This article describes the PDS partnership between George Mason University and Daniels Run Elementary School, which are located in Fairfax, Virginia. In the spring of 2020, during their fifth year together, the partnership was awarded the National Association of Professional Development Schools Exemplary PDS Award. The Mason PDS program structure…

A controversial innovation within the rapidly expanding field of teacher education is the relocation of teacher preparation to new graduate schools of education (nGSEs), which are not university based but are state authorized and approved as institutions of higher education to prepare teachers, endorse them for initial teacher certification, and…

The Innovation Schools Act of 2008, § 22-32.5-102, et seq. C.R.S., was designed to provide a pathway for schools and districts to develop and implement innovative practices in a wide variety of areas and contexts to improve student outcomes. Innovation schools are required to articulate a vision around the autonomies they are seeking, as well as…

This paper reflects on the process followed in the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh to cultivate an innovative and entrepreneurial culture among students and faculty. As a member of the first cohort of the Pathways program, a strategic process was initiated to unlock the innovation capabilities of students and to feed…

There is wide recognition that supporting social-emotional learning (SEL) is a critical task for schools as they emerge from the pandemic, but implementation is challenging and SEL programs can easily turn into isolated and disjointed initiatives. When schools treat SEL as an isolated initiative, implementation can be uneven and difficult to…

Imagine teachers, administrators, and university mathematicians and staff learning together in a lab setting where students are excited about attending a week-long summer math event because they are at the forefront of the experience. Piloted in three New Mexico classrooms during summer 2014, MathLab expanded into 17 lab settings over six…

The "Learning in Depth" program is a simple but radical innovation, which was first implemented in Canada in 2008/2009 and is now being used in a dozen countries with many thousand students. The aim of the program is to ensure that every student becomes an expert on something during schooling. The unusualness of the program and the fact…

This article provides a systematic review of the emerging practice doctorate in social work. Based on the experience of the first such Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program, we provide information regarding the program origins and rationale, development, current structure, and future direction. Such information will enrich the discussion on the role…

Building on an earlier 2008 summary prepared for OECD by Marlene Scardamalia and Carl Bereiter, this paper by Gesa S. E. van den Broek provides a more extensive discussion of approaches described as "research based innovation." "Fostering Communities of Learning" is a constructivist approach in which teachers help students discover important…

This study profiles, through a case study of an undergraduate business programme, how a business school has embedded the theme of enterprise in its core undergraduate programme. Key participants in the development of the strategy and programme tutors and students were interviewed, to provide information for an analysis of the principle objectives…

Evidence based practice (EBP) is reflected in social work publications, accreditation standards, research, and funding opportunities. However, implementing EBP in social work practice and education has proven challenging, highlighting the need for additional resources. This paper describes the Transdisciplinary Model of EBP, a model based on…

Excursions to museums and science centres generally are great fun for students and teachers. The potential educational benefits beyond enjoyment, however, are rarely realised or analysed for their efficacy. The purpose of this paper is to describe four educational enrichment programs delivered at the Gravity Discovery Centre (GDC), near Gingin,…

Systemic goals for gifted programs can take many forms. The authors place most program goals into a dichotomy--those that address the present academic needs of gifted students in schools and those designed to prepare future eminent path breakers and innovators. To clarify our arguments, we first define eminence and then offer examples from…

The widespread feeling that college officials neglect and ignore student needs in the college curriculum, as well as a concern for the alternatives available to students in the area of general education precipitated the development of this program. The program's directions and goals are systematically elaborated in this report. The basic direction…

This exploration into competency-based innovation at the school, district, and state levels suggests that competency-based pathways are a re-engineering of this nation's education system around learning--a re-engineering designed for success in which failure is no longer viable. This discussion draws on interviews and site visits with innovators…