In rural Indiana, Jay School Corporation supports local manufacturers—which make up about half the private employment in Jay County—with educational programs geared to the jobs that need to be filled. The school now has 80 students in manufacturing, advanced manufacturing and robotics programs, and is working with other organizations and a nearby college to develop […]
A Georgia school system partnered with local manufacturers to create German-style apprentice programs that teach skills through project-based learning. A district on Florida's west coast expanded manufacturing internships with help from small businesses. And in Tennessee, high school students are developing high-tech skills and earning college credit at a Volkswagen automobile factory. School districts are […]
Hopkins Public Schools, with 7,200 students in K12 near the Twin Cities in Minnesota, was having a problem with an increasing demand for substitute teachers during the 2013-14 school year and being unable to maintain a steady supply of candidates. Human resources staff from the district had to recruit, hire, train and manage substitute teachers, […]
The Syracuse City School District serves more than 20,000 students across 34 schools, most of which have been classified by the New York State Education Department as either "priority" or "focus" schools. These schools have the overall lowest student academic performance on state assessments, persistently low graduation rates, and had shown little improvement. As educators, […]
In southern California's Brawley Union High School District, students newly arrived from Mexico study math and science using a university-developed curriculum written in Spanish. In the Omaha Public Schools, bilingual picture books created by district staff supplement the education of students who speak the Karen language of Burma. Despite research showing that native-language instruction improves […]
Solar power can provide a ray of sunshine for districts looking to control energy expenses. A sustainable and clean power source, solar involves very few moving parts and requires little maintenance. It also creates learning opportunities for students and reduces carbon footprints. Nearly 4,000 K12 schools have been fitted with solar installations as of 2014, […]
When adding a mindfulness program, superintendents and principals may face parent backlash, possibly about religious concerns, especially when it includes yoga. Fiona Jensen, whose nonprofit trains teachers in mindfulness instruction, says she has met with "pretty conservative Christian scholars" to make sure nothing in her curriculum can be misinterpreted as promoting Buddhism or any other […]
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 […]
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 […]
