Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
In This Issue
ARTICLES
Principles of Design Energize Learning Communities
Infuse educator work groups with a passion and a purpose for learning using principles of design and practical tips for implementing them.
From The Director
By Stephanie Hirsh (Available to the public
Abstracts
Spread the word, save some money
Spread The Word, Save Some Money
Spread the word, save some money
Learning Forward's New Annual Awards Committee
Learning Forward's new Annual Awards
On Board
Kenneth Salim explores new feedback models
New Reports Highlight Effective Professional Learning
New reports highlight effective professional learing
Cultural Proficiency
Acknowledge the painful history behind some common expressions — and don't repeat them. (Available to the public.)
Collaborative Culture
If a school wants to transform a culture, everyone in it must value conversation. (Available to the public.)
Tool
Taking action: Professional learning challenges.
Essentials
Inspirational insights, Stages of teaching, Principal preparation, Observation protocols, Alignment resources, Online communities, Improving high-poverty schools
From The Editor
From the editor, By Tracy Crow (Available to the public.)
Put Data in the Driver's Seat
Days set aside to analyze data give teachers in Federal Way (Wash.) Public Schools a head start in matching instruction to student needs.
The Rules of Evidence
Gather the most valid evidence on the effectiveness of professional learning by determining the outcome at the start, using multiple sources of data, and including comparisons.
School-based Coaches Plant Seeds of Learning
A Texas district introduces school-based data coaches to assist teachers in using data and increase student achievement. Test scores show the district is closing the academic gap between white and limited English proficient students.
Link Data to Learning Goals
One teacher team's story illustrates how Douglas County (Ga.) Public Schools is using Georgia's teacher evaluation system to design professional learning that has improved teacher practice and student results.
Teachers Harness The Power of Assessment
Two 4th-grade teachers have developed a weekly assessment that helps them — and their students — gauge how well each student understands and can demonstrate mastery of learning standards. (Available to the public.)
The X Factor is 'Why'
Take the pain — and some of the resistance — out of data analysis by organizing it and making it relevant to the purpose at hand. (Available to the public.)
A Playbook For Data
The staff of a small, rural school district experiences a major breakthrough in using data in this excerpt from A Playbook for Professional Learning: Putting the Standards into Action.
Up Close
Connecting the Standards for Professional Learning, Spotlight: Data Quality Campaign, Evaluation framework components
Recent Issues
CURRICULUM-BASED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
October 2024
High-quality curriculum requires skilled educators to put it into practice. Professional learning can ensure instructional materials lead to excellent teaching and learning.
LEARNING TO PIVOT
August 2024
Sometimes new information and situations call for major change. This issue shows how professional learning helps educators pivot, by bridging the gap between knowing better and doing better.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
June 2024
What does professional learning look like around the world? This issue explores what educators can learn from each other across geographic borders.
WHERE TECHNOLOGY CAN TAKE US
April 2024
Technology is both a topic and a tool for professional learning. This issue examines benefits, challenges, and what learning leaders need to know.
