Know thyself Do the homework Use data Interrupt… Read More ›
Awareness, Knowledge, Action: One Middle-School Classroom’s Journey to Empowerment
College pennants hang on the walls of a charter middle school and shout the names of academic institutions far from this western US city. “HARVARD,” one reads in big, block letters. “MICHIGAN,” “TEXAS,” “WILLIAM & MARY.* The charter school has gone all-in on college. Students start the day by gathering in a large room the… Read More ›
Developing a Modern Teacher Workforce
This report, Developing a Modern Teacher Workforce: Federal Policy Recommendations for Professional Learning and Supporting Future-Focused, Competency-Based Education Systems, addresses how policymakers can support the development of a teacher workforce with the skills and support systems needed to embrace the student-centered, competency-based, and diverse learning environments of the future. Specifically, this brief describes a vision for… Read More ›
The Digital Point of Divergence
This brief explores the differences between digitized and digital curriculum. Digitized content is barely altered from its original analog form, whereas digital curriculum uses technology to transform the content. This brief looks at how to leverage teacher humanity with high quality digital curriculum resources and systems for greater efficiency and effectiveness. This issue brief is… Read More ›
School Leader Habits – Promoting Next Gen Teaching and Learning Models: Small Groups
This webinar will introduce concrete practices school leaders can use to build understanding of and ability to leverage small group instruction to better support teachers and students. This webinar is part of the School Leader Habits – Promoting Next Gen Teaching and Learning Models series designed to help school leaders make small shifts in daily behavior… Read More ›
From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope
The National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development was created to engage and energize communities in re-envisioning learning to encompass its social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions so that all children can succeed in school, career, and life. This culminating report draws on the information gathered over two years from conversations, meetings, and site visits… Read More ›
Will Design Thinking Kill the Rubric
In this article from ASCD Education Update, the authors explore ways to assess student learning when using a design thinking approach. They discuss how rubrics can be used to help students understand how to improve their skills, rather than evaluating finished products. The article includes examples of learning progression tools which students can use to self-assess… Read More ›