WestEd

By Sarah Rainier, Maggie Hannan, and Rebecca Perry Key Takeaways Teachers implementing new instructional materials may be learning new routines and instructional approaches while using them with students. Teachers and coaches emphasized the importance of classroom community and student discourse when putting new instructional materials into practice. Coaching, co-planning, modeling, and opportunities to learn incrementally can support teachers as they become familiar with new materials.

We wanted the students to experience classrooms where their ideas mattered, where their voice mattered, and where they were expected to think and to leave with confidence, purpose, and perseverance.

By Brent Jackson and Haley McNamara At first glance, you might think you are seeing three different courses when you look in on three different Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era (ANDE) classrooms. In Lucy’s class, students meet entirely online. In Mere’s, five or six students are gathered around tables. In Maxine’s, the two arrangements coexist: Some students are in the room, others are on Zoom, and any given student might attend one way this week and the other the next.

Credit for Real World Learning and Durable Skills Progression Standards are two of the seven research and development projects launched by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching today announced the launch of seven initiatives under its Research & Development Consortium for High School Transformation. WestEd is leading two of those initiatives.

By Ashli-Ann Douglas, Bryan Matlen, and Ann Edwards For many adults, math is more than a school subject. It affects everyday decisions—from preparing for a high school equivalency exam and understanding workplace data to managing a household budget. Yet nearly one third of adults in the United States struggle with the numeracy skills needed for daily life.

By Kate Wright, Director, State Policy and Impact, WestEd This year marks a unique era of transition for midlevel directors at state education agencies (SEAs). The U.S. Department of Education is expanding waivers, flexibility, and state-level authority over how federal programs are designed and delivered. This shift requires greater SEA capacity for taking on an expanded role in implementing PK–12 programs.

Format: PDF Pages: 74 Publisher: WestEd This guide was developed for district leaders and leadership teams to use as a supplement to the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: A Systems Framework and its related survey system. The Four Domains framework, from WestEd’s Center for School Turnaround and Improvement, was created to assist states, districts, and schools as they pursue systemic efforts to improve students’ educational experiences and outcomes.

ISBN: 9780807783900 Format: Book Pages: 224 Publisher: Teachers College Press Transform struggling schools into thriving learning environments with this practical guide in WestEd’s VITAL Education Series. Leading With Urgency introduces a field-tested framework designed to help K–12 principals navigate the complex challenges of leading meaningful school change efforts.

Format: PDF Pages: 19 Publisher: WestEd This paper presents states and districts with guidelines and recommendations for improving systems that support instructional practices. Because the quality of teaching is the most important school-based factor for student learning, a focus on instruction is essential for turning around struggling schools and districts and cultivating conditions that enable and inspire effective teaching and learning.

Format: PDF Pages: 44 Publisher: WestEd This updated resource provides state education agencies and districts with guidance on assessing a district’s readiness to support school turnaround initiatives. First published in 2013, the guide has been updated to highlight how its approach to assessing district readiness embeds and reflects key components of Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement, a framework developed by the Center on School Turnaround.