New Pathways

North Kansas City High School exterior showing modern addition alongside original historic brick building

Career & Technical Ed

New Grants Could Double Access to Career Academies

Tom Vander Ark

Mar 5, 2026

Career academies boost engagement and workforce readiness through career clusters, internships, and real-world learning pathways.

Career & Technical Ed

How to Leverage CTE for Durable, Personalized Pathways

Mason Pashia, Rebecca Midles

Feb 24, 2026

The rise and spread of CTE is an education success story. With 98% of school districts offering some kind of CTE programs and over 11.2 million students enrolled across the country, these programs are exposing learners to new careers, skills and possibilities at a remarkable scale. States…

Promotional graphic for a Getting Smart conversation with Sam Ford and Sangita Shresthova, featuring their headshots on a blue gradient background.

New Pathways

What Could BG Be? | A Conversation with Sam Ford and Sangita Shresthova

Mason Pashia

Feb 19, 2026

Exploring civic imagination and consensus building to shape the future of communities with experts from USC and Inu Engine.

Corey Mohn smiling in a blue button-up shirt, featured in a "A Conversation With Corey Mohn" graphic on GettingSmart.com

New Pathways

What is CAPS? | A Conversation with Corey Mohn

Tom Vander Ark

Feb 10, 2026

Explore how the CAPS Network empowers students with profession-based learning, unbundled pathways, and durable skills for future success.

Three teens playing video games together in a culturally decorated living room with snacks on a coffee table.

Leadership

How Can Indigenous Futurism Help Drive Innovation? | A Conversation with Kelly Berry

Mason Pashia, Guest Author

Feb 9, 2026

Exploring Indigenous education, leadership, and futurism with Kelly Berry: reclaiming narratives, revitalizing culture, and innovating for the future.

Four people collaborating around a laptop in a modern maker space, including a youth and adult mentors.

Career & Technical Ed

Confidence, Engagement, and Love: The Missing Alumni Data that Will Transform K-12

Guest Author

Feb 2, 2026

The CAPS Alumni Study reveals insights from 1,200 voices focused on student empowerment through innovative networks.

Two students studying coral specimens while video-calling a marine scientist on a laptop in a classroom setting.

Competency-Based Education

How Virtual and Hybrid Learning Helps Students Thrive: New Evidence from Five Public School Models

Guest Author

Jan 26, 2026

Virtual and hybrid learning models, tailored to diverse student needs, are creating equitable pathways and fostering academic success nationwide.

Four-panel education graphic showing Culture of Reflection, Explicit PoG Skills Instruction, Making Skills Public, and Parallel Pedagogy concepts

New Pathways

Norwalk Public Schools: Unpacking the Levers for Deeper PoG Implementation

Abby Benedetto, Kimberly Erickson

Jan 22, 2026

Norwalk Public Schools leverages four key implementation levers to bring its Portrait of a Graduate to life, ensuring deep, system-wide impact.

Students and educators cut a ribbon at a "Real World Learning" virtual storefront grand opening ceremony

Leadership

Why Schools Should Leverage Their Local Chamber of Commerce: Building Economic Opportunity Through Local Partnerships

Mason Pashia, Shawnee Caruthers

Jan 19, 2026

Unlock real-world opportunities for students by partnering with local chambers of commerce to build economic mobility and career pathways.

Leadership

Revitalizing Culture and Community at St. Labre | A Conversation with Curtis Yarlott

Mason Pashia, Guest Author

Jan 13, 2026

Discover how St. Labre Indian School supports Indigenous education, cultural revitalization, and language preservation with Curtis Yarlott.

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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