The Collaborative Minnesota Partnerships to Advance Student Success (COMPASS), a statewide education system designed to support schools' and districts' efforts to accelerate student learning, offers professional development opportunities with various levels of support. Through COMPASS school districts and charter schools are provided a variety of…

This paper examines the adoption and outcomes of shortened parts of term--referred to as SPOT--across nine diverse higher education institutions, drawing on insights from a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders involved in SPOT implementation. The white paper explores the motivations behind the adoption of SPOTs, along with the strategies…

This action guide provides school leadership teams with a resource for integrating the social, emotional and academic needs of young people into the daily student experience, from the time a bus driver greets a student until the end of the day. It supports the school leader and her/his team in mapping out an approach for integrating the social,…

This document provides administrative recommendations of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) regarding the need for school-based mental health services (SBMHS) in schools (Kern et al., 2017). It includes (1) an introduction, (2) key considerations for successful SBMHS, and (3) recommendations regarding local, state, and…

As required in 105 ILCS 5/2-3.47a, the Illinois State Board of Education shall develop and maintain a continuing comprehensive strategic plan for elementary and secondary education. The 2020-2023 Strategic Plan consists of goals for equity, student learning, learning conditions, and elevating educators. The Strategic Plan leverages the wide range…

After almost two years of uncertainty and unparalleled challenges for students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators across the state, the Illinois State Board of Education continues to look to their Strategic Plan for clarity and confidence in helping them navigate toward their agency's vision as they look past the COVID-19 pandemic. This…

The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) is a formative assessment that provides feedback to schools on the research-based leadership practices necessary to improve teaching and learning. Instead of focusing on an individual leader, CALL measures leadership practices in tasks carried out by actors across the school and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life for students, teachers and everyone connected to public schools. The crisis has also exposed the fragilities of the economy in meeting the basic needs of all and highlighted the importance of the public sector, of community, and of care work. Schools are key public spaces of community and care. They must be…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the main federal statute governing special education for children from birth through age 21. IDEA protects the rights of children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). It also supplements state and local funding to pay for some of the additional or excess costs of…

Despite the American promise of equal educational opportunity for all students, persistent achievement gaps among more and less advantaged groups of students remain, along with the opportunity gaps that create disparate outcomes. However, the recent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents an opportunity for the federal…

The law requires that juvenile justice facilities must provide education to all school-age students, and these facilities often do so despite challenges that would baffle most high school administrators and teachers. This "Adolescent Literacy Guide" provides guidance to both administrators and teachers who want to increase opportunities…

This executive summary describes a case study that implemented the framework School System 20/20 to examine how Lawrence Public Schools (Massachusetts) is transforming its policies and structures to better align resources with student and teacher needs. Education Resource Strategies' (ERS') School System 20/20 is a set of conditions and practices…

California high school teachers are constantly racing against the clock. They are expected to provide a strong college preparatory curriculum, promote critical and creative thinking, and meet students' social and emotional needs. Learning time is an essential resource for addressing all of these goals. But, it seems to be in short supply in many…

The promise of a public education is that all students will have access to high-quality learning opportunities. Accomplishing this requires collective and coherent action to increase system effectiveness and produce results that are not predictable by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. On December 10, 2013, education stakeholders from…

Classrooms are adapting to new teaching approaches, propelling the educational environment to new heights of learning. In this changing environment, education institutions need to make sure that each dollar spent is beneficial to students. With funding decisions scrutinized by teachers, parents and taxpayers, purchases must meet an institution's…