Ware County School District in Georgia has downsized its inventory of assistive technology. Thanks to a slew of technological advances, many of the specialized tools their special education students had used to communicate and learn are now redundant. "We don't need portable keyboards or word processors anymore" says Barbara Sonnier, the district's assistive technology coordinator. […]
Dan Hamlin, a postdoctoral fellow in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and Paul E. Petersen have examined data to see what impact states lowering the bar on academic proficiency have had on student achievement. When they were created, the Common Core standards were intended as consistent benchmarks for student learning across the country. But public opinion […]
Peter DeWitt is a professional development coach and the creator of Collaborative Leadership, a PD service that combines transformational and instructional leadership, and that includes ways to engage the school community with a focus on learning. Collaborative Leadership is a series of one to four workshops focusing on research-based influences that can foster a supportive […]
This spring, schools have experienced a profound increase in student suicides and attempts, as well as school shootings. Recognize that as bad as things have been this spring, things are likely to be worse next fall. Contention over race, origin, LGBTQ, and sexual assault/harassment will increase, along with contention over gun control in the context […]
We know from personal experience as principals and superintendents, and from research, that it takes a dynamic leader with a particular set of skills and knowledge to turn around a school or school system. Sadly, there are thousands of schools across the country that are chronically low-performing, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Layer […]
Looking to illustrate an abstract concept from a novel she'd read, an Oklahoma high school student turned to her building-level school librarian. Then, with the school librarian's encouragement to tinker in the makerspace, the girl sculpted a clay model of a kneeling woman balancing a 3D-printed replica of the earth on her back. "She was […]
The process to select a new elementary math program for Columbia Public Schools began four years ago. K12 Math Coordinator Dana Hibbard located the highest-performing schools in Missouri and selected their top two math programs for piloting in her district of 18,555 students. It's been barely a year that Everyday Mathematics 4 has been in […]
The K12 transportation landscape is getting increasingly complex, as districts wrestle with issues ranging from school choice and questions of equity to how to subsidize mass transit for urban students. In some districts, services that employ parents as drivers have rolled in to fill the gap. In Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan has proposed making year-round, […]
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all Title I schools to use evidence-based educational activities. It is crucial that administrators understand not only how the law defines evidence-based, but also how to apply that definition to their decision-making process when selecting the resources that will meet their district's needs. This web seminar featured a […]
Holistic intervention strategies for Title I schools that coordinate efforts between all educators and stakeholders are crucial to improving achievement. Through focused professional development, incorporating research-based approaches and utilizing technology, intervention efforts at Title I schools can be the most effective. This web seminar explored how to build an effective intervention strategy for Title I […]
