The U.S. education system is facing severe challenges, including student learning loss, declining academic performance, a youth mental health crisis, and increasing absenteeism. Yet these challenges also provide a catalyst for transformational change. But a new paradigm for education cannot be done without the support for transformative school…

Across many countries, national, federal and district level governments are increasingly pursuing approaches to school improvement that seek to achieve so-called 'bottom-up' change. That is, improvements to teaching and learning that are generated by teachers, and subsequently shared horizontally and vertically within educational systems. Often…

The paper studies the rise of neuroscience in initial teacher education, paying attention to the relatively recent Australian Government (2023) report titled 'Strong Beginnings'. In taking up a critical policy sociology lens, we focus on the first priority within the reforms, which is mandating brain science and the 'brain and learning' as core…

Phasing out ineffective programs may free up resources for more effective alternatives and improve student outcomes. This review of the literature on the de-implementation process in schools includes a practical guide that can be used to ensure students receive the most effective services available. This framework can be applied to illustrate how…

Continuous improvement methods, widely used in fields such as medicine, can help educators identify and try out adjustments in practice, known as "change ideas," which contribute to better outcomes and more equitable systems for students. Since 2018, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in 24 organizations across the…

This article critically assesses contemporary empirical educational research, directing attention toward overlooked facets of pedagogical practice. Here, Agnes Pfrang and Daniel Castner raise questions about predominant psychological approaches to empirical educational research, instead advocating for a holistic viewpoint that encompasses the…

As of April 2024, 38 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have laws or policies related to evidence-based reading instruction (Schwartz, 2024). To ensure the success of these efforts, educators need and deserve multifaceted support that involves professional learning, curriculum resources, ongoing support from leaders and coaches, and a…

This paper seeks to raise awareness among educational researchers and practitioners of some significant weaknesses and internal contradictions of randomised control trials (RCTs). Although critiques throughout the years from education scholars have pointed to the detrimental effects of this experimental approach on education practice and values,…

Within a whole-of-school approach to student wellness, comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) offer opportunities for physical activity before, during, and after the school day. However, to successfully influence behavior and fully reap the physical, cognitive, and psychological benefits of an active lifestyle, schools must…

Background: Many institutional and departmentally focused change efforts have sought to improve teaching in STEM through the promotion of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs). Even with these efforts, EBIPs have not become the predominant mode of teaching in many STEM departments. To better understand institutional change efforts and the…

Background: Even though student-centered instruction leads to positive student outcomes, direct instruction methods are still prevalent. Multiple barriers prevent faculty from further adopting evidence-based student-centered practices and holistic approaches to faculty support are necessary to promote faculty change. The Collaborative for…

Long an afterthought of the American higher education ecosystem, multi-campus systems have become more important than ever. In recent years, leading higher education systems have engaged in transforming the way they work, scaling best practices, leveraging data and analytics, and creating platforms to optimize and personalize these systems for…

As students and communities emerge from the ravages of a global pandemic, authorizing faces a key challenge: embracing its fundamental role of providing high-quality educational opportunities, while evolving to meet new demands and expectations, especially those created by the pandemic. How it navigates this tension will impact millions of…

The police and the community have been long engaged in an ever-evolving dichotomous relationship. This relationship has been strained over the recent decade by police brutality, media coverage of police misconduct, and the increased call for police transparency. Both parties in this disparaging dynamic see the need for improved engagement and…

Research demonstrates corporal punishment can negatively affect learning outcomes, produce feelings of isolation, and increase rates of aggression and anxiety in the students with whom it is used Gershoff, 2017; Lansford et al., 2014). Although Kenya outlawed corporal punishment in schools in 2001 (Government of Kenya, 2001), these practices have…