It’s increasingly apparent that young people are grappling with growing disconnection, a challenge that extends well beyond traditional schooling and affects the entire landscape of education. In light of this pressing issue, the question arises: How can we initiate a transformative era of education that not only cultivates deep learning but also actively addresses the complex social issues in our communities? 

We’ve been learning from communities across the country about their thoughts on this very question, listening to their experiences and insights about what they think it will take to transform education. We’ve heard firsthand about the need for collaborative efforts in shaping a more inclusive, responsive, and impactful system for education. We’ve heard a call for public education that looks more like an ecosystem, or more holistic learning systems that place a premium on fostering a sense of belonging, nurturing connections, and empowering both communities and educators alike.  We’ve also heard about how communities more naturally operate in this way and have been doing so long before our formal education system came into existence.

Belonging

The vision of learner-centered ecosystems is anchored in the belief in the unique power and potential of each child. By anchoring education in this belief, we cultivate a sense of belonging—a space where individuals are valued for who they are. As Brené Brown aptly puts it, “Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be in order to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.”

To truly center learners, we must reimagine the blueprints of education. This begins with small groups or advisories that serve as a “home base”—a place where every child and educator is known, honored, and supported. For example, at Big Picture Ukiah at South Valley in California, as in all Big Picture Learning network schools, learners are divided into advisories that stay together like a family, and advisors work with students to find internships and community projects connected to their interests and aspirations. Together they navigate a series of experiences, making sense of them as they go along all the while building the agency and self-awareness of each learner. As one learner stated, “This school made me feel it’s all in my hands” she continued, “I came here and found the help that I needed.  They want you to grow and be happy. I am happy.” Advisory is designed to foster these deep-rooted relationships much like an environmental ecosystem. A strong root system provides stability and prevents learners from being underserved.

Connection

Connection is the intricate network of waterways that sustain the ecosystem. It’s through connections with ourselves, each other, and our surroundings that we can develop new ways of being. In order to grow and develop a system that is strengthened by connections, we must let down the walls of school buildings and consider weaving together a web of connected partnerships and relationships that offer learners the chance to pursue their interests, and the opportunity to engage as citizens within the community. 

FabNewport, a non-profit dedicated to positive youth development and place-based learning, is an example of an organization defined by its powerful connections. They offer learners experiences with golf, surfing, cooking, visual arts, music, museums, the bird sanctuary, coding, maker spaces, hiking, farming, biking, sailing, and advanced career pathway connections. All of these opportunities are available through partnerships intentionally woven together as an ecosystem of learning. FabNewport threads together the community by connecting partners, learners, businesses, and the civic structure, and they consider these connections to be long-term relationships. This mindset leads to new possibilities for what can be accomplished within a community. One learner noted how a mentor at FabNewport “wants me to be successful” and helped him see how “something I love doing…he’s showing me different career paths that it could turn into.”  A team of learners, educators, and FabNewport Co-Founder and Executive Director Steve Heath shared more of these experiences during a recent webinar.

Place

Place matters. It’s where we live, learn, and grow. By embracing the unique qualities of our surroundings, we can create meaningful learning experiences that resonate with learners. The power of place goes beyond the physical spaces and geographies and includes lived experiences, histories, and cultures. We see incredible examples of communities coming together to leverage place in their ecosystems.

For example, the team from Launch Expeditionary Charter School, a Middle School in Brooklyn. At an Outward Bound experience, this team stood on the site of an abandoned airstrip and thought, what if we could develop this site and open a school here dedicated to experiential learning and career exploration? In 2023, they created  Runway Green—a groundbreaking project located at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City. The vision for Runway Green is for education, community engagement, and workforce development to converge. Through strategic partnerships with the New York Department of Education, the National Park Service, and various green economy stakeholders, this community is engaged in a community design process creating together a new chapter in the use of this land that will impact thousands of children and families for generations. Every ecosystem will have unique attributes and stories that come from the land, place, and people. 

Learner-centered Ecosystems as a Way Forward

We are at a pivotal crossroads, and young people are in the middle of it. Ecosystems, while the concept isn’t new, provide a timely possibility for a new era in education that nurtures what young people need most right now —connection, belonging, and a deep sense of purpose and place.

The post Learner-Centered Ecosystems: Nurturing Connections, Fostering Belonging, and Engaging in Place appeared first on Getting Smart.

Artificial Intelligence Has Profound Implications for Work and Learning 

The rise of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, marks a new era of work and learning. After 40 years of rules-based calculation, AI models “learn” patterns and make predictions without being explicitly programmed for each specific scenario. This enables them to handle complex, ambiguous problems difficult to solve with traditional programming and serve as reasoning and creation engines with a natural language interface. Generative AI models produce text, code, and images on demand, they automate complex processes and are beginning to serve as role-based agents.

• In Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, Warton professor Ethan Mollick Mollick urges us to engage with AI as co-workers, co-teachers, and coaches. He assesses its profound impact on business and education and shows what it means to think and work together with smart machines, and why it’s imperative that we master that skill. 
• The leading model, now awkwardly called ChatGPT-4o, got better, faster, and cheaper last week. Everyone is getting access to a powerful tutor and programs (GPTs) for automating creative tasks. ChatGPT’s multimodal capabilities allow it to “reason across voice, text, and vision”
• LearnLM is Google’s new family of models designed to make learning experiences more personal and engaging including a Learning Coach and Q&A function on YouTube. 
• Jack Clark on Google DeepMind video-to-game capability: Everything will be a kind of seed for a new controllable pocket-universe. All of us will be free to descend into an ever-expanding fractal universe of realities, all of us exploring the latent spaces of our own imaginations. No one is prepared for this nor the metaphysical shock it will create.

AI Requires Reconsideration of Goals, Experiences, and Signals

The rise of AI requires educational institutions (particularly secondary and postsecondary) to reconsider learning goals, learning experiences, and signaling systems (progress reporting, transcripts, credentials, and learner records). 

• In Education for the Age of AI, Charles Fadel said, “Adaptability is the ultimate differentiator with AI.” He urged a “modern emphasis” on imagination, decision-making, dialog, leadership, risk-taking, and resourcefulness.  
• School systems nationwide express new priorities as a Learner Profile or Portrait of a Graduate (see The Portrait Model). Changing expectations, experiences, and signals requires a community conversation and updated agreements.   
• Mastery Transcript Consortium became a subsidiary of ETS last week paving the way for skills transcripts at scale. 

Short and Long-Term Implications of AI 

Given the significant opportunities and challenges of AI, school systems leaders urgently need to develop guidance on the use of AI. Several nonprofits have compiled useful toolkits including Teach AI. AI literacy for teachers and digital literacy for students is an urgent priority.

• St Vrain Valley Schools created Exploration AI, an invitational approach to supporting teacher AI literacy with lots of learning opportunities at school and online. 
• Accreditor MSA announced RAIL (Responsible AI in Learning), an endorsement system and implementation roadmap that starts with AI Literacy, Safety, and Ethics. It includes some AI literacy training from AI for Education. 
• Google released a 2-hour Generative AI for Educators course. Amazon Educate has an Intro to Gen AI. SkillsBuild from IBM offers a suite of free AI courses for students. Common Sense Media has a series of grades 6-12; aiEDU has a 10-week project-based introductory course. Playlab makes it easy for teachers to develop or use apps including project authoring, writing coach, and note taker. 
• Khan Academy developed a learning coach Khanmigo. It’s being piloted by about 4 dozen school systems. LAUSD partnered with AllHere on ED, an attendance chatbot evolving into a whole child acceleration platform.  
• Santa Ana USD developed a comprehensive AI Compass: Your Guide to Navigating an AI World.

The rise of AI offers the greatest value-creation opportunity in history. Existing connectivity, free access to frontier models, and natural language interface make AI a particularly compelling contribution opportunity for young people. The gap young people face today isn’t a digital divide, it’s a possibility divide–relationships with adults that invite them into work that matters (we call it difference making) with smart tools. Inclusive K-12 leadership today means inviting all learners into experiences and environments alive with possibility.  

AI in Education

For the past decade, we’ve been covering advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, sounding the alarm that it’s not if it’s when and it’s not when… it’s now. This publication highlights trends and developments in artificial intelligence that are shaping teaching and learning.

View Publication

GPT Drafted AI Testimony

After my testimony, I prompted ChatGPT-4o to draft a similar statement. It’s pretty good…

Testimony Before the Public School Board on the Implications of AI and Proposed Next Steps

Introduction:

Good evening, members of the board, educators, parents, and students. I am here today to discuss the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our public school system and to propose actionable steps to harness its potential while addressing its challenges.

The Transformative Potential of AI in Education:

AI has the potential to revolutionize education by offering personalized learning experiences, automating administrative tasks, and providing insightful data analytics. These capabilities can lead to improved educational outcomes and more efficient school operations. However, it is crucial that we navigate this transformation thoughtfully to maximize benefits and mitigate risks.

1. Personalized Learning:

• Adaptive Learning Platforms: AI can create adaptive learning environments that tailor educational content to individual students’ needs. By analyzing students’ performance and learning styles, AI systems can adjust the difficulty of lessons and provide targeted resources, enhancing engagement and understanding.
• Early Intervention: AI-powered tools can identify learning gaps and predict which students might need additional support, enabling timely intervention before issues become critical.

2. Administrative Efficiency:

• Automating Routine Tasks: AI can handle repetitive administrative tasks such as grading, attendance tracking, and scheduling, freeing up teachers to focus more on instruction and student interaction.
• Resource Management: AI can optimize resource allocation, ensuring that schools make the best use of their limited resources, whether it’s managing classroom supplies or planning bus routes.
• Enhanced Data Analytics: Performance Monitoring:** AI can provide real-time analytics on student performance, helping educators make data-driven decisions. This could include tracking progress over time, comparing outcomes across different demographics, and identifying effective teaching strategies.
• Improving Curricula: Data insights can inform curriculum development, ensuring that the material remains relevant and effective.
• Addressing the Challenges: While the benefits of AI are promising, there are significant challenges that we must address to ensure its ethical and equitable implementation.

3. Data Privacy and Security:

• Protecting Student Data: With the integration of AI, large amounts of student data are collected and processed. It is imperative to implement robust data protection measures to safeguard this information against breaches and misuse.
• Transparency: Parents, students, and educators need to understand how data is being used. Clear communication about data policies and AI processes is essential.

4. Equity and Access:

• Addressing the Digital Divide:** Ensuring that all students have equal access to AI tools is crucial. This includes providing necessary hardware, reliable internet access, and training on how to use these technologies effectively.
• Avoiding Bias: AI systems can inadvertently perpetuate biases present in the data they are trained on. It is important to continually audit AI algorithms for bias and to strive for fair and inclusive AI practices.

3. Teacher Training and Support:

• Professional Development:** Educators need comprehensive training to effectively integrate AI tools into their teaching. Ongoing professional development opportunities should be provided to keep teachers up-to-date with the latest advancements and best practices.
• Collaborative Approach:** Teachers should be involved in the development and implementation of AI tools, ensuring that these technologies support their instructional strategies and classroom needs.

Proposed Next Steps:

To harness the potential of AI while addressing its challenges, I propose the following steps:

1. Establish an AI Task Force: Form a dedicated task force comprising educators, administrators, parents, students, and AI experts. This task force will be responsible for overseeing the integration of AI in our schools, ensuring it aligns with our educational goals and ethical standards.

2. Develop a Comprehensive AI Policy: Create a district-wide AI policy that addresses data privacy, security, equity, and ethical considerations. This policy should be developed in consultation with all stakeholders and reviewed regularly to adapt to new developments.

3. Invest in Infrastructure and Training: Allocate funding to upgrade technological infrastructure, ensuring all schools have the necessary tools and connectivity. Additionally, invest in professional development programs to equip teachers with the skills to effectively use AI in their classrooms.

4. Pilot Programs and Continuous Evaluation: Implement pilot programs in selected schools to test AI applications in real-world settings. These pilots should be closely monitored and evaluated, with feedback from teachers and students guiding further deployment.

5. Promote Digital Literacy: Incorporate digital literacy into the curriculum, teaching students about AI, its applications, and its implications. This will empower them to use AI responsibly and critically assess its impact on their lives.

6. Foster Community Engagement: Engage the wider community through workshops, seminars, and public forums to raise awareness about AI in education. This will help build trust and ensure that the community is informed and involved in the decision-making process.

Conclusion:

AI has the potential to significantly enhance our educational system, providing personalized learning experiences, improving administrative efficiency, and offering valuable data insights. However, we must proceed with caution, addressing the challenges of data privacy, equity, and bias, and ensuring that our educators are well-equipped to use these tools effectively.

By establishing a clear policy framework, investing in infrastructure and training, and engaging with all stakeholders, we can create an educational environment where AI supports and enhances learning while safeguarding the rights and interests of our students and educators.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to working together to create a future-ready educational system that leverages the power of AI responsibly and equitably.

The post The Rise of Artificial Intelligence and the Implications for School Districts appeared first on Getting Smart.

In an era defined by profound demographic shifts and burgeoning diversity within our classrooms, the imperative to cultivate a sense of belonging within educational ecosystems has never been more pronounced. Amidst this backdrop, our report, “Building Belonging: Harnessing the Power of Education in an Era of Demographic Change,” offers a deep dive into both the challenges and opportunities presented by the dynamic demographic landscape of the United States, underscoring the critical need for educational practices that champion belonging as a cornerstone of an inclusive society.

The significance of belonging stretches far beyond a mere sense of inclusion; it is the linchpin for students’ well-being, academic success, and social cohesion. Studies reveal that a robust sense of belonging can mitigate loneliness and depression, bolster self-esteem and resilience—qualities especially crucial for students grappling with identity challenges. 

Academically, those who perceive themselves as integral parts of their educational communities exhibit heightened engagement, motivation, and achievement. Socially, the cultivation of belonging fosters cohesion diminishes prejudice, and champions inclusivity among diverse groups, thereby transforming schools into environments where every student feels valued, understood, and part of a larger community narrative.

The urgency of fostering belonging is further magnified by the societal divisions and cultural anxieties that often accompany demographic transitions. These include polarization, mistrust, and xenophobia, which, if unchecked, threaten to deepen societal fissures. Schools, therefore, emerge as pivotal agents in building belonging within communities, serving as bastions of civic engagement, respect for diversity, and cooperation towards shared goals.

Educators, in this regard, assume a pivotal role. Beyond their duties as instructors, they act as mentors and role models, guiding students through their educational journeys and instilling in them a sense of social responsibility that transcends the confines of the classroom. Schools, by providing equitable access to education irrespective of a student’s background or economic status, stand as beacons of inclusivity and fairness.

To surmount institutional hurdles and effectively foster belonging, schools can adopt a variety of strategies. These include implementing whole-school practices that reflect diversity, engaging in bridging activities across different identities, employing culturally responsive teaching, and fully integrating immigrant students and English Language Learners into the fabric of school life.

The transformative potential of schools as community hubs for building belonging is vividly illustrated through initiatives like Sarah Said’s “Pieces of Me” project. Inspired by the children’s book “The Name Jar” by Yangsook Choi, this project encouraged students to explore and celebrate their unique identities and heritage, fostering a profound sense of pride and belonging within the school community. By leveraging students’ names as a starting point, the project catalyzed meaningful discussions on identity, heritage, and culture, thereby making the school’s diversity visible and strengthening feelings of belonging across differences.

Similarly, Donna Neary’s “Emma Lazarus Project” showcases the power of exploring historical migration stories and fostering empathy through literature. By engaging with the poem “The New Colossus” and integrating primary sources, students connected their family narratives with broader themes of freedom and resilience, thereby recognizing their place within the American story.

Sandy Mendoza’s “International Cafe” initiative further exemplifies the impact of creating spaces that celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity. By encouraging English learners to greet peers in the multiple languages spoken by members of the community, this initiative not only celebrated cultural pride but also fostered a spirit of belonging across differences. How did she do that? Her efforts focused on making the diversity that already existed within the school community visible. More than that, the project helped newcomers, who might have otherwise felt excluded or disempowered, to flip the script; no longer simply accepted, newcomers became leaders, changing both how they saw themselves and how they were perceived by their peers.  

These examples underscore the creative ways educators can harness the potential of schools to build belonging, especially when supported by their institutions. Yet, we’ve also heard from educators eager to launch similar projects but apprehensive about administrative support. This represents a missed opportunity. The research is unequivocal: fostering belonging within educational ecosystems is essential for individual well-being, academic success, and societal cohesion.

Instead of mirroring societal divisions in ways that detrimentally impact all students, schools have the opportunity to cultivate inclusive environments where diversity is celebrated, inclusivity is promoted, and every student feels valued and connected. By embracing diverse perspectives, promoting empathy, and fostering a sense of belonging, schools play a vital role in shaping inclusive communities and preparing students for a more cohesive and understanding society.

The endeavors of educators like Sarah Said, Donna Neary, and Sandy Mendoza exemplify the innovative approaches teachers can adopt to tap into schools’ potential as community hubs for building belonging, provided they receive institutional support. By prioritizing belonging, schools can create spaces where every student thrives and develops the lifelong skills necessary to navigate demographic change effectively.

Adam Strom is the Executive Director of Re-imagining Migration
Meisha Lamb-Bell is the Program Director of Re-imagining Migration
Fernande Raine is the Founder of the History Co:Lab

The post What is Belonging, and Why Does it Matter in Schools? appeared first on Getting Smart.

“Creating self-directed learners.”

“Building lifelong learners.”

“Cultivating global citizens.”

But when you walk into many of their classrooms, learning looks pretty much the same. 

A teacher stands tall at the front of the classroom referencing information on a smartboard or rolling TV monitor, talking to kids seated neatly in rows. Sure, the medium for delivery might have changed; with slick, AI generated slide decks, Nearpod or Edpuzzle to help deliver more interactive lessons, and laptops in front of each learner; but the focus hasn’t. 

The teacher is still the focal point, and the lesson is the same.

In my work with aspiring agentic schools around the world, and thought leaders in the field (including High Tech High), I have identified and curated a list of 12 shifts toward designing a student-centered and agentic classroom and compiled them in a forthcoming book, Where is The Teacher: The 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments. My hope is that by sharing how agentic schools are applying these 12 shifts within their context, it provides you with the confidence to make your classroom more student-centered as well. 

Shift #1: From Teacher-Designed to Co-Designed

Ancient Civilizations were former upper elementary teacher and instructional coach Linda Amici’s of Westerville Ohio City Schools most dreaded set of standards. As she states, “They didn’t excite learners. They saw no relevance to their lives.” Through a simple reframing of how she designed the unit, suddenly, they did. Through a Google form, she asked students what civilization they wanted to learn about. Which questions and topics excited them? She co-crafted a more relevant question (What impact do contributions from the past have on our lives today?), and criteria for how students would be evaluated- which included rigorous curriculum standards. After six weeks of student-centered learning, her students transformed her classroom into a museum to showcase their creations. Some shared fashion tips and re-created clothing items from the Ancient Greeks, while others re-enacted battle sequences from the Persian Wars. Students were suddenly empowered and agentic, and as Linda put it, “even the 6 foot 10 superintendent” was impressed.

Questions for Reflection: 

1. Before introducing a new topic, how might you discover what your students are interested in learning about? 
2. How might you offer more choices or a menu of options around what students create to demonstrate their learning? 
3. How might you work together to unpack curricular standards and weave them into your student’s individual projects? 

Shift #2: From Led by Content to Led by Inquiry

Imagine fifty students huddled together in an abandoned field outside of their school. This is how the 6 week long inquiry-based experience entitled ‘Phoenix Project: Rebuilding Society’ began at The International School of Beijing. And it wasn’t guided by a textbook. It was guided by inquiry around how these year 7 students would rebuild society after being leveled by a devastating earthquake. In small teams, they would explore possible food growing techniques, government and economic structures, and a code of ethics to present to an overseeing panel of their peers. What was the teacher’s role? To set up the milestones and guide the experience behind the scenes. Facilitators Brendan Riley, Houming Jiang, and I introduced relevant anchor texts, held small mini-lessons/workshops, and supported student teams in formulating inquiries and finding answers. As a result, students transformed from passive learners into real city planners. 

Questions for Reflection: 

1. How might you take a topic you teach and transform it into an open-ended question? 
2. How might you organize lessons and content to support students in answering the big question? What 3-4 milestones might you set up to help guide the experience? 
3. What inquiry/visible thinking routines might you use to make student questions visible? (Check out Havard Ground Zero’s Core Thinking Routine Toolbox)

Shift #3: From Teacher Questions to Student Questions

“To what extent has sustainability reflected on the modern Chinese fashion trend?”

“How do foreign ideas affect Chinese art through social media?”

“What are the socio-environmental impacts of rapid urbanization on vulnerable populations in China, and how can sustainable urban planning and policies mitigate these effects?”

“How would we present traditional cuisine in different regions of China, and how they have changed recently, to a High School Audience?”

These were all questions generated by students as part of a Modern China unit in Andrew Morrissey’s year 10 classroom at Beijing City International School. Students formulated questions; teamed together to explore them; and developed authentic products and presentations to address them. Some teams created video blogs, others interactive websites, some documentaries, and even more informational videos. As he put it, “[previously] they found no relevance to the unit in their lives.” To support students in exploring their own inquiries, Andrew developed an online Group Action Plan and Process Journal to document research; share evidence of newly gained skills/knowledge; and reflect on each relevant lesson. Andrew moved from the sage on stage to a gentle guide on the side. The result of making this shift to student inquiry according to Andrew? “They gained a new appreciation for their own culture, built resilience, and connected their topics to concepts in other subjects like Science and Language. 

Questions for Reflection: 

1. How might you capture student inquiries and questions for a topic you have to teach? 
2. How might a process journal or guide help support them in addressing them? 
3. What visible thinking routines might help students develop their questions? (Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines) 

Shift #4: From Isolated, Siloed Content to Interdisciplinary Content and Skills

A sharply dressed 12-year-old with thick-rimmed glasses and a wide smile guides a team of international educators from table to table in her flexible classroom; showcasing architectural models, blueprints and polished presentations from her class of citizen scientists. This is not an unusual Friday afternoon at Verso International School. They receive regular visits from educators around Asia eager to learn more about how they integrate learning across multiple subjects. And their students are the ones doing most of the talking. In this particular example, a student ambassador shares the interdisciplinary work they are completing around designing their future boarding school. She articulates the different systems teams of peers are in charge of developing, from a waste management plan to energy consumption. Their challenge is to develop a viable, closed loop system to present to the team of architects tasked to build it. The experience integrates Math, Science, Language and even Art. 

What are her teacher’s roles? To facilitate mini-lessons, workshops and activities to help students understand how to infuse the subject-specific content into their authentic proposals and projects. Educators at Verso have given up their ‘teacher’ title in exchange for a more student-centered one: ‘Learning Designers.’ 

Questions for Reflection: 

1. What connections are possible between your content and another subject/discipline?
2. What big topics might you collaborate around with a teacher outside of your subject area? Consider topics like sustainability, identity, community, globalization, etc.
3. How do experts in the real world use your subject? How might you engage students in similar work? 

Shift #5: From Working for a Grade to Pursuit of Interests and Real-World Problem

Two very real problems faced Budapest, Hungary back in 2022. How do we provide relief for Ukrainian Refugees? And, amidst rapid urbanization, how do we live more sustainability?

And rather than approach the typical year 5 curriculum from an educational lens, Real School Budapest decided to approach it from the lens of these real world problems. Dave Strudwick, former learning leader and head of school took his informative writing standards, parts of his science curriculum, and even visual arts and dance standards and merged them together in a five-week expedition around sustainable fashion. Students developed an online digital magazine exploring the ‘hidden costs’ of fast fashion, from its pollution of oceans and filling of landfills, to cost of human labor and exceeding energy use. Students also put together a fashion show to model upcycled outfits and exhibit their work, collaborating with real fashion designers and journalists along the way. All proceeds from the big show went to fund Saturday School English classes and other workshops for Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Budapest just four days after the invasion. 

Dave says when students are working to solve a real problem, “the classroom literally disappears because students are so absorbed in what they are doing.” His role? The same as it would be if he were guiding work outside of the classroom: “Take students through a proper design process, where they are constantly iterating, and getting feedback from a real client.” 

Questions for Reflection:

1. What real world problems are relevant to your curriculum? 
2. How might you use the context of real issues in your community to inform learning in your classroom? 
3. How might a design process help guide student-centered work? 

Shift #6: From Worksheets and Tests to Real Product/Service

Two 9-year-old students from KPIS International School lean in across the table to listen to a same-aged peer talk about his favorite hobbies. The conversation is in Thai and has a clear purpose. In addition to helping forge new relationships and connections, these international school students are hoping to design English learning games, resources, and activities around their peers’ greatest areas of interest. It’s part of a deep dive to make language learning more purposeful, organized by their classroom teacher Tony Pasaud. Students will still learn grammar rules, vocabulary, sentence structure, dialogue rules and other mandated English curriculum, but learn through developing a real product for real people. In true, student-centered form, Tony will hand over his ‘teacher hat’ to his learners. His new job will be to facilitate the process; organize student teams; deliver mini-lessons around the English content students will transform; provide feedback on their work; and share criteria and rubrics to ensure it is high quality. 

But it’s not just Tony’s class that’s shifting from worksheets to real products/services. Students in the classroom next door are developing stop-motion films to better understand wellness. Across the hall, students are building small businesses to learn math. And downstairs, students are constructing gardens to learn environmental science. They are doing real-world work, and they are only 5-12 years old.  

Questions for Reflection: 

1. How might you offer more choice in the work students create in your classroom?
2. Who is the beneficiary for student work? How might you connect to a beneficiary outside of the classroom? 
3. Who are some real world experts that use your discipline/subject? How might you connect them to your classroom? With students? 

Shift #7: From End of Learning Reflection to Ongoing Reflection on Process and Product 

Student-Centered Facilitator Alfie Chung of the Social Innovation Wing of Polytechnic University addresses his year 12 students: Who are you designing for? Are you designing for yourself or Fitness Trail Users? What kind of problems are you noticing? What did you learn from interviews and observations? What have we accomplished so far, and what’s left to do? 

In student-centered environments, reflection is not an end of learning exercise, but an ongoing process, and the role of the facilitator is to ask the right questions. In the example above, Alfie asks reflective questions around what students are learning from their investigation of user behaviors at the park across the street. This is stage one of a five-stage design process. Students will undergo four more reflective cycles before sharing their final designs for the new play area to the department tasked to build it. Through a reflective journal, students capture their thinking, drafts/iterations, peer and user feedback, and research. Beyond journals, Alfie uses portable whiteboards to track progress: “I never erase the whiteboards. These whiteboards become like artifacts to keep track of our journey. Every week before we start lessons, we look at them to reflect on what we have already done.” 

Questions for Reflection:   

1. How often do you reflect with learners? How might you make reflection more of an ongoing process? 
2. How might you increase ownership over student reflection?
3. What mediums do you provide for reflection? How might you increase ways in which students reflect?  

Shift #8: From Independent Work to Collaborative Tasks

“We were reading a book about a bunch of rich, white people in the 1920s and we work in Southeast San Diego with mostly students of color, lower income.”

Above is an honest reflection from two Year 10 Literature Teachers at Gompers Preparatory Academy, a student-centered charter school in one of the most impoverished regions in San Diego. The Great Gatsby was part of the curriculum but had no relevance to student’s lives. So Dave and Michelle decided to give it a student-centered twist. Students would still read the novel, but instead of writing independent book reports, they would decide collectively how they would apply lessons to their lives. After learning that one bubbly girl already had her own successful podcast and YouTube channel, the class decided on a class podcast. Each episode would share how the “American Dream” had changed from the 1920s, using stories from their own community to illuminate the theme and compare it to the one found in the novel. Students worked in small teams to produce each episode; dividing roles, tasks, and written and audio content. Dave and Michelle’s role? Support all teams with a project timeline, group folder to track progress, a school website where they could publish their work, and checklists and graphic organizers to organize their thoughts. 

Tables were rearranged into small groups, and recording and production equipment lined the exterior. The space transformed from a classroom to a production studio. The Great Gatsby finally had meaning. From Michelle: “It’s the most meaningful thing I have done as a teacher.”  

Questions for Reflection:

1. How might teaming students increase motivation and engagement in your classroom?
2. What assignments might you turn into group tasks? How can you provide choice in team roles? 

Shift #9: From Teacher-Led Discussion to Student-Led Discussion 

How can the most innovative square mile on the planet be plagued by racial injustice only 2 blocks away? 
This is the big question guiding work by young ‘Innovators For Purpose” (IFP) across schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Students are building installations, publishing books, creating augmented reality simulations, and developing educational games. And they are using a simple, but profound student-led discussion tool to guide them. Developed and facilitated by pioneering educator Ela Bur, the ‘innovator’s compass’ uses five questions to guide young people in getting to the heart of issues: 

1. Middle Quadrant: Who’s involved? 
2. Observation Quadrant: What’s happening/why? 
3. Principles Quadrant: What matters most? 
4. Ideas Quadrant: What ways are there?
5. Experiment Quadrant: What’s a step to try?

A student facilitator guides the discussion while a student notetaker captures ideas on post-its and places them in each quadrant. Ela’s job? Model the process, clarify student roles, and ask probing questions. By using a repeatable framework and protocol for discussion, Ela is transforming once passive learners into active citizens.

Other discussion protocols include socratic seminars, fishbowls, jigsaws, and democratic circles. 

Questions for Reflection: 

1. What discussion protocols might help you amplify student voices?  
2. How might you provide more leadership opportunities for students in class discussions?

Shift #10: From Progress Assessed by Teacher to Self, Peer,
Expert Feedback and Critique

Student-Centered Practitioner Gary Heidt, English Teacher and founder of Nova Lab, was tired of students “checking achievement boxes, climbing each ladder to get to the next.” As he states, “it was not about learning.” He did something radical in response. He eliminated grades entirely; replacing tick boxes with a system of ongoing feedback, narrative comments, and peer review. Students would only receive a pass/fail mark. The result? Learners articulated their learning and took greater ownership of the process. As Gary retells, during ‘learning pitches’ around writing and publishing stories, learners detailed their process of advancing from initial storyboard to developing plot and characters; referencing how feedback and revision guided each successive draft; in small business proposals, how they established their business idea and how expert mentor feedback informed their work to bring it to market. 

Gary’s role? Build in time and structures for high-quality feedback and critique. He modeled protocols like T.A.G.; demonstrated how to elicit feedback through Google Forms; and held 1:1 conferences with students to establish personalized goals, and action steps to reach them.    

Questions for Reflection: 

1. How can you make learning less ‘tick boxy’ and more narrative in your classroom?
2. What time might you carve into class for peer feedback and presentations of learning? What effect might it have on student ownership and empowerment? 

Shift #11: From Teacher Audience to Authentic, Public Audience

What happens to student engagement and empowerment when they are given an authentic audience to present their work?  

This was the big question behind the founding of VIS Better Lab School in Taipei. Students are sharing plans to make bus stops more inclusive with the transportation department. Proposals to improve water quality at the nearby river with the local water authority. But perhaps the most agentic of all these extended learning experiences is the 100% student-run VIS radio station. On a regular basis, students film, edit, and publish episodes to their Youtube Channel, and each student plays a role. Some are in charge of the camera work; others, lighting; some, the interviewing of guests; others, post-production work; and even more, branding the episodes and increasing subscribers. They have explored topics ranging from the history of R&B to the progressive schooling movement. At public exhibitions in a highly visible public space in Taipei, students share their learning within each of these ongoing projects, and what the local community can do to get involved. 

So where’s the teacher? What’s their role? Their learning ‘facilitators’ as VIS calls them can be found supporting teams; helping mitigate conflicts; holding whole class reflections; building task boards; and delivering mini-lessons on interview techniques, lighting, camerawork and audio. Byron Clarke, one of the lead facilitators shares, “When students are working on something they care about, I don’t have to do as much.” 

The impact? Student empowerment skyrocketed. From a student: “I love doing projects. I love being involved. I love being more active and proactive in my learning.” – Flora Lin, VIS Learner

Questions for Reflection: 

1. What authentic audiences for student work exist outside of your classroom? Who in the school might students present to? 
2. How might students expand the audience for their work and learning? Digitally and in-person?  

Shift #12: From Classroom Based to Community-Centered Impact

Imagine if for two lessons a week, students left the silos of their subject-based classrooms, and instead worked on applying cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That’s exactly what will happen in the 2024-2025 school year for all Year 7 students at Bangkok Patana School. Two subject teachers will combine around each goal to design experiences that provide students agency in investigating and devising solutions relevant to their community. Some students will investigate minority groups and showcase the unique customs, traditions and culture of marginalized groups in Bangkok to address SDG #10: Reduced Inequalities; while others investigate the local ecosystem and estuaries and build wire sculptures of animals to make life below water more visible on the surface (SDG #14). The hope is that by providing these experiences, students will become more active citizens within their community, and see that they can make a difference. 

Their teacher’s role? Each subject teacher will strategically scaffold the experience through mini-lessons, activities, articles, and field trips to better understand the issue from their subject’s lens, while also supporting students with their authentic solutions. 

Questions for Reflection: 

1. What connections might you build for a current unit of study to larger Sustainable Development Goals? 
2. How can you allow for more field trips, and hands-on experiences in the community within current units, topics, or lessons? 

Call To Action

Let’s return to that teacher-led classroom we illustrated at the beginning. Except now, let’s imagine it is filled with agentic learners who take charge of their learning. In the corner, a peer shares his scientific drawing on a rolling tv screen while his peers provide specific feedback. At the counter in the back, two students in lab coats examine slides of local water samples under a microscope. In another corner, six students huddle in a circle to discuss an article they annotated the night before. At standing desks in the middle, three students add slides to their team’s pitch deck. Their teacher crouches next to them, probing into how they might make the message more clear. 
This is not a hypothetical scenario. It’s a real depiction of what is happening in agentic classrooms around the world. And it’s not too far out of reach. In the age of AI, data, and information at our student’s fingertips, our role in the classroom must shift to allow for it. Which of the 12 shifts will you make to get started?

The post 12 Shifts to Move from Teacher-Led to Student-Centered Environments appeared first on Getting Smart.

Storefront Private Microschools

KaiPod operates four Phoenix-area storefronts. Each serves a maximum of 24 learners with a day split between academics and screen-free enrichment and socialization. Most pods have a math and an English teacher, called learning coaches. Parents, with coaches’ advice, make curriculum choices. It’s often Zern in math and Lexia in reading. Parents and coaches communicate at least weekly. 

KaiPod sites operate from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and students attend 2-5 days per week. The North Scottsdale storefront (below and featured image) has two pods, lower (grades 3-6) and upper (grades 7-12). And, interestingly, it’s the high school students that often attend 5 days a week.

Most families that send students to KaiPod storefront location use the $7,000 Empowerment Scholarship Account to pay some or all of the tuition (which ranges from $5-10k depending on use). 

Some students who attend virtual charter schools (like ASU Prep Digital or Primavera) spend several days a week at KaiPod to supplement their learning.

School District Microschool Options

Phoenix Union High School District has 24 schools and over 28,000 students, serving most of the high school students in the City of Phoenix. While many of the high schools are large and comprehensive, they have designed a microschool option to better serve all students. PXU City is the district’s classroom without walls, whereas Phoenix is the learning experience. Students enroll in flexible schedules to accommodate on-site and virtual classes, work-based learning, place-based learning, and internships. 

Prenda has a long-running microschool at Eisenhower Elementary, a Title I school in Mesa Public Schools.

College Campus Extensions 

ASU Prep Digital students in Phoenix have the option to spend two days a week on an ASU campus in Tempe, Mesa, or Glendale where online coursework is enhanced with in-person collaboration, discussion, and project-based learning in small groups. Each campus hosts 1-2 cohorts of 30 students at each location for four years. ASU faculty provide the opportunity for in-depth exploration of specific content courses, projects, majors, and career paths. (See feature for more on ASU Prep micros.)

Science Prep Academy 

After nine years of teacher leadership in Gwinnett County Public Schools, Kenneth Mims founded the Neurodiversity Education Research Center to improve access to quality education and workforce development for neurodivergent youth. The first program was Science Prep Academy, which was founded in 2017 and believes students with Autism can successfully transition into college and a career. In two classrooms on the upper floor of the Kroc Center in Phoenix, SPA serves 18 neurodivergent students in grades 6-12 with 2 full-time teachers, a half-time teacher, and a success coach.   

Science Prep Academy primarily uses the Apex curriculum in personalized blended learning, with some opportunities for projects and choices in assessment structures. The $28K SPA tuition is covered by Arizona ESA funds, providing extra funding for learners with IEPs and the small class sizes also contribute to this personalized approach.

SPA launched its Project SEARCH internship program in partnership with Banner Desert Medical Center and the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities. Project SEARCH is a work skills developmental program designed to facilitate a successful post-high school transition to the workforce for young autistic adults. This unique business-led, one-year employment preparation program occurs entirely within a hospital setting.

Although unaffiliated, SPA shares the second floor of the Kroc Center with one of the nine Student Choice High locations in metro Phoenix. The alternative charter school and dropout recovery center serves about 100 students who progress through individualized learning plans in four-hour blocks. 

ReThink Microschools has a similar school for 45 neurodivergent students (grades 6-12) in Mesa.  

Home-based Microschools 

Integrative Learning Academy is a private nonprofit Christian school serving 20 neurodiverse learners (half with identified special needs) in Rachel’s home northwest of Phoenix. Tuition is covered or subsidized by state ESA funds. 

North of Phoenix near the outlet mall, High Point Academy serves 11 students aged 6-14 and features “a hands-on project-based learning approach that fosters real-world problem solving and critical thinking.” Amy devotes the whole first floor of her Anthem home to the school. The dining room is a learning lab, the living room is a classroom, and the backyard is a playground. She leverages local outdoor spaces and works with families on flexible attendance plans. 

Both Rachel and Amy got their start with Prenda, a microschool provider that supports more than 80 home-based schools in greater Phoenix. The Prenda learning model helps guides empower four modes: connect, conquer (skills), collaborate, and create. (See a 2023 podcast with Prenda founder Kelly Smith.)

Most ESA funding in Arizona is just subsidizing prior education choices (in private schools or homeschooling) but there may be 30,000 students experiencing new options and a quarter of them are likely metro Phoenix learners in microschools. 

Microschools are changing the Phoenix education landscape. Most are personalized and expand family options but the distribution of quality is broad (with no built-in accountability). Keep an eye on small schools in the Valley. 

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“Alright, we’re going for 10,000 meters in the next 4 minutes! Give it everything you’ve got!” 

As if competing (or Vikings), everyone in the room pushed harder, fans were whirling, and slowly but surely, the number on the screen began to climb. Nobody was getting spotlit for doing more than their fair share, and no one was getting critiqued for doing less, but we all saw the goal and knew that we were playing a part. 

This is a small example but a potent one. 

Think about how different this is from standard assessments and demonstrations of learning in school. There are some places (music, theatre, team sports) where the experience embraces a more collective demonstration of skills, but this ethos rarely makes its way into classrooms or even into the fabric of what we tell young people to know and do. 

We are at a global moment where challenges can rarely be solved alone. Each of us has a moral reckoning with ourselves, our local and global communities, and the environment. This will not happen by accident, it must be intentional. In the words of Tom Vander Ark, “The future is diverse teams working with smart tools and complex problems. ”To do that, we must radically rethink our relationship with the individual and the collective. 

In our conversations over the years, we’ve framed this as “contribution” and “difference making,” learning approaches that require learners to think about their real-world impact on their community. Fundamentally, this is purpose-driven work. 

Personalized Portraits within a Community 

Our recent publication, The Portrait Model, serves as a valuable resource for educators and edleaders to take a critical look at themselves, their schools, and their community and ensure that the visions are aligned such that they reinforce and sustain each other. We advocate for the following process:

“To facilitate and empower leaders in this transformative journey, we start with a comprehensive visioning and strategic process that revolves around five interconnected and dynamic portraits: the Portrait of a Learner, the Portrait of a System, the Portrait of a Leader, the Portrait of an Educator and a Self-Portrait. The framework’s interrelated and adaptable elements have interconnected and discrete competencies. Done in an intentional order of Learner, System, Educator, Leader, then Self, the resulting framework provides clear guidance and transparency to the redesign process.”

Across the nation, we witness the creation of Portraits of a Graduate created by states, districts, networks, and individual schools, often stacked on top of each other (i.e. a state has a portrait, a district has a portrait that iterates on it, etc.). This model of personalization allows leaders to better cater to their community while aligning with the broader goals and initiatives of the state, decreasing friction and increasing access to opportunity. 

Collective Assessment

Moving beyond the school level, every learner and leader must investigate their own portrait, identifying how they plan to contribute.

“Centering the entire system is understanding self. The “Self-Portrait” process provides opportunities for learners to articulate goal-setting, strength evaluations, description of learning preferences, well-being, hope, social network, etc. While technology solutions like Thrively, Unrulr, and AYO allow learners to capture their portraits, simple systems can be created to capture the Self-Portrait portfolio over time using journaling, documents, or websites.”

As we explore collective assessment and personalized graduate portraits, we are starting on a path that goes beyond the conventional norms of education. The rowing class example serves as a metaphorical paddle of a future where collaborative efforts, communal goals, and shared accomplishments become the norm. However, as each rower contributes to the overall distance covered, learners and leaders must navigate their unique roles within the broader community. The Portrait process becomes a compass, guiding us to articulate our aspirations, strengths, and contributions while fitting into the collective narrative.

• Learning as a Collective
• Community is Learning
• Assessment as Revelation, Not Destination
• Building a Capstone Program

The post The Productive Tension of the Me and the We appeared first on Getting Smart.

In the wake of the pandemic, families, educators, and policymakers are all paying close attention to the impact of trauma on learning, as well as on students’ physical and mental health. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has described mental health as “the defining public health crisis of our time,” and recently declared that challenges stemming from the issue were leading to “devastating effects” among young people. 

Schools are increasingly serving as first responders to students’ mental health. One study found that, even in 2018, schools were the second-most frequent provider of mental health services for young people, surpassing general medical settings, child welfare settings, and juvenile justice settings as likely providers of care. They’re also getting better at detecting adverse childhood experiences (ACE), recognizing that trauma can be caused not only by tragic “big” events such as the loss of a parent or being a victim of abuse but also by chronic stress such as instability at home or family conflict. Because of that, it is not surprising that the school teams and educators I speak with every day are eager for practical strategies that can help students. In my work with school districts, I find the place to start is helping educators understand how a child’s brain develops — and then, in turn, help students develop a better understanding of how their feelings and behavior are impacted by their own personal development.

Middle School Development and Neuroplasticity

Let’s take the middle school age, for example. During this age, students are undergoing many changes. Some of the most important changes take place in their brains, profoundly but often subtly impacting their emotional regulation, decision-making, and social behavior. All three of these skills are influenced by the development of the prefrontal cortex, which plays an important role in controlling a person’s emotions, thoughts, and actions, and it undergoes significant changes during adolescence. One key process during this phase is called “synaptic pruning,” which strengthens essential neural connections and eliminates unnecessary ones. As this process progresses, adolescents will typically become better at making sound decisions, navigating complex social situations, and regulating their emotions. However, since these changes take place gradually, and each part of the brain does not necessarily develop at the same rate as others, adolescents sometimes act in inconsistent ways– and that behavior is often exacerbated by ACEs. 

During this crucial phase of development, cultivating self-awareness helps students gain a sense of responsibility for their personal behavior and growth. Once they become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, students can be empowered to identify areas where they may want to make changes. This process is also influenced by how their brains are developing. The brain adapts to novel experiences over time by creating new neural pathways, which enable it to adapt to novel challenges and tasks. This quality of the brain is called “neuroplasticity.” When middle school students repeatedly engage in a behavior, their brains recognize patterns and create neural pathways to perform the behavior more efficiently. With this knowledge of how their students’ brains are developing, teachers can adapt their responses to students in a manner that encourages greater self-awareness and positive behavioral change.

Awareness of their students’ stages of psychological development helps teachers better understand the mental and emotional realities lived by their students, and how those might affect their behavior in the classroom.

A Trauma- and Neuroscience-Informed Example

Courtney, a 14-year-old student, tries her best to navigate her school days but often presents with significant behavioral challenges. In addition to the challenges of adolescence, a parent was recently incarcerated. The stress and anxiety she is facing are resulting in verbal outbursts and high emotionality that often disrupts the classroom. It would not be uncommon for a student like Courtney to be met with disciplinary action. However, Courtney’s teacher approaches her with understanding and compassion. Incorporating Courtney’s trauma history, the teacher empathetically grasps the weight of her recent family struggles. She recognizes that managing impulses and emotions is particularly difficult for adolescents. Courtney’s teacher offers support rather than punishment. With this awareness, the teacher fosters a nurturing environment where Courtney feels safe, valued, and understood, which assists her in navigating through these challenging times with care and empathy.

In response, the teacher adopts a proactive approach tailored to Courtney’s needs. Understanding the importance of structure and predictability for adolescents navigating emotional upheaval, the teacher implements a consistent and visually accessible schedule to provide Courtney with a sense of stability. Recognizing the benefits of mindfulness practices in promoting emotional regulation, brief mindfulness exercises are integrated into the classroom routine to help Courtney and her peers manage stress and focus their attention.

The teacher adopts a supportive stance by praising Courtney’s incremental achievements, no matter how small. This positive reinforcement not only acknowledges Courtney’s efforts but also fosters her confidence and motivation to succeed. By addressing Courtney’s behavioral challenges with empathy and targeted support, the teacher creates a nurturing learning environment conducive to Courtney’s emotional well-being and academic success.

This example illustrates the important role that teachers can play in helping students develop social and emotional competence. Courtney’s teacher recognizes that her classroom can be a place where her student finds consistency, stability, and support, regardless of whatever Courtney may be experiencing outside of the classroom. Her teacher’s proactive approach to addressing Courtney’s needs affords her the opportunity and support needed to develop enhanced self-awareness and greater self-regulation of her emotions. Such an approach is not only a proactive and empathetic response to the challenges Courtney may be facing at home, but also one that is supported by neuroscience.

In Conclusion

Awareness of the different phases of adolescent brain development, as well as the impact that ACEs can have on students’ capacity to learn, is key to understanding some of the factors that affect students’ ability to show up in the classroom. Leveraging that knowledge can help teachers proactively address the behavioral challenges that emerge in their classroom. Utilizing an approach for addressing these challenges that is supported by neuroscience empowers teachers to foster a positive learning environment for all students and guide them toward adopting habits that will sustain them in adulthood.

Reagan Rogers, M.S., Psy.S. is the Vice President of Behavior and Mental Health Services of Invo Healthcare’s IMPACT program. IMPACT (Integrated Multidisciplinary Program to Address Childhood Trauma) is a groundbreaking program that integrates experienced mental health and behavioral health teams into the natural school environment. In her role, she oversees this unique, multidisciplinary team-based model for K-12 students in over 200 schools nationwide.

The post How Educators Can Help Students Understand Their Own Neuroscience, and In Turn, Foster Positive Classroom Behaviors appeared first on Getting Smart.

Today, ETS announced that MTC will become a subsidiary. It’s a big deal—not financially, but because it brings together key infrastructure components for the future of learning.

Mastery Transcript Consortium (where I am a Director) is a national nonprofit membership organization that provides a mastery transcript that replaces traditional high school transcripts. Instead of a list of courses and grades, learners share competencies with colleges and employers. This spring, over 500 colleges accepted learners applying with the Mastery Transcript or Mastery Record. 

Nonprofit ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization. Their innovative assessment solutions help 50 million people each year to clarify their strengths and find opportunities for growth in education, work and beyond. They operate around the world with operations in 200 countries and territories. 

A year ago, the Carnegie Foundation and ETS announced a new partnership designed to transform assessment by creating a robust, scalable suite of assessment and analytic tools that captures the full range of skills required for American students to succeed in K–12, postsecondary education and beyond. ETS described A New Vision for Skills-Based Assessment. 

What’s the Problem? 

One of the core problems is that education is based on time rather than learning. Tim Knowles explains: 

“In 1906, when the Carnegie Foundation created the Carnegie Unit, it suggested that a college degree should be 120 credits. Today, it’s 120 credits. It’s become the bedrock currency of the educational economy. It’s infiltrated everything. It’s how we organize high schools and universities and how we think about assessment, it’s instrumental to accreditation, to who gets financial aid and who doesn’t. It defines the daily work of teachers and professors. It is the system.”

More on the problem with courses and grades:

• Diplomas and grades have lost currency as signaling devices 
• A list of required time-based courses is a weak and inconsistent way to organize skill priorities 
• Courses silo learning by discipline and stifle innovative and equitable learning experiences 
• Grades are a mushy inflated signal and lousy extrinsic motivator

At ASU-GSV, Tim Knowles and XQ’s Russlyn Ali outlined the pillars of the new architecture: 

• New goals for what students should know and be able to do.   (our XQ Learner Outcomes below)
• New learning experiences that transform what teaching and learning look and feel like
• New signals and indicators of success about how students are doing and how adults and the system must adapt to serve them
• All with catalyzing forces underneath with unprecedented coordination among them, like supportive policies, smart infrastructure, and intuitive technology like AI

The ETS and MTC partnership is a big advance in goals and signals. New learning goals—what ETS calls Skills for the Future—will be assessed in accurate, authentic and dynamic ways yielding new signals—skill credentials shared through portable learner records.

We finally have a chance to move courses and grades into the background and foreground powerful personalized learning experiences and capture and communicate the resulting capabilities in much more descriptive ways—and do it at scale.

For more, check out the conversation below where we talked with Tim Knowles and Amit Sevak about ETS, collaboration and the Carnegie Unit.  

The post Skills Transcripts at Scale: Why The ETS & MTC Partnership is a Big Deal appeared first on Getting Smart.

1. Hire a business partnership coordinator for two years to facilitate work-based learning experiences including client projects and internships. Most of the 85 high schools in the Real World Learning initiative in Kansas City benefit from a business partnership coordinator. Check out their stories.

2. Create a two-year project to strengthen the 6-12 advisory system. Enhance career exploration experiences, improve high school and beyond plans, build infrastructure for work-based learning. See the Core Elements of Advisory, NAF advisory, and thoughts on personalized guidance.   

3. Invest in an updated double classroom and train a teacher for INCubatorEdu, a full-year course offering an authentic entrepreneurship experience as students develop their own product or service startup. Add a MobileMakerEdu lab and class for app building.  

4. Join NAF and develop three career academies in engineering, health, IT, finance and/or hospitality. See feature and client project platform KnoPro. 

5. Launch a micro P-TECH with a focus on cybersecurity, AgTech, clean Tech or health/biotech. Improve partnerships with a local community college and lead business partners so that students graduate with an AA degree, industry credentials and valuable work experiences. See Collegiate Edu-Nation for rural Texas examples. 

6. With two neighboring districts, launch a CAPS Network affiliate to extend upper division professions-based learning options including client projects and internships. Or add locally relevant partnerships and career experiences through a CTE network like CTECS. Or consider the approach of Dallas Career Institutes, 18 discreet pathways to high wage employment all across the city.

7. Create a five-year fund to support Student Project Teams conducting paid, work-based learning opportunities for high school students exploring possible career options through various hands-on projects and mentoring from industry professionals. See examples from the Innovation Center of St Vrain Valley Schools. 

8. Support AI co-authored community-connected projects in core and CTE courses and blocks. See Project Leo launched at Da Vinci Schools.  

9. Launch a micro School of One to support individualized pathways of co-authored projects. See SchoolJoy, VLACS and Passage projects at JeffCo Open School. 

10. Create a 13th-year option to help students transition to what’s next and gain valuable experiences like the Massachusetts Early College Promise.

The post How to Start Investing in New Pathways appeared first on Getting Smart.

More Students in Intentional Pathways 

During our extensive observations, we encountered numerous intentional career pathways, aligning with our research focus. In many educational systems, there’s a noticeable shift away from the traditional “college for all” approach and a greater focus on pathways that connect students with various career opportunities. 

This trend is supported by compelling evidence from California, where enrollment in career pathways has significantly increased from 18% to 23% over the past six years. Moreover, with the inclusion of dual enrollment pathways, this figure doubles. California’s substantial investment of over $6 billion in pathways underscores its commitment to aligning K-12 education with community colleges and universities, as outlined in the Master Plan for Career Education. This comprehensive plan aims to streamline the multitude of career training pathways and funding sources, ensuring a cohesive educational journey for students.

More Evidence of Career Exploration 

In many cities, we observed middle-grade career exploration initiatives that help guide high school students in selecting their pathways. We found commendable the emphasis on career exploration and the implementation of individual learning plans within the K-12 framework of St Paul Public Schools. Similarly, we commend the Middle School Career Exploration program in Dallas ISD, which incorporates the Education Opens Doors curriculum.

Further supporting this observation is the fact that a majority of states (73%) recognize middle school career exploration as a crucial aspect of students’ education. Moreover, an overwhelming majority (92%) allocate funding to support such activities, and a similar percentage (92%) have policies in place to ensure its implementation (Extending the Runway, ASA/ESG).

Engagement is the Exception 

While the increase in students enrolling in quality pathways is promising, a pervasive issue we noted is the low levels of student engagement. Across most master schedules in career, arts, and elective courses, we found that active engagement, community-connected projects, and work-based learning experiences are often relegated to the periphery.

Supporting this observation, Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine, during their 2018 tour In Search of Deeper Learning, similarly found that deep engagement was more of an exception than the norm. Additionally, according to Gallup’s 2023 report, on average, students rate their school’s ability to make them feel excited about learning as a mere C+. Moreover, a concerning 71% of public school leaders expressed at least “somewhat” concern about the mental health of their students (NCES, 2/24).

This issue extends beyond the realm of education; Gallup’s 2024 findings indicate that only a third of workers report being engaged, marking an 11-year low in workforce engagement.

Still Stuck in Courses

For the past two years, Tim Knowles of the Carnegie Foundation has been emphasizing the entrapment of American high schools within the confines of the Carnegie Unit. These units dictate graduation requirements, licensure, funding, and even the physical layout of nearly every school, being structured around time-bound content courses.

There are promising developments on the horizon, however. Through collaboration with the XQ Institute, Carnegie aims to cultivate and introduce a new ecosystem that transcends the limitations of the Carnegie Unit. The “post-Carnegie-Unit” will offer support for innovative alternatives to the traditional time-based models of learning and achievement.

An example of this shift can be seen in the integrated projects implemented within the triple house block at the School for Environmental Studies. Here, subjects such as English, Social Studies, and Environmental Studies are combined, aligning with a more holistic approach to education and learning expectations.

Math Education is Obsolete 

In most schools, the lowest levels of engagement were in math (which is also the subject of highest concern for pandemic learning loss). Math expectations (and the algebra, geometry, and algebra II course sequence) are stuck in the Sputnik era. In The Math(s) Fix: An Education Blueprint for the AI Age, Conrad Wolfram estimates that 80% of the math curriculum is focused on simply completing repetitive exercises that students typically do by hand. There’s no need to add fractions, learn long division, or factor polynomials when computers can calculate. Instead, “humans should learn to use computing tools to address increasingly complex problems.” (See 2020 podcast with Wolfram and stay tuned for an update).

Our school visits showed very little math instruction relevant to career pathways. It’s admittedly hard for schools to innovative in math because traditional gateway courses and tests assess hand calculation. Changing will require a policy shift (and it might start with new career-oriented credentialed diploma pathways like that being considered in Indiana).  

Promising developments in math education include the adoption of highly engaging instructional approaches, such as those observed at several schools including Del Lago Academy, where Peter Liljedahl’s Thinking Classrooms methodology is employed. Here, students collaborate in teams to solve problems using vertical whiteboards. However, despite the high level of engagement, students still predominantly emphasize hand calculations over modeling complex, pathway-relevant systems. Additionally, there’s XQ Math, which offers a credentialed sequence of project-based modules in algebra and geometry, providing an alternative and innovative approach to math instruction.

More Dual Enrollment 

We observed a significant increase in dual enrollment programs, indicating a positive trend in expanding educational opportunities. Dual enrollment, which may be twice as prevalent as AP courses, offers a broader spectrum of quality. However, akin to the traditional approach observed in many AP classes, most dual enrollment courses still follow conventional instructional methods and assessment practices.

Furthermore, the proliferation of dual enrollment programs within high school campuses, notably supported by initiatives like the College in High School Alliance, facilitates the integration of pathway-aligned scheduling and teaching methods. Particularly noteworthy are examples such as P-TECH schools, which seamlessly blend early college opportunities with work-based learning experiences. For instance, St. Vrain Valley Schools have established self-contained P-TECH programs, specifically catering to first-generation students, at each comprehensive school.

For further guidance and insights into strengthening dual enrollment initiatives, resources such as “How States and Systems Can Support Practitioner Efforts to Strengthen Dual Enrollment” by CCRC offer valuable advice. Additionally, resources like “How High Schools Can Successfully Accelerate College Pathways,” featuring ASU ULC courses, provide practical strategies for effectively implementing dual enrollment programs.

Pictures of the Future from the Edges

While stuck in courses, the shift to powerful learning experiences focused on transferable skills was many career pathways: 

• INCubatorEdu entrepreneurship courses in Illinois and Texas schools
• PLTW courses in health and engineering particularly at Summit Technology Academy where they display student research the way other schools show off sports trophies)
• CAPS courses integrated into Shakopee High pathways
• CAPS Network launched the Student Media Agency to extend national access to client projects (see The Network podcast) 
• Performing Arts pathway courses at HRSA and Art in Motion where creativity and entrepreneurship are explicit 

Equity at Scale 

Finally, the Masters of Scale award goes to Dallas ISD for equitable and responsive pathways at every high school and in every corner of the city. Every comprehensive high school has a P-TECH (some focus on health, business, energy as well as IT) and 3-5 career academies (many NAF affiliated). Career Institutes in every quadrant of the city provide pathways to 18 high-wage, high-demand careers. Specialty schools add entrepreneurial options and it’s all transported choice. Dallas County Promise adds college-going support and Big Thought adds afterschool options. (See podcast on Dallas School Visits.)

On a smaller scale but equally thoughtful, each of the four North Kansas City high schools developed four career academies during the pandemic (Business, Leadership & Entrepreneurship; Design, Innovation & Technology; Health & Wellness; and Human Services). Like academies collaborate in productive ways. For example, teachers from the four health academies visited San Diego health-focused schools in January. 

NKC schools are four of the 85 high schools in metro Kansas City participating in Real World Learning, an equity initiative sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation. Each school is expanding access to client projects, internships, entrepreneurial experiences, college credit courses, and industry-recognized credentials. (See 2021 RWL Case Study.)

Conclusion 

American high schools are still stuck in traditional course-based structures and graduation requirements (including badly outdated math expectations). They are increasingly organizing courses into coherent, accelerated, supported pathways connected to opportunity. Client-connected projects are trending and showing up inside core, career and elective courses.  
We didn’t see much evidence of productive AI use by teachers or students this spring (despite the AIR Show). We anticipate seeing a lot more AI use on our school visits next year. 

The post The State of the American High School in 2024 appeared first on Getting Smart.