Leading Educators

"Over-scaffolding often shows up when all students are representing their thinking in a singular way; in other words, students are imitating the teacher instead of demonstrating their own thinking," says Rebecca Eden Allen, an experienced math instructional coach. This year, Rebecca and Leading Educators supported leaders in select District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) to tackle this issue head-on with tailored coaching sessions for math teachers. These sessions focused on shifting instructional moves to better balance support and independence, and they're making a significant difference. In this ⚡ NEW PAPER ⚡, we offer three reflection tools for exploring the effectiveness of your coaching strategy to inform future planning: https://hubs.la/Q02DKLTs0

There are two things we love most about summits like last week’s #AP Annual Conference: 1. Meeting educators and administrators who share our dedication to improving access and success in advanced pathways, and sharing our approach to accomplishing that goal. 2. Spending time with our close collaborators and friends. At APAC, this included some of the people helming the equity-building work in our partner districts, like Keanon Thompson from Chicago Public Schools and Dr. Keena Ryals-Jenkins from Gwinnett County Public Schools. We were also excited to see our friends at Leading Educators, who were live testing an online course they’re developing with our partnership team. The course will train AP and IB STEM teachers on implementing cues and conditions of belonging in their classrooms – stay tuned for more information!

As momentum builds around the science of reading, Baltimore City Public Schools’ partnership with Leading Educators is a bright example of what happens when educators have high-quality, ongoing professional learning. 📊 Students saw double-digit gains in foundational skills on DIBELS 8 after just one year of targeted professional learning. Preliminary data from the second year signals that the success is continuing. Learn what's leading to this impact: https://hubs.la/Q02JxScy0

School and system-wide improvement doesn't happen in isolation. It takes teamwork. So, how can you share responsibilities with intentionality? ⭐ Delineating responsibilities across defined roles isn’t just about streamlining processes or distributing workloads—it’s about creating a culture of trust, intentional collaboration, and specific responsibilities for maximizing student success. Learn how our long-time partners at Tulsa Public Schools worked to address these needs: https://hubs.la/Q02Jmkj30

Shifting practices and ways of working within a system is complex. ⭐ Jamilah Sanchez, a literacy coordinator in Oakland Unified School District discusses how external partnerships have helped the district grow internal literacy expertise and make the changes necessary for students to thrive.  “When creating a big systemic change, you need an outside perspective. You need someone to see your blind spots when you’re so invested in the work. Leading Educators really came through for us by providing support, conducting an assessment system, and guiding us through the visioning process.” Learn more about the bold moves OUSD is making to transform teaching and learning. https://hubs.la/Q02J48f60

👨🏾🏫 Teachers are eager for increased planning and collaboration time, because it offers a space for internalizing instructional goals and strengthening practices together. When teachers learn, students learn. But how much planning time do teachers actually get? ❗According to data from the National Council on Teacher Quality, large districts have only increased guaranteed planning time by a few minutes over the past decade. https://hubs.la/Q02J49zG0 Beyond the instructional benefits, adjusting collaboration time also shows potential to reduce burnout and turnover. ❓Comment: What steps is your school or system taking to help educators plan and practice together more consistently? What's going well? Where are you getting stuck?

With the new school year soon approaching, how will you help your educators bring high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) to life? A strong curriculum is the "how" for teaching to the demands of grade-level standards and a vision for equity. Strong implementation depends on educators' access to ongoing, embedded support to internalize it, refine their practices, and troubleshoot together. ⭐ As you plan, take these factors into consideration: https://hubs.la/Q02HYrQL0 P.S. Figuring out the dosage and structure of effective curriculum-based learning is new to many leaders because it requires deep knowledge of both the standards and the materials. If you need help, we're here for you.

Literacy is liberty! 📚 Learn how we're helping partners like Baltimore City Public Schools build the capacity for systemic improvement: https://lnkd.in/gS9s-76R

AI tools are evolving rapidly, offering teachers more options than ever before. But beyond improving efficiency, are teachers equipped to use these tools effectively? A recent Education Week Research Center survey of 953 educators, including 553 teachers, revealed that over 70% haven't received any professional development on using AI in the classroom. ❓ Comment: How is your school or school system thinking about helping educators experiment with AI and use it thoughtfully? Read the article:  https://hubs.la/Q02HK1Lz0