Schools Worth Visiting

The Getting Smart team visits hundreds of schools each year and is grateful for the opportunity to see high-quality teaching and learning in action. This series features stories of schools that share best practices, lessons learned and next-gen teaching practices that support high-quality, personalized, project-based learning for all students.

Leadership

He Showed Me What One Person Could Do: A Tribute to Jon Ketler

Guest Author

Jul 10, 2026

Future of Learning

Designing for Belonging: Lessons from Districts Building What Technology Can’t Replace

Rebecca Midles, Tom Vander Ark

Apr 6, 2026

Students and staff standing in a semicircle on a school basketball court at Big Picture Ukiah during a PMU Circle gathering.

Learner-Centered

In Ukiah, Eternal Truths Are Saving Young Lives

Sam Chaltain

Nov 17, 2025

New Pathways

Experiencing What’s Next: The Common Wealth of the Commonwealth

Getting Smart Staff

Oct 9, 2025

Exterior of the Integrated Learning House, a modern stone building with yellow accents and garage door.

Schools Worth Visiting

Taking Student Integration to the Next Level

Guest Author

Oct 6, 2025

Adult and child wearing ear protection work together with a wood plank at a bandsaw in a workshop

Personalized Learning

How Learner-Centered Environments Are Keeping Educators in the Field

Guest Author

Sep 15, 2025

Three young children painting and building wooden block structures together at a classroom art table

Schools Worth Visiting

A Year of Grace

Sam Chaltain

Aug 26, 2025

Grace Episcopal's Reggio-inspired approach fosters creativity, belonging, and child-centered learning through yearlong collaborative projects.

Young man in dark t-shirt standing at desk, writing notes beside a computer monitor in a modern office space.

Schools Worth Visiting

Academic Excellence Through The Arts and Experience

Antonio Boyd

Feb 26, 2025

Southland College Prep excels in arts, academics, and mentorship, fostering a 100% college acceptance rate and nurturing community belief.

Parents and students engaging with classroom projects and learning displays during an open school transparency event.

Leadership

Enhancing Education Through Transparency

Guest Author

Feb 24, 2025

Transparency builds trust in education, enhancing school-parent partnerships and improving student outcomes at Pine Street School.

Students in uniform gather on stairs beside the Uplift Heights Healthcare Institute and Baylor Scott & White Health wall sign.

New Pathways

Uplift Education Launches Health Pathways

Tom Vander Ark

Feb 21, 2025

Uplift Education's new health pathways program offers students career-ready skills in healthcare via work-based learning and dual enrollment.

	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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Schools Worth Visiting

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