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 […]
Stacey McNinch-Curschman, the secondary curriculum director for Visalia USD in California, knew that as her district was ramping up its training efforts around Common Core standards for mathematics in 2013, as well as its own district-level curriculum changes, both administrators and teachers would need to be continually learning and improving themselves. "If we work effectively […]
District Administration welcomed education policy expert Robert Balfanz for this web seminar about what the last 10 years of research has found when it comes to improving the most challenged and lowest-performing schools, as well as the implications of the Trump administration and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on these efforts. Balfanz is research professor […]
Champaign Unit 4 School District in Illinois wanted to give its teachers a very clear pathway to evolve their math instruction to meet rigorous, Common Core state standards. District leaders were very happy with earlier results from McGraw-Hill's Everyday Mathematics and saw Everyday Mathematics 4, its latest iteration, as an enticing solution, especially in teaching […]
Seeking alternatives to expensive professional development that takes teachers out of their classrooms and requires substitutes, Madison County Public Schools in Virginia developed a solution. Teachers want relevant professional development to be available when they have time. They want choice and immediate feedback. The district needs effective PD that is incorporated into classrooms. As director […]
The road hasn't always been easy, but Atlanta Public Schools has a proud history of bringing communities together to address academic and social challenges. The road hasn't always been easy, but Atlanta Public Schools has a proud history of bringing communities together to address academic and social challenges. We've made great strides as a district, […]
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 […]
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.
Think back to what made you successful in college and career. In my case, what comes to mind are the ability to think critically, ask deep questions and apply lessons from the classroom to real-world settings. These are all so-called 21st century skills that are increasingly essential for children to learn—and to use as a […]
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 […]
