PK-8

21st Century Educators: Developing and Supporting Great Career and Technical Education Teachers

This brief focuses on the role that career and technical education (CTE) teachers can play in ensuring college and career readiness (CCR) for all students. The authors introduce who CTE teachers are and how current policies support and integrate them into schools. The authors argue that these teachers are critical to meeting the needs of students who may wish to enter a career without obtaining a 4-year college degree or for those who wish to gain experience in a field before obtaining a higher degree.

A Path to Alignment: Connecting K-12 and Higher Education Via the Common Core and the Degree Qualifications Profile

This report  describes the gap in the alignment between K-12 and higher education learning objectives and outcomes. The authors argue for the coordinated adoption and alignment of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) as a solution to this problem.

The Shift from Cohorts to Competency

This report discusses the benefits of competency education in the context of digital technology that increases personalization and customization, enabling the management of individual learning progression in a data-driven environment. The report outlines 10 capabilities of a competency-based system including flexibility in time and resources, measuring learning gains, and setting college- and career-ready expectations; and 10 design choices that inform the necessary changes in areas such as school structure, grading, and student support.

It's About Time: A Framework for Proficiency-Based Teaching & Learning

This workbook, a product specifically requested by the Oregon Department of Education, addresses the topic of proficiency in an attempt to define it objectively and ensure its consistency in the measurement of student achievement across schools and districts. It articulates the many manifestations of proficiency-based practices in the classroom and addresses the common concerns and questions of those exploring “proficiency.” The workbook makes a case for how schools and districts can and will ultimately benefit from this redesign.

New CCRS Center Brief: Predictors of Postsecondary Success

This month the College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) released a brief titled Predictors of Postsecondary Success. Prepared in collaboration with Quill Research Associates, LLC, the brief identifies measures of student characteristics (e.g., behaviors, skills) which predict future academic and workplace success.

Are Personalized Learning Environments the Next Wave of K-12 Education Reform?

This paper discusses the 16 Race to the Top grantees in 2012 -- a year in which the U.S. Department of Education highlighted the need for personalized learning environments. Specific attention is paid to the successful design and innovation plans of each grantee state, with a focus of four main activity areas within the context of personalized learning. This paper summarizes opportunities for innovation and potential challenges in constructing effective personalized learning environments, with the ultimate hope of providing key takeaway points for improvements in teaching and learning. 

Blended Learning Implementation Guide

This implementation guide from Digital Learning Now and the Foundation for Excellence in Education is the fifth document in a series focused on making the connection between blended learning and the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The guide aims to support school and district leaders in the transition to a blended learning model by providing specific guidance related to: creating the conditions for success, planning, implementation, and continuous improvement.

50-State Scan of Course Credit Policies

This report includes a scan of K-12 credit policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The scan explores which states have policies that define credit based solely on seat time and which states allow for more flexibility when awarding course credits. The report uses five categories to organize state credit policies ranging from the complete abolishment of the Carnegie Unit to the use of alternative credit policies only in special circumstances such as credit recovery.

Teaching Adolescents to Become Leaders: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance: A Critical Literature Review

This literature review explores the role of noncognitive factors in academic performance, which is measured by student GPA. The report develops an evidence-based conceptual framework from existing literature on noncognitive factors. The report also analyzes existing research to identify any gaps in knowledge in order to assist policymakers who wish to assess leverage points for improving student achievement. Additionally, it examines implications for student learning, presents case studies, and provides recommendations.

Promise Seen in College-Awareness Program for Middle Schoolers

A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan found that early exposure to college, mentoring, and community service leadership are successful strategies for motivating low-income students to aspire to college. The study evaluated the effectiveness of the non-profit College for Every Student (CFES) and found that 75 percent of the 1,100 middle school program participants that were included in the study planned to attend four-year colleges.

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