By Susan Thompson As the new school year begins, principals and school districts are looking at ways to provide supports to the new teachers that were hired over the summer. The key to a school’s success is not only selecting an outstanding team of educators to lead school improvement efforts, but also, the ability to…
The impact of a new teacher and mentoring framework on teacher retention
Learning Forward Texas: Cultivating leadership
By: Trish Hinze As we leave behind the summer of 2018, this new season brings to mind images of beautiful fall colors, the anticipation of cooler temperatures, and the excitement of the harvest season. Yet, our teachers and campus leaders have much work to do before they see the fruits of their efforts. Cultivating a…
How Learning Forward Virginia sparks inspiration and learning
By Judy Newhouse Does your professional learning inspire? See how Learning Forward Virginia ignites the spark with designs for educator leaning. Designs for Educator Learning “Good professional learning is hard to do — and few people have the deep knowledge and expertise to plan and execute it” (Stephanie Hirsh, “How we can stop the cycle…
Advocacy through stories: What is your professional learning impact?
While Title II has been maintained for the 2018 budget cycle, in large part due to the voices of educators, including many Learning Forward members, we are not in the clear. We must continue to advocate for high quality professional learning, a critical component of the work of all educators, to ensure that vital funding…
Professional learning can address the equity challenge
By Janice Poda Several years ago, I was an expert witness in an equitable funding lawsuit in my home state on behalf of the plaintiff school districts. After court recessed on a very tense day on the witness stand, I took a drive through the small town where court was being held — the same…
How I became a learning leader
By Whitney Young What do you get when you gather a 1st-grade teacher, district instructional coach, assistant principal, principal, director of technology, director of human resources, and a superintendent? These are the members of my Learning Forward Academy learning team — a team that has been working together for two years to solve the significant…
Report: High-Quality Curricula and Team-Based Professional Learning
Network connects 15 districts focused on college and career readiness
By Michelle Bowman The Student Success Learning Network, a collaboration of 15 school districts facilitated by Learning Forward, is focused on supporting students in college and career readiness. Districts participating in the network learn strategies and tactics to effect change on a chosen readiness indicator. After an initial planning session with each system’s team lead…
Professional learning rocks!
By Peter Carpenter When did you first learn about rocks? I distinctly remember sitting in my fourth-grade classroom at Wedgewood Elementary School in Turnersville, New Jersey in the mid-1980’s learning about rocks. My teacher called out the four different types of rocks, and I remember one name jumping out at me as she wrote the…
Strengthening assessment literacy to increase student achievement
By Bonnie Hain and Jim Mirabelli Throughout the teaching-learning process, successful students and their teachers set clear learning goals and monitor progress to meet those goals. As teachers learn their students’ strengths and needs in relation to learning goals, they can change instruction and practice to acquire deeper knowledge and understandings, ultimately increasing student achievement….