After nearly a decade of working with secondary students, I know how challenging it can be to move a high school forward. The weight of tradition and rigid structures often makes it feel like the best we can do is get students “back on track,” even when we’re not confident that the pathway fully supports […]
Improvement Through Innovation: Insights from Boston’s Schools on the Move Read More »
Flashback to 2012. The education sector buzzed about a new technology destined to transform education. It promised new opportunities for students to easily consume multimodal content, demonstrate their understanding through multiple forms of media, and curate portfolios of work. Schools and systems bought iPads in droves. Teachers experimented with hundreds of apps. Today, it remains
The Critical Question for AI Implementation: Is It Working? Read More »
With education research, true expertise doesn’t reside solely with researchers — it thrives in partnership. Collaborating with those closest to the work allows us to gain a deeper, more accurate understanding of what’s really happening in schools. Our partners bring indispensable knowledge of their contexts, cultures, strengths, and challenges, making their insights not just valuable
Research as a Partnership: Learning, Growing, and Designing Together Read More »
Despite decades of effort, persistent gaps in K-12 student learning remain a pressing challenge, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on reading and math achievement. While initial recovery efforts focused heavily on supplemental strategies like high-dosage tutoring, it’s clear that real, lasting progress requires more than just add-ons — it demands bold, scalable solutions embedded
Meet TLA’s Accelerating Adoption Network Cohort Read More »
As schools across the country embrace the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI), innovative educators are leading the way, showing how AI can enhance teaching and learning while keeping students at the center of the experience. Providing educators with concrete examples of how to implement AI-enabled instructional practices empowers teachers with new strategies and helps
Oftentimes, research is done on schools and systems. In this extractive relationship, researchers collect data, rarely including participants in the design or analysis, and then later report findings back to the sites. At The Learning Accelerator (TLA), we believe that research should occur with our partners. This means addressing questions that are meaningful to them
Empowering Partners While Driving Research Innovation Read More »
As educators, we’re used to hitting the ground running and doing what’s necessary to ensure our students fully benefit from our plans. In our rush to meet deadlines, reach objectives, and deliver instruction, it’s easy to overlook something important: celebrating the wins that shape our work and help us make progress toward larger goals. Celebrating
Celebrating Our Wins: The Power of Reflecting on Progress Read More »
This is a summary of “Building a Shared Space of Innovative Research and Learning,” originally published on Aurora Institute’s blog. Rethinking how we conduct research and assessment within an education space undergoing deep transformation presents a foundational challenge to the field. It is also a challenge that cannot be addressed in isolation or by a
A Collaborative Research Agenda for Innovation Read More »
Assessment’s role in K-12 teaching and learning cannot be overstated. At the individual level, assessment is how educators understand, personalize, and accelerate students’ progress. Collectively, assessment drives the sector forward, supporting policymakers and state and local education agency leaders in identifying and scaling effective practices and high-quality models. Yet, as education evolves, so too must
Reimagining Assessment for a Student-Centered Future Read More »
For too long, K-12 technology leadership has been defined by siloed approaches — prioritizing tools over the systems they operate within. This fragmented focus has hindered innovation and equity, leaving many leaders struggling to make meaningful, lasting changes. It’s a challenge reflected in CoSN’s 2024 State of EdTech District Leadership Report, where 77% of edtech
Three Lessons for Effective & Equitable Edtech Leadership Read More »
