Studying and implementing high-quality instructional materials anchors the work of effective learning teams. Learning Forward has elevated the importance of this work for the same reason we amplified the role of equity in our vision — a recognition of the need to prioritize and be explicit about the strategies that have the most potential to…
By Barbara Davidson and Susan Pimentel The Knowledge Matters Campaign is a coalition of education leaders encouraging schools to focus on developing students’ foundation of content knowledge. Earlier this year, Knowledge Matters members visited seven elementary schools that share a commitment to knowledge-rich schooling and belief in comprehensive, high-quality curriculum, implemented schoolwide, as a means…
During Teacher Appreciation Week, like so many others I reflect on all the great teachers who influenced who I am today. I remember with appreciation Dr. Gerald Ponder, my major professor during my Ph.D. program and lifelong mentor and colleague. I also recall Mr. Gerald Roslowski, my eighth-grade core teacher, who three years later allowed…
A 2015 study by Schmidt and Burroughs found that low-income students are less likely than high-income students to have high-quality content and materials in the classroom. The authors said, “As it stands now, students’ chances to learn challenging content depend on whether they are lucky enough to attend a school that provides it. In effect,…
The results are in, and they are exciting. Last week I shared Learning Forward’s anticipation about the release of the RAND study of the Wallace Foundation-supported Principal Pipeline Initiative. (See that post here.) On April 8, I represented Learning Forward at the New York unveiling of Principal Pipelines: A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way for…
In 2011, six large school districts set out to build and manage pipelines to support their school principals. This Wallace Foundation-funded effort, known as the Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI), was built on substantial evidence from more than a decade of the foundation’s school leadership efforts. On April 8, Wallace is hosting a livestream discussion to…
This is not the first time that President Trump has completely eliminated Title IIA funds in his budget proposal. Yet I’m more upset this time and here’s why. Not only did he reduce to nothing the number of dollars dedicated to substantive professional learning and leadership support, he created a shiny distraction. His PD voucher…