In March 2016, The Atlantic magazine article "When Social and Emotional Learning Is Key to College Success" stated, "While test scores can predict academic success, self-management and relationship skills may better prepare students to thrive and graduate." In September, The Aspen Institute formed the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, to advance "the […]
Traditionally, many school districts have focused on learning, testing, and meeting educational standards to prepare their students for college. Schools have cut many practical programs like shop class, which build valuable skills and work experience, and replaced them with advanced academic courses like AP Calculus. Many forward-thinking educators, however, are now renewing interest in helping […]
Certified strength and conditioning coaches bring athletic and legal benefits Strength and conditioning—or what some call strength training—continues to gain in popularity at high schools and colleges. Recent studies have confirmed its importance in long-term fitness and health, including strengthening bones, muscles, and tendons, as well as decreasing the likelihood of injury. Federal guidelines recommend […]
Educators want more effective ways to implement new teaching methods into lesson plans. The professional development market is advancing, offering flexible and sustainable solutions rather than one-off workshops, lectures and in-service programs. Many companies offer PD tools that show teachers how to embed lessons into learning management systems, so students have universal access to educational […]
After the Great Recession, the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township in Indianapolis knew it had to prepare students for a new world of work skills and knowledge. Leaders decided that the district's McKenzie Career Center had to morph from a traditional vocational training facility into a school that would equip students with future-ready skills, […]
"Why can't Johnny read?" It's the question Rudolph Flesch asked in 1955 with his seminal book by that name. Unfortunately, it's still being asked today. Mark Seidenberg has studied the behavioral, computational and neural bases of reading and language for over 30 years, and he believes he knows the answer. In his new book Language […]
Today's educators need versatile products that can be used to teach more than one aspect of STEAM. Schools want to engage students with hands-on activities that, for example, blend art and reading with core science and math instruction. Manufacturers have therefore developed cross-curricular STEAM tools that cover multiple subjects and align with learning frameworks such […]
As superintendent of the Franklin County Public Schools, I am always pleased when our programs successfully support our mission, which is "To prepare students for college and career readiness and to become contributing citizens." While we certainly cannot force our students to succeed in school or in life, we certainly can work to prepare them—to […]
Editor's note: DA's new HR column will appear quarterly There is a kind of professional development that we rarely see but that many of us in school leadership could use. Some would call it coaching or mentoring, but what I'm describing is more specific—individualized instruction in an alternative setting off campus. I had just such […]
School districts in Los Angeles and other sanctuary cities are bracing for an impact from President Trump's executive order to withhold federal support from sanctuary cities. LAUSD stands to lose some or even all of its $700 million in federal funding, about 9 percent of its annual budget, says Steve Zimmer, LA's school board president. […]
