School discipline policies are broadly intended to foster a high-quality learning environment by maintaining safety in the classroom; however, far too often, schools adopt measures that harm a student's social, emotional, academic, and in some cases, physical health and well-being. To create physically safe and emotionally supportive environments…

A formal induction and mentoring program is critical for supporting and developing novice teachers as they enter the K-12 classroom because it has been found to improve teacher retention rates, teaching practice, and student outcomes. Districts across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offer induction and mentoring programming to their novice…

Coaching is a popular and high-leverage instrument for instructional reform. Coaching holds potential to accelerate teacher learning and school improvement. Linking results from current research, we portray how coaching benefits from robust infrastructure. This article offers three design recommendations that leaders can implement to optimize…

In this article, we present an integrated approach to social-emotional learning and culturally responsive teaching (SEL/CRT), a framework that has guided the advocacy and practical work of teacher educators (including the authors of this article) in Massachusetts. Hailing from a range of higher education programs across the state, this group has…

Our nation's 16,800 school districts spend billions of dollars a year on professional development. The best professional development is a critical need. Many educators enter teaching underprepared, especially in our communities of concentrated poverty. However, in reality, professional development often reflects our most anachronistic practices,…

The number of students experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts has grown substantially over the last few years. More than 31,000 Massachusetts students experienced homelessness during the 2023-2024 school year, a 20 percent increase from the previous year. We know homelessness puts an immense strain on child development and that experiencing…

Culturally relevant pedagogy aims to build on students' individual and cultural experiences and to allow diverse populations opportunities to access a generalized curriculum. The purpose of this action research study was to create a culturally relevant teaching framework to integrate curriculum texts and evaluate for effectiveness. The…

More than a decade ago, the K-12 Framework for Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) shifted states' notions of what constitutes the core of science skills and knowledge that students need to thrive in school and beyond. The majority of states adopted standards based on the framework as well as the NGSS. Yet because of the…

Previous research has found that when children engage in social and moral transgressions, they take steps to either remedy or explain their behavior. However, no prior systematic investigation has examined the strategies children employ to 'correct' their behavior in future situations. The present study employed a domain theory lens to investigate…

Much research has noted the misalignment between kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) academic standards and curriculum materials used in classrooms. Many states and education organizations have been pushing for greater use of standards-aligned curriculum, especially during the past several years. In this report, the authors share results…

In this article, I detail my journey through which I have experienced phenomenology. The article includes theoretical connections, personal aspirations, methodology, data collection, and themes that I have identified as I analyzed the data. I have deep personal connections to the phenomenon in the study, the journey to becoming a school principal,…

Embedded within school discipline policies, dress codes, or codes of conduct are gender and racial biases that manifest in exclusionary punishments that have more to do with who girls are rather than what they do. Girls of color face some of the greatest barriers to educational opportunities and social emotional growth inside schools with poor…

Spurred by research showing the gains students realize from school-based social and emotional learning (SEL), states are adopting policies that support districts in implementing, sustaining, and spreading it. But to ensure long-term, systemwide gains for students, states must also address the SEL needs of teachers. To meet this challenge, states…

In this year's report on the Condition of Education in the Commonwealth (COE), the Rennie Center seeks to highlight how educators can be empowered to effectively meet the academic and social-emotional needs of their students in 2022 and beyond. The report relays findings from research on immediate supports to address student needs in the wake of…

Background: Suspensions can have negative effects on students' immediate academic and long-run outcomes, including increasing their likelihood of being arrested and incarcerated as an adult (Bacher-Hicks, Billings, Deming, 2019). School discipline practices have become a concern of families and policymakers and there have been increasing local,…