With the ever-expanding role of technology in schools, many teachers have participated in one-time, stand-alone workshops to learn how to use a new program, app, or other tool. While that may provide a helpful introduction to the basics and highlight inspirational examples of what the tool can do, it doesn't often translate into teachers applying…

This article describes the power of using a brief video clip during one-on-one coaching conversations, which provides teachers intense personal attention about the work that matters to them the most, as even 30 seconds of video can highlight teachers' effective practices. This idea emerged as the most influential component of the…

The nature of the digital divide in schools is changing. Once understood to be about gaps in access to computer and internet technology across demographic and geographic groups, the gap is now more complex. Schools still experience inequity in technology, but it is as much about educators' capacity and opportunity to apply technology in meaningful…

Greece Central School District's longstanding new teacher induction model suddenly changed when the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close abruptly in March 2020. At a time when many districts dropped their new teacher induction plans amid chaos and confusion, Greece Central School District was able to rapidly transform the way they support…

Meeting students' individual learning needs has never been easy and seems to only become more challenging with the passage of time. Teachers today struggle to keep up with society's expectations. It isn't enough for them to just cover their curriculum. They are expected to differentiate their instruction, address students' social and emotional…

From 2016 to 2020, a team of K-12 and higher education mathematics educators worked to address the need for high-quality online learning by creating a multisession, fully online professional learning course. As the team worked to design and facilitate online professional learning, the goal was to maintain the core aspects and guiding principles of…

In March 2019, Learning Forward's Stephanie Hirsh interviewed Robert Pianta, who developed the evidence-based MyTeachingPartner 1:1 Video Coaching program (MTP). MTP is one of the few coaching models that meets the evidence requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), based on studies of its effectiveness and efficacy. Rigorous research…

Improving educators' abilities to recognize and respond to signals that indicate students are upset, confused, or disengaged is a powerful but often underused strategy for ensuring that all students are accessing rigorous learning. Research has shown that when adults respond to students' social and behavioral cues for help in a timely, proactive,…

The COVID-19 pandemic required that nearly all P-20 teaching and learning move quickly to virtual formats. In many cases, educators were teaching exclusively online for the first time in their careers. Schools suddenly needed to train and support all educators on how to teach, engage students, and support families from a distance. This created an…

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of video and other technology tools to support professional learning. A growing body of evidence shows how these tools are improving teachers' practice (Borko, Jacobs, Eiteljorg, & Pittman, 2008; Grant & Kline, 2010; van Es & Sherin, 2010). However, there has been less…

COVID-19 has presented many new challenges for educators, not only in teaching and connecting with students but in their own learning from one another. The necessity of physical distancing has required all who engage in networks to be nimble and adapt strategies to an online environment. Although frustrating, this need can be turned into…

Early literacy is the foundation of academic success and predicts outcomes far beyond elementary school. So when only 30% of 3rd graders in New York City public schools scored proficient on the state test in 2014, district leaders began targeting improvements in literacy instruction in grades K-2. In 2016, the New York City Department of Education…

As professional learning director in California's Palo Alto Unified School District, Kelly Bikle attended a California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Institute (CAASPP) workshop with a district team composed of our assessment coordinator, a special education inclusion specialist, and several teachers. The goal was to learn about…

Computer simulations can provide essential practice at making a wide range of decisions facing education leaders, filling gaps in experience with relevant virtual on-the-job training. Simulations can help administrators prepare for difficult conversations about students in crisis, racial tensions, teacher evaluations, and other sensitive topics.…

With educators facing conditions never seen before, Student Achievement Partners wanted to better understand what was happening on the ground -- the triumphs, needs, opportunities, and concerns of teachers trying to navigate instruction during the pandemic. A sample of more than 400 survey responses received in March and April 2020, which include…