An urban middle school goes through the transformation of becoming a university-supported lab school. Drawing upon design thinking principles, the planning team cultivates a sense of shared empathy, creative problem-solving, and an ethos of curiosity and learning in a collaborative environment.

In any K-12 classroom in America, chances are that at least one student is dealing directly with bullying, harassment, or another type of emotional or physical violence. What can teachers, principals, and school district leaders do to improve safety at their schools? There is some evidence that improving the social and emotional skills of both…

Students at a K-8 magnet school drastically lacked opportunities for physical activity throughout their school day. The authors (physical education teacher and graduate advisors) describe how the physical education teacher advocated and made positive change in her school. The physical education teacher conducted a physical activity needs…

This article will showcase the power of collaborative relationships to transform pre-service learning and in-service practice in the area of inclusion. A middle school principal and college professor in Special Education partnered to address the need for support of inclusion students in schools and pre-service education in EPP's. The collaboration…

An experienced principal transfers schools to rebuild trust in the school culture and community after a recent scandal and declining student achievement scores. A district level supervisor opens a way for Mr. Davie, the incoming principal, to offer middle students advanced classes. The principal believes this is an initiative that will boost…

This case was written for graduate students, specifically for individuals seeking school principal licensure. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced school organizations, particularly building and district leaders, to modify and alter the traditional educational model. School district leaders hosted virtual town hall meetings to receive community input…

With more than two decades of on-the-ground experience impacting 300,000 educators and 3 million students, NIET's success is grounded in research. The success of NIET's work is evident in the positive findings from evaluations of impact. In NIET's 2022-23 Research Summary, we summarize findings from five new studies and highlight selected findings…

Culturally Responsive Restorative Practices, an innovative framework intended to counteract discipline disparities and improve school climate and culture, entered year 3 of implementation in 2020-2021. Highlights from ten participating schools included improved perceptions of school climate by students and staff and consistent participation in…

The culture of a school is a critical component of school improvement efforts. However, changing the culture of a school is no easy feat. In this qualitative, single case study, we describe the perceptions held and strategies employed by one female principal newly assigned to a middle school in an urban setting. We examined the principal's…

This case was developed for use with future school leaders in an educational setting. There are several topics of discussion that can be developed, including but not limited to policy implementation, the efficacy of professional learning communities, and improving student learning outcomes. The setting is a solidly performing middle school in the…

The Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) Model is a systemic approach to science learning and teaching based on five infrastructure pillars: research-based curriculum, differentiated professional development, administrative and community support, materials support, and assessment. This model uses the Science and…

Sustainability practices that lead to greener schools are often overlooked in leadership preparation programs and in school improvement efforts. An urban middle school principal recognizes the potential to build community, foster a healthy learning environment, and redefine her school through focusing on sustainability practices in a collaborative…

Niamh McQuillan, development and instructional coach at Windsor Mill Middle School in Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland, writes here that, as a teacher, she always liked new learning, but more often than not, it was like a barnacle on her practice. She attended professional development sessions and took the handout back to the to-do tray…

This report provides a brief overview of Culturally Responsive Restorative Practices, an innovative framework intended to address discipline disparities and improve school climate and culture at ten Austin Independent School District (AISD) schools. This work is part of a 5-year, $3.5 million Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the…

There has been increasing discussion about the importance of building students' social-emotional competencies for their academic and behavioral success (Jones, Brush, Bailey, Brion-Meisels, McIntyre, Kahn, Nelson, & Stickle, 2017). However, the majority of these discussions focus on social-emotional skills (SEL) as a universal intervention,…