This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. For children meeting academic benchmarks before the shutdown, slowdowns through September will not be catastrophic. However,…

How can novice special education teachers improve their practice and grow as professionals? How can veteran teachers remain connected to their profession and share their knowledge and skills? In this readable, research-based guide, the authors outline a program of collaboration to enable novice teachers to gain insight from their more experienced…

This document from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) provides guidance on initial steps for how educators can plan and prepare for addressing knowledge gaps due to extended remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 emergency. The purpose of Stage One is for grade-level or course content teams to: (1) Analyze their 2019-2020 curriculum…

In 2017, the Wyoming Legislature commissioned a study aimed at identifying ways to increase efficiencies in Wyoming's government and public services. The study included recommendations for increasing the fiscal and operational efficiencies of Wyoming's Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) programs. In response to the study, the…

In this article, Thomas R. Hoerr offers some insights into safe schools that attend not only to the physical safety of students and staff, but the emotional well-being of everyone. With safety, there are no guarantees, but school leaders can work hard to ensure that every student feels safe and comfortable at school, which means embracing all…

Improving the teacher workforce is now high on the education policy agenda, and most policymakers draw on research to inform their positions about teacher quality. Many policymakers cite the "fact" that, in general, teachers don't improve their effectiveness after their first five years in the classroom. However, recent research shows…

This paper offers the experiences and insights of two faculty members, located in two separate disciplines, as they engaged in collaborative research. While knowledge created by stepping out and reaching across disciplines reflects the reality of an increasingly complex world, their experiences highlight both the benefits of a supportive…

In this article, Dominic Griffiths reflects upon the current cultural gap between those who locate themselves as working "on the inside" of the world of "special educational needs" and the "inclusion movement" and those who might be described as "mainstream classroom teachers". Griffiths warns of the dangers…

This article is designed to facilitate guided teacher reflections about teaching-learning practices so that more educators recognize and appreciate that they already employ many constructivist strategies, techniques, and activities on a frequent basis. And, that the most appropriate consultants to help them become even more constructivist teachers…

Guiding student growth minute-by-minute--aka classroom formative assessment--has a track record of boosting student and teacher engagement. Discover concrete ways leaders can support this high-impact instructional practice throughout your school or district. Learn: (1) how to clarify who owns the learning and who is responsible for the learning…

The Artisan Teaching Model merges the idea of "teamwork" with the concept of an "artisan-apprentice relationship." As in any apprenticeship, newer members of the profession work alongside experts ("artisans"). As apprentices become more skilled, they take on larger and more substantial roles and continue to work…

In this book, Raider-Roth offers an innovative approach to teacher professional development that builds on the intellectual strength and practical wisdom of practitioners. Focusing on nurturing relationships between and among participants, facilitators, subject matter, texts, and the school environment, this book helps educators create a…

Background: Alternatively certified (AC) teachers have generally been found to turn over at higher rates than traditionally certified (TC) teachers. These higher turnover rates are generally attributed to lower levels of preparedness and less of a commitment to remain in teaching than TC teachers, both of which may be compounded by AC teachers'…

Sufficient space is integral to high-quality music instruction, but what makes our space "sufficient"? This article provides historical and theoretical background about the role of space in learning and the use of movement as a tool for learning music. When their input is sought, children order space as a high priority within a school…

This study revisits the Carpenter and Krutka survey of how and why educators use Twitter, through exploring one of Twitter's oldest education hashtags: #Edchat. From October 1, 2017, to June 5, 2018, more than 1.2 million unique #Edchat tweets were collected from approximately 200,000 different tweeters. Machine coding was used to answer…