Archive: 2016
Two Reports Indicate Progress on Proficiency-Based Education in New England
Graduation rates in six New England states rose from 80% in 2009 to almost 88% in 2015 according to a new report from the Great Schools Partnership. This is largely due to a focus on competency-based education.
2016 #YearInReview and Predictions for 2017
For those of us who believe learning is a key lever for shaping society, five trends shaped life in 2016. Given these trends, here are predictions for six things you'll see more of in 2017.
Farewell Tribute: The Influence of the Coalition of Essential Schools & Ted Sizer
By: John Larmer. This month we said goodbye to the Coalition of Essential Schools, but there is still much work to do to reach Ted Sizer's vision for our education system.
How the President-Elect Can Scale Personalized Learning
By: Lillian Pace. We strongly encourage the incoming Administration to prioritize the following ideas in its education agenda as it considers a strategy for transforming the nation’s K-12 and higher education systems.
Really Ready Students in Action
Recently we have been writing about what it means to be #ReallyReady for college, work and life, discussing five critical dimensions of readiness. Here are several examples of schools that implement these elements for their students.
System Connectors and Shapers in Education Transformations
By: Rosie Clayton. With questions around the design and function of intermediaries and system catalysts in U.S. educational change, I met up with five organizations which play both distinctive and overlapping roles within the system to learn more.
What Kids Are Reading: Five Ways to Close the Achievement Gap
By: Jack Lynch. Reading is the foundation of learning and is an activity students can enjoy inside and outside of the classroom. Here are five ways we've found from our research that reading can help to close the achievement gap.
Empowering Girls to Become Future STEM Stars
I had the opportunity to interview Blair Blackwell of Chevron and Nikole Collins-Puri of Techbridge Girls about how we can all help empower the next generation of female STEM leaders.
Six Must-Have School Spaces for Project-Based Learning
By: Danish Kurani. These six spaces facilitate learning that goes beyond the realm of the traditional classroom and can be created in almost any type of building. Whether you’re planning a new building or updating the one you’re in, these are possible for you.
Getting Smart Gift Guide | 10 Gifts that Teach SEL
We know that prioritizing SEL is important, but we also recognize that it can be hard to do. Which is why we created this holiday gift guide listing of some of our favorite toys, books and apps that can help foster social and emotional learning.