Research suggests that beginner teachers face challenges when transitioning from pre-service to in-service teaching. Both international and local research found that transitioning from preservice to newly qualified teachers can be problematic. This study explores the learning experiences of beginner foundation phase Grade R teachers. The study…

We present in this paper a pair of approaches to support mathematics educators and learners in formulating original tasks. In particular, we facilitate the posing of rich mathematical problems by using two novel methods that were created by a mathematics department at a K-12 school in the United States, and further developed alongside our students…

Training is an integral part of school safety, security, emergency management and preparedness; everyone involved in the plan needs to know his or her roles and responsibilities before, during, and after an emergency. As one's emergency operations plan (EOP) planning team develops the training and exercise schedule, keep in mind that the Readiness…

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) requested assistance from the Region 8 Comprehensive Center (Region 8 CC) to co-facilitate and design a Stakeholder Review Committee. This request is a component of the Indiana (IN) Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Social Emotional Learning Initiative (2020-R8-I-002 IN-02-Year2). The purpose of…

The Professional Learning Reimagined Framework, developed by the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), provides a model for coordinated, cohesive professional learning and leadership processes and opportunities for West Virginia counties. A wealth of research has proven that the methods…

Local comprehensive assessment systems (LCAS) are essential for ensuring equitable learning opportunities for all students. They have the potential to ensure that each and every learner meets high expectations that are set across all content areas. The Vermont Agency of Education held convenings with educational leaders to refine tools and…

This brief reviews state plans submitted to the U.S. Department of Education as of October 1, 2017. It focuses on three key topics for early learning in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): setting clear goals and policy priorities for early learning, integrating early learning into school improvement, and supporting early childhood educator…

The stage is set for major change in California early childhood education (ECE). The State's requirements for Transitional Kindergarten instruction, teacher training, and professional development could lead to mandated integration of existing, impressive Dual Language Learner (DLL) resources, guidance, and best practices. In addition to more…

Teacher education programs are typically seen as innovative models of teaching, but how do teacher educators stay current in methodologies that reach diverse and underserved students? This study documents the initial teaching concerns of seasoned teacher educators (PK-8th grade), across areas of study, and followed them across two years as they…

What does it take to transform a large, bureaucratic institution with a fractured culture and a compliance orientation into a nurturing, collaborative, vision-directed organization? In 2017, the California Department of Education's Expanded Learning Division (after-school and summer programs) took a radically different approach by cultivating the…

The Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) at SEDL, an affiliate of American Institutes for Research (AIR), partnered with the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) in 2014 to assist in evaluating Alabama Plan 2020, mainly focusing on learners and the graduation rate. SECC provided professional development and analytic technical assistance…

What does it take to transform a large, bureaucratic institution with a fractured culture and a compliance orientation into a nurturing, collaborative, vision-directed organization? This report and the accompanying research brief endeavor to answer that question by examining a humanistic and systems thinking approach to cultural change that took…

This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Oregon, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics, as well as the extent to which Oregon ECE higher education programs are incorporating early math, family engagement, and working with dual language…

Oregon is home to more than 275,000 children under the age of six; about 166,498 of these children potentially need child care. Like many states in recent years, Oregon has committed public and private resources toward multiple efforts to improve early care and education services, including early education degree and certification programs, in…

Oregon is home to more than 275,000 children under the age of six; about 166,500 of these children potentially need child care. Like many states in recent years, Oregon has committed public and private resources toward multiple efforts to improve early care and education services, including early education degree and certification programs, in…