The expectations of education have never been higher: around the world, governments are re-shaping their education systems, transforming early years, schools and universities through far-reaching reform in curriculum, assessment, teaching, accountability and funding. As Director of the Institute of Education for five years of tumultuous change in…

"The Art of Coaching Teams" is the manual you never received when you signed on to lead a team. Being a great teacher is one thing, but leading a team, or team development, is an entirely different dynamic. Your successes are public, but so are your failures--and there is no specific rubric or curriculum to give you direction. Team…

The study centered around two teams of teachers and their success and struggle in utilizing professional development to gain the knowledge necessary to adequately implement the Positive Intervention and Behavior Supports (PBIS) framework initiative into all areas of the school. Data collected through personal interviews, classroom observations,…

Historically, states and districts have largely invested in teacher professional development (PD)--ranging from one-time workshops to collaborative peer learning communities--as the primary strategy to help teachers improve their practice. Despite its potential, in its present state, PD has gained a poor reputation among educators and those who…

On July 1, 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown signed California's landmark Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) into law. In addition to providing districts with greater control over how to spend funds, LCFF marked a tremendous opportunity for educational equity. The new funding law gave districts additional resources, called supplemental and concentration…

Many California arts organizations want their participants and artists to reflect the socioeconomic diversity of the state's population. The Exploring Engagement Fund supports new approaches that these nonprofit organizations are using to reach more diverse participants. Through project experiments, Irvine and its grantees are learning valuable…

Since 2004, the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) has offered the Executive Development Program (EDP), a leadership program for sitting school principals that is typically delivered in two-day workshops once per month over 12 months. From its inception through 2018, 15,000 principals across 23 states have participated in the EDP.…

Given a rapidly changing labor market, advisors use parallel planning and alternative advising to teach students adaptability. Whereas parallel planning proactively prepares students for future transitions through considering multiple pathways, alternative advising occurs after students fail to make degree progress or secure admission and,…

For many of us, it is challenging to find the time to sleep enough each night or to sit down for a meal. So how can this author convince you that taking 10 minutes to do anything every day is actually worth it? The benefits of meditation--increased calm, clarity, compassion, and empathy, to name a few--have been known for centuries. Recently,…

This chapter provides an overview of theories of the transition to young adulthood. It sets out the argument for conceptual renewal and discusses some implications of new patterns of transition for adult education.

Are librarians preoccupied with the future? There are countless books, articles, blog posts, webinars, and conference presentations filled with speculation about what libraries will become. This is understandable with the emergence of new roles for libraries and librarians as we determine our identity across the digital landscape. This essay…

The dynamic nature of led outdoor activities means that, despite activity providers' best efforts, activity leaders can be exposed to unanticipated situations for which no procedures exist. Improvisation, the spontaneous, real-time conception and execution of a novel response, has been identified as a potential means of maintaining safety in…

Conceptual change is one of the most studied fields in science education and psychology of learning. However, there are still some foundational issues in conceptual change research on which no clear consensus has emerged. Firstly, there is no agreement on what changes in belief and concept systems constitute conceptual change and what changes do…

This chapter briefly explores what a rite of passage is and is not, and the importance and benefits of such experiences to students, the college, and the larger society. The chapter also describes a practical set of strategies for integrating rites of passage into the campus community.

Unlike law, business, and medical schools, as well as universities in general, journalism schools and journalism programs have rarely been ranked. Publishers such as "U.S. News & World Report," "Forbes," "Bloomberg Businessweek," and "Washington Monthly" do not pay them much mind. What is the best…