A significant movement is underway across the nation to design K-12 assessment systems that better equip stakeholders to provide an equitable and excellent education to each child. While some of these innovations emerged before the pandemic, the massive disruption to instruction fueled a new urgency to rethink the potential of assessments to drive…

African American artists have participated in every major art style and movement since before the founding of this nation. However, until recent decades, this "grand epic" had been marginalized within the traditional survey canon of American art. Art historians have undertaken considerable scholarship (Bearden & Henderson, 1993;…

The article discusses an instructor's critical pedagogies and reflective practices in three graduate library and information science (LIS)-related courses on topics of social justice and inclusion advocacy, diversity leadership in information organizations, and community-engaged scholarship that were taught at the University of Alabama since…

Many significant changes resulted from the new 2013 AACSB [Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business] International Accreditation Standards. The new standards place considerable emphasis on engagement, innovation, and impact. In addition, business schools are expected to assess and demonstrate the impact of intellectual contributions.…

State policymakers are in a unique position to enable the innovations in education necessary to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Working with 8,000 educators nationwide, the Aurora Institute identified the top 10 issues to address in state policy for transforming the K-12 education system: (1) Profile of a Graduate; (2) Innovation…

Alabama Best Practices Center (ABPC) was formed to help educators spread innovation and scale up successful teaching and learning practices. ABPC is the professional development arm of A+ Education Partnership, a statewide business/community/education nonprofit founded in 1991 to advocate for excellent public schools. Since 1999, ABPC has…

The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) incorporates challenging literacy standards into middle grades and high school content areas within a variety of academic disciplines, not just English/language arts courses. The Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC) provides schools with instructional tools needed to help teachers understand and implement…

The purpose of this paper is to describe Auburn University's story of developing an innovative field-based master's level principal preparation program. Our goal was to align the program's curriculum and internship experiences with state and other accrediting agency standards, current leadership preparation research, and local educational agency…

Educators across the country are grateful to school leaders for their past work and present commitment in addressing the most important challenges of U.S. education and in understanding the importance of technology in transforming education. Restructuring the nation's schools is vital to the United States' success in the global economy. Blended…

Will the digital-learning movement repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement? How much more successful might today's charter universe look if yesterday's proponents had focused on the policies and practices needed to ensure its quality, freedom, and resources over the long term? What mistakes might have been avoided? Damaging scandals…

On August 1, 2006, Alabama state educational and policy leaders participated in the Alabama Education Forum to discuss ways to improve student transition from high school to postsecondary education and careers. The forum focused on five targeted outcomes: (1) decreased need for remediation at the postsecondary level; (2) increased enrollment and…

The Master Technology Teacher (MTT) initiative at the University of Alabama is a collaborative technology partnership among university secondary education faculty, inservice teachers, and preservice teachers. MTT is designed to provide, to the partners, resources and long term development for enhancement of classroom technology integration and the…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

Describes Alabama's Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School, which was built for only $70 per square foot. Explores the relationship between its school-to-work, collaborative-learning approach and the building's design. (EV)

The University of Alabama's Program for Rural Services and Research uses the following strategies to nurture rural schools: (1) awards program in writing; (2) school newspaper competition; (3) placement of student teachers; and (4) playground development. The Alabama Coalition of Citizens for Excellence in Small Schools gives rural residents a…