Curriculum & Instruction

Consider what the world will be like in 2031 when today’s kindergartners graduate high school. “We don’t know exactly what it’ll look like, but there are a couple things we do know” says Randy Ziegenfuss, superintendent of Salisbury Township School District (Pennsylvania). “For people in that world to be successful, they’re going to have to […]

Vancouver Public Schools in Washington has increased educational opportunities and kindergarten readiness by offering free evening preschool. Launched three years ago at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, the program—which uses existing kindergarten classrooms and teachers—now operates at nine elementaries with 170 students. The initiative provides preschool access for families who cannot participate in traditional […]

When it comes to balancing school budgets, the arts—and particularly music—often suffer most from spending cuts. It’s part of a cycle that began in the 1970s, when, in the hope of averting a fiscal crisis, schools laid off thousands of arts teachers. Limited grants and community-based efforts have helped to rebuild programs over the years, […]

In his new book What School Could Be, innovation expert Ted Dintersmith profiles schools that focus on innovation and “real” learning, rather than endlessly drilling on formulas and definitions that don’t matter in today’s world. Our archaic model of education trains kids for a world that no longer exists, and accelerating advances in technology are eliminating millions of […]

At first, the class was like any other at Georgia’s Quitman County School District. Kids sat at desks while an adult lectured. Despite appearances, this was no ordinary lecture. Schneider Electric organized STEM activities for the kids in this Quitman County high school class. These activities are part of Quitman County’s energy performance contract with […]

Personalized learning for students has long been a priority in K12 education, but for some reason, some districts haven’t applied this same approach to teachers. For years, PD has been completely one-dimensional. Teachers sit in district- and state-mandated PowerPoint-driven seminars that fail to encourage collaboration or authentic engagement in the material. Often, teachers leave feeling […]