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.
It Takes a Village: Rebuilding Education Opportunities in NOLA
By: Rosie Clayton. A look at how New Orleans has rebuilt its failing education system in the years after Hurricane Katrina through several innovative school approaches.
Powerful School-Community Partnership Brings Learning to Life
By: Joe Weiss. Washington’s Highline Public School District provides an example of place-based learning made possible by powerful partnerships between the school district and local community resources in its Marine Science Technology program.
Cool Schools: 3 High School Options in Tacoma
We recently visited three innovative high schools in the Tacoma Public School District that provide the area's 28,000 students opportunities to explore passions and connect to the community in deeper ways than you see at most high schools.
Personalized Learning in Boston For Youth That Need it Most
Boston Day and Evening Academy is a student-centered, competency based school that doesn’t rely on grades or grade levels to communicate progress.
Rethinking High School: Badging, Competency-Based and Real-World Work
I recently had a chance to visit Del Lago Academy in California, where school leaders are rethinking high school to help students problem-solve, think creatively and create their own meaningful solutions.
Gen Z Students Need Schools That Match Their Dream Big Approach
By: Becky Wallerick. Generation Z is a motivated group used to daily technology use who need schools to meet their "Dream Big" approach to life. Here is how New Life Academy is helping these students tap into their dreams for success.
Personalization and Real-World Learning at Big Picture Schools
By: Rosie Clayton. As part of my exploration of innovation ecosystems in education across the U.S., I had a chance to visit two Big Picture Learning schools and found these six aspects of the schools extremely impressive.
Reengineering HigherEd: Student-Centered Learning at Olin College
By: Tom Vander Ark. Olin College was designed to be different. Here are nine things that stand out about Olin that other higher education institutions could consider implementing to innovate programs and graduates.
A Great Early Start in Kansas City: Operation Breakthrough
Operation Breakthrough is a remarkable early learning program in Kansas City, Missouri, that helps at-risk children ages 6 weeks to 14 years learn how to be successful in school and life.
Pennsylvania Charter Emphasizes Liberal Arts for Success
We recently had the opportunity to visit Renaissance Academy, a K-12 public charter school in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, that focuses on liberal arts to prepare students for college.