Curriculum & Instruction

The latest K12 school designs in classrooms favor versatile and adaptive spaces to support blended and project-based learning, as well as other progressive education techniques. Despite the financial challenges districts face, an estimated $41 billion was spent in 2016 on K12 construction and renovation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Renovation projects outnumber new building […]

KANSAS CITY, Kansas—Superintendent Cynthia Lane learned the cello a few years ago, but not to fulfill some lifelong dream of soloing with the local symphony. The leader of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, who played clarinet in high school, now performs alongside fourth- and fifth-graders in their annual spring strings concert. Fifth-graders also spend months […]

One of the worst “professional learning” experiences from my teaching days involved a clown nose. The entire teaching staff—700 of us—were gathered in the town’s civic auditorium to hear a speaker. Talk about “sit and get.” At a pivotal moment, the speaker had us reach under our seats and pull out the envelopes that had […]

From providing a range of innovative initiatives, including social-emotional learning programs to giving English language learners quality support, 54 school districts have been named among DA’s newest batch of Districts of Distinction this year. The honored districts from 23 states were chosen for the national recognition program for their innovative and unique twist on traditional […]

The great majority of school violence prevention programs do not work. This is demonstrated by bullying continuing at unprecedented rates. Also, rampage school shootings—which the National Research Council calls a “new and unique violence”—continue to periodically shock the nation. It is critically important to address this violence effectively because schools are crucibles of the future. […]

In March, Netflix premiered 13 Reasons Why. The dramatic depictions and riveting subject matter quickly resulted in Netflix declaring the program its most-viewed show. Extremely troubling to psychology professionals across the nation is that 13 Reasons Why did not highlight the significant role mental illness plays in youth suicide. The show also fails to encourage […]