Every morning, principals in the West Bridgewater School District in Massachusetts get on the PA system to lead students through a few minutes of mindful breathing exercises.
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 […]
Six Springfield, Massachusetts, middle schools, flagged as close to failing by the state two years ago, seized an unusual opportunity to run themselves. Six Springfield, Massachusetts, middle schools, flagged as close to failing by the state two years ago, seized an unusual opportunity to run themselves. Now they form the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, an […]
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, […]
Pre-K programs for students with special needs vary widely in quality and scope. Some states and districts have long included students with special needs in pre-K classes alongside their more typically developing peers.
When the central Connecticut town of Cheshire moved to reduce power use, it upgraded six of its eight public schools with the latest internet of things technology. The plan combined energy-efficient LED fixtures with sensors and cloud-based servers that automatically turn the lights off in an empty room or adjust brightness. The district cut its […]
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. […]
Makerspaces reinforce STEM skills and enable more authentic learning. While there are a variety of ways to design and build makerspaces, there are some key strategies administrators can employ to ensure their program is successful. Designing rooms that facilitate access and choice Tiffany Lucey, Supervisor of Educational Technology, Toms River Regional Schools (N.J.) Schools with […]
K12 education lags behind U.S. business and industry when it comes to using data to improve outcomes, says a 2016 report by the Center for Data Innovation. Despite the wealth of information available—and the existence of technology to crunch those numbers—"most administrators still make decisions, often inaccurately, based on assumptions and intuition, rather than use […]
Albemarle County, Virginia—A snake bit Pam Moran in front of her class on her first day of teaching 40 years ago. Moran, now a superintendent in Virginia, had no one to blame but herself on that fateful day in 1975. Thinking it would be an unconventional way to introduce herself, Moran had brought a garter […]
