The Innovation Schools Act of 2008, § 22-32.5-102, et seq. C.R.S., was designed to provide a pathway for schools and districts to develop and implement innovative practices in a wide variety of areas and contexts to improve student outcomes. Innovation schools are required to articulate a vision around the autonomies they are seeking, as well as…

With more students returning to in-person instruction, school systems can begin to shift their focus from surviving the crisis to helping students recover. Above all else, that means accelerating students back to grade level--not by rushing through the curriculum, but by using proven strategies that help students engage with the most critical work…

The objective of this audit was to determine the extent to which the U.S. Department of Education (Department) had processes for ensuring that Federal Student Aid's (FSA) fiscal year (FY) 2020-2024 strategic goals, objectives, and related performance indicators were effective. The audit covered FSA's strategic planning and related activities from…

On June 25 and 26, 2018, 211 STEM education leaders, 176 of whom were representatives from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and several tribal territories, gathered in Washington, D.C. for the first State-Federal STEM Summit. On Day 2 of the Summit, these…

In this article, the author discusses the multi-year implementation of essential learning outcomes at Stockton University. The implementation process included strategies for generating faculty buy-in, creation of a University-wide steering committee, facilitating summer workshops, and planning for assessment.

As one of the national leaders in innovative public education strategies focused on future talent development, Indiana is positioned to create a sustainable, collaborative strategy for K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instruction, curriculum, and career exploration and exposure. To provide a comprehensive, coordinated,…

During a time of unprecedented challenges facing higher education, the need for effective leadership -- for informal and formal leaders across the organization -- has never been more imperative. Since publication of the first edition, the environment for higher education has become more critical and complex. Whether facing falling enrollments,…

Strategic communications is important for building awareness, engagement, and commitment for serving children and youth. When this communication is bidirectional, it also creates avenues for state education agency (SEA) leaders to receive timely, honest feedback from stakeholders about the effectiveness of whole-person initiatives. This guide is…

The pivot point for educational change is now firmly placed with the district, rebalancing the position of the state and the school relative to the local education agency (LEA). The state education agency (SEA) has been shifting its emphasis for decades, from a compliance-focused authority to a change agent equipped with systems, processes,…

As states move forward on the development of their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans, incorporating the best of the feedback received from stakeholders along the way is a critical step in the process. All states are required by law to meaningfully engage with a wide array of stakeholders as they develop their plans to ensure that new…

This guide is intended to help states assess the engagement strategies used during the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) development stage, identify the ones to sustain or refine, and develop a long-term plan that will continue to create opportunities for stakeholders to be heard on this and other education issues. The guidance in this document…

Strategic planning can be broadly defined as a process used by organizations to define strategy and provide direction regarding future decisions. Grounded in the organization's mission and vision, it is widely recognized as fundamental to an organization's success over time. A growing number of higher education institutions are incorporating…

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has produced a five-brief series documenting insights from their efforts to understand how educators and researchers can build relationships that support a shared action research agenda around social and emotional learning (SEL). It shares the perspectives of researchers and…

The strategic planning process requires considerable detail, much of which is covered in traditional literature on strategic planning. Using actual and existing strategic plans as example, we discuss aspects of strategic planning in academic settings that are often not addressed. We present a list of action items that should be considered as part…

Louisiana has received recent attention for some of its new education policies and promising early results. In this report, RAND researchers provide an in-depth description of Louisiana's approach to improving student outcomes since 2012. The authors examine how the state has used various policy levers -- including mandates, resource alignment,…