Career-connected learning is an educational strategy that combines high-quality academic instruction, skill-based learning, and real-world experiences to prepare students with the knowledge and skills that they need to pursue their career goals. Career-connected learning is especially important for an often-overlooked group of students including…

This briefing paper explores Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) policies and practices that state early intervention (Part C) programs may consider implementing to meet the social-emotional and mental health needs of infants and toddlers in the context of relationships with their parents and other caregivers.

In 2017, the National 4-H professional research, knowledge, and competencies (PRKC) taxonomy was updated reflecting the current needs of 4-H youth development professionals. Knowledge and skill gaps of 4-H professionals need to be identified to optimize resource allocation for professional development on the state and regional level. We developed…

A recent independent evaluation by WestEd of Learning Forward's What Matters Now Network looked at the ways in which a structured, facilitated network provided support for state-level coalitions working with districts, schools, and educators to improve instruction and make progress toward achieving content standards. The network was facilitated by…

The diagnosis of individuals on the autism spectrum (AS) has received international attention in recent years. This is partly due to the potentially distressing and challenging barriers individuals and their families face as well as a rise in prevalence rates (Weiss & Rohland, 2014). Research has indicated an increase in individuals on the AS,…

In a thriving education system, students experience learning that prepares them as the vital keepers of a just and democratic society. Teachers as professionals and experts, not cogs in a machine, are essential to this goal. "Sparks Into Fire" offers design principles for facilitating effective professional learning in which teachers are…

More than a decade ago, the K-12 Framework for Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) shifted states' notions of what constitutes the core of science skills and knowledge that students need to thrive in school and beyond. The majority of states adopted standards based on the framework as well as the NGSS. Yet because of the…

School leaders, specifically principals, play a pivotal role in shaping student learning outcomes. The benefits of strong leaders extend beyond academic achievement, such as reductions in absenteeism and exclusionary discipline. While quality principals are critical for creating and sustaining quality schools, the staffing pipeline is facing…

Objective: To explore teachers' beliefs, experiences and barriers influencing teaching related to sexual health education. Methods, Design and Setting: Descriptive, cross-sectional study design. Rhode Island certified health teachers (n=190) completed an online sexual health education survey. Teacher perceptions about the need and benefits of…

From the fall of 2017 to the winter of 2020, the Student-Centered Assessment Network (SCAN) aimed to transform high school teaching in Rhode Island. Researchers and teachers worked together to make high school classes more student centered by increasing teachers' use of student-centered formative assessment. Network leaders (the hub) organized…

Thirteen New England colleges and universities have signed on to New England Board of Higher Education's (NEBHE's) new North Star Collective (NSC), a multi-institutional collaborative to boost Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) early-career faculty at New England colleges and universities. Built on a Reparative Justice Framework, NEBHE…

Despite calls to modernize education preparation, the way we train, support, and grow educators has remained largely unchanged for decades. But some educator training and professional development organizations are taking a different approach by offering educators flexible and job-embedded learning opportunities that recognize and validate learning…

Much research has noted the misalignment between kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) academic standards and curriculum materials used in classrooms. Many states and education organizations have been pushing for greater use of standards-aligned curriculum, especially during the past several years. In this report, the authors share results…

As the world takes two steps forward toward normalcy, typically followed by a step backward into pandemic mode, the truism that faculty success leads to student success probably has never been more resonant. To achieve professional success, faculty need a culture--along with a budget--to try out new, innovative ideas. Both at the individual campus…

Providing clear guidance to teachers is not a straightforward task for school systems: Teachers get information about what to teach and how to teach from many sources, some of which are beyond the control of school systems. When teachers get different, even conflicting, messages about what and how to teach from various sources, they likely…