Children develop within a context, and the nature or dynamics of a child's context can change the trajectory of their development. According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), children are affected and are impacted by individuals within various systems or environments. One of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems is the microsystem, in which children…

Background: Over the past decade, research-based and evidence-informed decision-making have played increasingly important roles in influencing educational policy and impacting practices in education. The dissemination, implementation and sustainability of research-to-practice are thus fruitful topics for discussion. Even though, as Oliver and…

The climate crisis presents an unprecedented global challenge, which can also be an opportunity for Commonwealth ministers of education to demonstrate what science-driven, justice-centred, and civic-minded climate leadership can do to help put small island developing states and climate-vulnerable countries on a path to climate resilience and…

At the turn of the current century, Sheridan and Gutkin shared perspectives on the status and future of school psychology. Limitations of then-standard school psychological practices focusing on a medical model of service-delivery were raised, and approaches to realize a new paradigm, including advances in conceptual, empirical, and practical…

NSF's Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Initiative has released the Special Report to the Nation III -- Accelerating Collaborative, Systemic Change to Broaden Participation in STEM. The INCLUDES Initiative is catalyzing collaborative, systemic efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)…

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is strongly committed to ensuring quality education for children living in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. GPE convenes partners and mobilizes funds to help governments in 90 lower-income countries build and finance strong and sustainable education systems that deliver quality learning to more…

Many children in GPE partner countries remain out of school or are unable to complete even primary education. This working paper aims to bring attention to the ongoing challenges of reaching universal access to education and completion of at least primary education in many GPE partner countries. [This working paper was written with support and…

Nationally, the number of charter schools opening and the enrollment size at charters is on the rise. But what happens when charter schools are low performing? For most charter schools and their authorizers, closing low-performing schools seems inevitable. However, school closures have dramatic impacts on students, families, and communities --…

Community partnerships empower charter schools by strengthening their capacity to serve the needs of students, families, and staff through deliberate partnerships with community-based entities. The autonomy that charter schools are afforded uniquely equips them with the flexibility to engage partners and even design schools for which one or more…

In April 2021, as part of a national convening hosted by the US Department of Education, the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) was asked to identify key considerations for learning acceleration and recovery as part of enrichment efforts this summer (2021) and beyond. Four big concepts were identified by NCSI and then discussed by…

This brief offers lessons learned from California State University teacher preparation programs engaged in using data to inform improvement efforts. The authors consider teacher preparation programs as systems that can undergo continuous, data-driven improvement through an improvement science approach. Teacher preparation programs typically have…

When K-12 schools in California closed for in-person instruction in response to COVID-19 in March 2020, few would have predicted that most schools would remain physically closed for more than one year. Throughout this period, California's educators and students have continued teaching and learning remotely for the most part, demonstrating…

Equity has often been identified as a foundational concept for truly inclusive and reciprocal partnerships among schools, families, and communities. Equity can be difficult for schools to achieve without cultivating new paradigms for interacting with historically marginalized students, families, and communities. In order to bridge the ideal of…

How can states help ensure that their systems are providing schools and educators with the essential data for improvement efforts? One powerful strategy is to collaborate with partners using a continuous improvement approach. Six states have been doing just that--working together to investigate and address specific, high-priority, high-impact ways…

Historically, deep learning opportunities have occurred in schools attended by this country's most advantaged students, and there have been few successful efforts to systemically create the structures and policies necessary to ensure every student has access to this type of learning. The New Tech Network, a network of more than 200 elementary,…