By Stephanie Hirsh One of the most frequent questions I have been asked over the years is: What are the essential conditions for launching a new initiative? Often what people want to know is whether they should kick off their new program with volunteers or should they mandate total involvement. I typically answer with the…

I remember how excited I was to begin my teaching career. My principal handed me my keys, my textbook teacher’s edition, and the district curriculum guide. I spent hours imagining how I would transform my classroom into an amazing learning space. I also assumed there would be guidance to ensure my success, but that wasn’t…

When implementing a new initiative to help teachers, what really makes a new technology or resource stick? Learning Forward’s recent report, Beyond Barriers: Encouraging Teacher Use of Feedback Resources, looks at the value of investing in change management processes to aid in the adoption and use of new tools. We often talk about change management,…

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….

It’s finally springtime in Washington, D.C. Cherry blossoms and tulips are blooming, kids are counting down to the last day of school, and the federal appropriations process begins anew. Wait — didn’t we just finish the appropriations process? It’s true. It is time to gear up for the fiscal year 2019 appropriations process, and our…

By Jill Lachenmayr With tremendous appreciation and inspiration, the Learning Forward Foundation is delighted to support educator professional learning by partnering with selected learning leaders each year, to help them transform their beliefs and practice to improve professional learning in their organizations. We are excited to announce the Learning Forward Foundation scholarship and grant award…

Perhaps you’ve seen our recent blogs calling on professional learning communities (PLCs) to anchor their work in the deep study of their curriculum and instructional materials. At Learning Forward, we have always been explicit about the importance of focusing professional learning on the outcomes we expect for students and their teachers. Now, a growing body…

In my view, no learning model has captured educators’ attention more than collaborative learning structures. Over the last few decades, they’ve had many names, starting with professional learning communities (PLCs). In some corners, they became professional learning networks or learning teams. We also use the terms communities of practice and networked improvement communities. The approach…

Every week, it seems, there are enticing new technology tools developed for educators, schools, and school systems. What is it that leads teachers to use such resources? Learning Forward recently concluded a study to understand the factors that drive teachers to embrace — or reject — the use of tools specifically created to help them…