Administrators | Ģý Nurture Curiosity Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:41:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://www-media.discoveryeducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/de-site-favicon-2026-70x70.png Administrators | Ģý 32 32 What Is a Summative Assessment? Definition, Examples, and Best Practices /blog/teaching-and-learning/summative-assessment/ Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:41:12 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=222132 Key takeaways A summative assessment measures overall student achievement after learning. This may occur at the end of a unit, course, or semester. Summative assessment data can measure student mastery of material, as well as the effectiveness of a teacher, curriculum, or specific instructional strategy. As with any student assessment, summative assessments have pros and […]

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Key takeaways

  • A summative assessment measures overall student achievement after learning. This may occur at the end of a unit, course, or semester.

  • Summative assessment data can measure student mastery of material, as well as the effectiveness of a teacher, curriculum, or specific instructional strategy.

  • As with any student assessment, summative assessments have pros and cons that educators should consider when deciding how to use them most effectively.

class discussion approved

Even though the word assessment can easily spark fear in the hearts of students and teachers alike, student assessment, in its many forms, is a critical component of any effective teacher’s classroom. Teachers regularly collect student feedback through diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to guide instruction and assess learning. Each form of student assessment is unique, and educators must understand the different types of student assessments, the role each plays, and how they work together to measure student learning.

This article focuses on summative assessment, a type of student assessment that measures overall student learning at the end of a unit, course, or semester and compares that knowledge to a standard or benchmark. Summative assessments serve several purposes and take several forms, and they differ from diagnostic assessments, which are given before learning to establish a baseline of students’ knowledge, skills, strengths, or weaknesses, and from formative assessments, which monitor learning during the learning process and drive daily instruction. You can find additional educational resources on the various types of student assessments online.

What Is a Summative Assessment?

A summative assessment evaluates overall student learning or achievement by comparing students’ knowledge of a taught topic or skill to a standard or benchmark. This type of assessment measures outcomes after learning and is typically done infrequently, at the end of a unit, course, or semester using a rubric or other consistent criteria. This form of assessment is high-stakes because it not only measures what has been learned, but may also determine a student’s final grade, as well as student advancement or placement.

Summative assessments can also measure the effectiveness of a teacher or curriculum and are often analyzed for comparison purposes.

What Are Examples of Summative Assessments?

Summative assessments can take many forms. Summative assessment examples include:

  • Midterm or final exams
  • Standardized tests
    • State assessments
    • National assessments (NAEP)
    • College entrance exams (SAT, ACT)
  • End-of-unit tests
  • Capstone projects
  • Portfolios
  • Final papers, projects, or performance tasks

Why Are Summative Assessments Important?

Summative assessments are important for many reasons. Primarily, the information collected from a summative assessment helps teachers determine whether a student has mastered the material they taught. Using a rubric or other consistent criteria, a summative assessment provides a clear, objective snapshot of student achievement and mastery. This helps to ensure accountability and guides future instruction. Additionally, when students know the benchmark to which their understanding will be compared, student engagement often increases.

Summative assessments are also important because they can measure the effectiveness of a curriculum or specific instructional strategies and guide school or district decision-making and strategic planning. For instance, a high school biology department can use summative assessment data to determine which instructional strategies are most effective. Alternatively, schools piloting a new Science of Reading curriculum can use summative assessment data to decide whether the new curriculum is more effective than the previous one.

Summative assessments can provide many data points that can be collected, analyzed, and used to guide teachers and school or district administrators.

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What Are the Pros and Cons of Summative Assessments?

A summative assessment, like any other form of student assessment, has its pros and cons. Consider these pros and cons when designing instruction and aligned assessments.

Pros of Summative Assessments

  • Because a summative assessment relies on a rubric or other consistent criteria, the data it provides is consistent, valid, and reliable, and data reporting is typically straightforward and clear.
  • The uniform criteria that a summative assessment relies on reduce subjectivity and personal bias from the reporting process.
  • Summative assessment data is actionable. Whether measuring the effectiveness of a teacher, curriculum, or specific instructional strategy, the data will support decision-making and strategic planning.
  • Formative assessments can be easily aligned to summative assessments to provide teachers with ongoing benchmark data to guide instructional practice.
  • Knowing how and what they will be assessed on at the end of the unit, course, or semester helps students understand why learning matters and can increase engagement.

Cons of Summative Assessments

Cons

  • Summative assessments are often high-stakes and can affect students’ final grade or determine student placement or advancement.
  • Due to their high-stakes nature, summative assessments can result in high levels of stress or testing anxiety in students.
  • Because a summative assessment measures learning only at the end of a unit, course, or semester and compares student achievement to a set standard, it does not account for the learning process or student growth over time. It is simply a snapshot of student achievement but does not tell the whole story of what students have learned.
  • Data from a summative assessment is often used for comparison but should not be the only measure of achievement or effectiveness.
  • A summative assessment does not measure critical thinking, problem-solving skills, or creativity, which are important skills for students to develop.
  • A summative assessment does not measure whether a student can apply what they have learned, only that they have learned it.
  • Summative assessments can lead teachers to teach to the test or students to rely on rote memorization to pass.

A summative assessment is a useful tool to incorporate into the classroom, but remember that assessment data often does not tell the whole story of any student, so use it with caution. Teachers must use a variety of assessment types and data points throughout the learning process to most effectively assess student growth and mastery. Using different types of assessments in the classroom ensures all learners have the opportunity to demonstrate what they know. A well-rounded classroom includes a variety of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments and allows students to demonstrate growth and mastery in different ways and at different points in time.

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]]> class-discussion-approved What Is a Student Information System? A Guide for School and District Leaders /blog/educational-leadership/student-information-system/ Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:16:30 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=221722 Key takeaways A student information system, or SIS, gives schools one reliable place to manage essential records, but it is only as useful as the information entered into it. An SIS manages official student data, while a learning management system supports the daily work of teaching and learning. The two systems should connect without duplicating […]

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Key takeaways

  • A student information system, or SIS, gives schools one reliable place to manage essential records, but it is only as useful as the information entered into it.

  • An SIS manages official student data, while a learning management system supports the daily work of teaching and learning. The two systems should connect without duplicating work.

  • Choosing an SIS requires districts to look at more than just features and price. Data security, usability, integration, training, support, and long-term costs all affect whether the system will work well.

teacher professional approved

Every school district needs student information in order to operate. Attendance, student schedules, family information, grades, and transcripts must all be accurate and easily accessible. When that information is maintained across multiple platforms, routine tasks become more difficult than they should be.

A student information system brings all this information together, giving staff the information they need, when they need it. The software alone, however, is not enough; districts also need clear procedures, accurate data, appropriate access, and staff members who understand their responsibilities.

When the information is current and easy to find, staff members spend less time searching for answers and more time responding to student needs.

What Is a Student Information System (SIS)?

A student information system, commonly called an SIS, is software that schools use to collect, manage, and maintain official student records. It often begins with registration and follows a student through scheduling, attendance, grading, promotion, graduation, and withdrawal.

An SIS also contains family contact information, course histories, transcripts, discipline records, transportation details, and health information. Many SISs also include student or parent portals where students and families can view schedules, attendance, grades, and other important notices.

The SIS becomes the district’s central source for important student information, but that does not mean every employee should see every record. Permissions and access to the SIS should reflect each person’s role and responsibilities.

What Are Examples of a Student Information System (SIS)?

K-12 examples include PowerSchool SIS, Infinite Campus, Skyward, FACTS Student Information System, and state or regional systems. Product names matter less than what the district needs these systems to do.

Schools commonly use an SIS to:

  • Register students and collect required information.
  • Create schedules and assign students to courses.
  • Record attendance and notify families about absences.
  • Enter grades and produce report cards and transcripts.
  • Maintain demographic, health, discipline, and program records.
  • Complete state and federal reporting.
  • Create accounts and class rosters in other connected platforms.

No two districts use an SIS in exactly the same way. One may complete most tasks in one platform, while another connects separate systems for transportation, food service, special education, assessment, and communication. School leaders are responsible for the official source for each type of information.

Districts should also identify which system owns each data field and who is responsible for reviewing errors when information does not transfer correctly.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using a Student Information System?

A student information system is different from a learning management system, although the two are often connected. An SIS gives schools one place to manage attendance, schedules, grades, family contacts, transcripts, and other official student records.

When implemented and used correctly, an SIS makes important information easier to find, improves communication, and reduces the need to enter the same information in multiple systems. It can also connect students and teachers to other district platforms, including a high-quality educational resource, without requiring separate roster updates.

Problems often show up when SIS expectations are unclear. Staff members may enter information differently, records may be incomplete or outdated, and employees may have access to information they do not need. Moving records into a new system can also take time and require additional training and support.

The goal of a student information system is to make school operations more organized and easy to access. If it creates confusion, inaccurate records, or duplicate work, district leaders need to review how staff use the SIS, clarify expectations, and provide the training and support staff need.

Types of Student Information Systems

Student information systems are often described by how they are hosted and organized. A cloud-based SIS is hosted by the provider. The vendor typically manages the updates, infrastructure, and maintenance. This can reduce the district’s technical responsibility, but it also makes the district dependent on the provider’s security, reliability, and service.

An on-site SIS is hosted on district servers. It may offer more local control, but the district is responsible for hardware, backups, updates, security, and staff expertise.

Some systems are comprehensive suites that include many operational functions. Other systems let districts choose specific components and connect them to existing platforms. State or regional systems may also be available to support local reporting requirements.

The right student information system should fit the district’s size, staffing, reporting requirements, and existing technology. Additional features provide little value if they are difficult to use or duplicate tools that already exist.

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SIS vs. LMS: What’s the Difference?

The simplest distinction is that the SIS manages the official student record, while the LMS manages the daily learning experience.

The SIS generally contains enrollment information, schedules, attendance, final grades, and transcripts. The LMS contains course materials, assignments, discussions, feedback, and learning activities. A teacher may score individual assignments in the LMS, but the final marking-period grade becomes part of the official record in the SIS.

These systems should work together. The SIS can send course and roster information to the LMS, which may return grades. A schedule change can then update a student’s digital courses without several manual changes.

Clear integration rules matter because a small technical problem can quickly affect rosters, student access, family communication, or the accuracy of information used by staff.

Why a Student Information System Matters for Schools and Districts

An SIS supports much of the day-to-day work required to keep a school up and running. Staff members need accurate attendance so they can follow up with families, reliable schedules so students are placed in the right classes, and up-to-date contact information to communicate during routine situations and emergencies.

SIS information can also support data-driven instruction by helping teachers and administrators identify patterns in attendance, achievement, discipline, enrollment, and program participation. An SIS does not determine what a school should do, but it can help staff identify a concern earlier and respond more quickly.

That only works when the information is accurate and reliable. Incomplete, outdated, or duplicate records often contribute to poor decisions. Districts need to make sure there are clear processes and procedures for entering and reviewing information, along with shared responsibility for correcting errors.

Districts also need to protect the information they collect by limiting access, reviewing vendor practices, training staff, and following federal, state, and local privacy requirements at all times.

How to Choose the Right Student Information System for Your School

Before looking at specific products, review how your district currently handles things like registration, scheduling, attendance, grading, family communication, and state reporting. Identify where staff members might enter the same information more than once or spend time correcting errors or duplicate information. This will help clarify what the district actually needs from a new SIS.

The people who use the SIS every day should be part of the review. Teachers, clerical staff, counselors, nurses, administrators, technology staff, and business officials interact with the system differently and will notice different strengths and concerns.

Districts should consider:

  • Ease of use and accessibility.
  • State reporting and records-management requirements.
  • Privacy, security, permissions, and audit controls.
  • Integration with the district’s LMS.
  • Data migration.
  • Staff training and ongoing customer support.
  • Reliability, contract terms, and future costs.

Choosing the system is only the beginning. Moving years of student records requires careful review, and staff members need training that reflects how they will use the system. Effective technology implementation also requires a clear purpose, continued support, and regular evaluation.

A student information system doesn’t get much attention when it works the way it’s supposed to. Students appear in the right classes, teachers have accurate rosters, families receive timely information, and required reports are completed. That is the goal.

The most effective SIS is not necessarily the one with the most features. It is the one that provides accurate information, protects student privacy, connects with other systems, and makes important work easier for the people serving students.

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]]> teacher-professional-approved How to Evaluate a Digital Science Program for Schools /blog/educational-leadership/how-to-evaluate-digital-science-programs-for-schools/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:59:17 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=221553 Key takeaways When evaluating a digital science program, ensure it earns its place in the classroom like any technology should. 10 key areas to explore: grade-band coverage; standards alignment; NGSS alignment and 3D learning; phenomena-based learning; inquiry-based instruction; student engagement with digital science content; teacher workflow and lesson planning; differentiation, intervention, and enrichment; assessment, reporting, […]

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Key takeaways

  • When evaluating a digital science program, ensure it earns its place in the classroom like any technology should.

  • 10 key areas to explore: grade-band coverage; standards alignment; NGSS alignment and 3D learning; phenomena-based learning; inquiry-based instruction; student engagement with digital science content; teacher workflow and lesson planning; differentiation, intervention, and enrichment; assessment, reporting, and instructional data; and professional learning and implementation support.

  • Use our list of what effective science programs do based on current research to aid your decision-making.

science

If you saw of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment given to eighth-grade students in 2024, then you may be concerned like many other education leaders. Students’ average science scores were down, and they reported that they had fewer chances to carry out scientific practices such as designing investigations, using evidence to support claims, and building and presenting arguments.

Addressing this won’t be easy, especially since educators say that they don’t have the resources they need to like they want to. In light of budget limitations and staff shortages in districts across the U.S., you’ll want to ensure any science program you adopt will be worth the implementation time and effort. We put together this guide to evaluating a digital science program to smooth the process.

What Districts Should Consider Before Adoption

When thinking about adopting a digital science program, we recommend starting with the idea that every technology earns its place in the classroom. Ģý has created a resource specifically for education leaders: Learning by Design: A District Framework for Evaluating Classroom Technology. This framework identifies six dimensions for deciding whether a technology was built to enable learning through distinct, technology-based instructional practices not easily replicated with print materials or offline activities.

Once you’re confident that a digital science program is worth investigating further, there are 10 areas to explore more in depth.

Grade-Band Coverage Across Elementary, Middle, and High School

Does the program support instruction across grades K–12 or is it focused on one or two grade bands (K–5, 6–8, and/or 9–12)? Choosing a K–12 science program may offer benefits such as easier school- or district-wide implementation and educator training and reduced mental load for your team when choosing instructional resources. Also worth checking on programs that cover a combination of elementary, middle, and high school science: You’ll want to make sure that content is age appropriate and relevant for students in each of the different grade levels to meet their developing capabilities and needs.

Standards Alignment

When a curriculum claims to be aligned to standards, what evidence does it provide? Does it document what standard or standards are covered in each lesson and provide a scope and sequence? Documentation may exist separately from lessons, but especially with edtech, there may be more than one way to see standards covered in each lesson. Of course, a supplemental science program will not cover all the standards that a core curriculum will, but you should be easily able to see what standards are addressed.

NGSS Alignment and Three-Dimensional Learning

More than 40 states have adopted the (NGSS) or standards based on the framework of research that supports them. The NGSS are designed to give educators the flexibility to create engaging classroom learning experiences and improve science education for all students. If your state is NGSS aligned or has standards like them, you’ll want to ensure any science curriculum you’re considering has instructional materials that support NGSS expectations for student learning.

The NGSS approach to science instruction involves three-dimensional learning:

  • Crosscutting concepts (CCCs) reveal connections across physical science, life science, earth and space science, and engineering design.
  • Science and engineering practices (SEPs) show what scientists do to investigate the world and what engineers do to design and build systems.
  • Disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) consist of key ideas in science that are important across different science or engineering disciplines,

All three dimensions are combined to form standards, and each works with the other two dimensions to help students develop a cohesive understanding of science over time. A digital science program under consideration should clearly demonstrate that three-dimensional learning is built into its instructional materials.

Phenomena-Based Learning

Phenomena-based learning will likely play an important role in lessons and activities in a digital science program. In who are looking to choose or create lessons, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) recommends identifying real-world phenomena to study. The NSTA notes the phenomena should be interesting to students and explaining the phenomena should require that students understand the targeted core ideas. Ask for access to lessons to check for phenomena-based learning.

Inquiry-Based Science Instruction

How will students explore phenomena introduced in lessons? The NSTA suggests a number of inquiry-based approaches that educators can ask of students:

  • Coming up with scientific questions
  • Planning and/or performing an investigation
  • Analyzing data
  • Constructing explanations
  • Developing models
  • Creating and presenting arguments

Does the digital science program you’re considering give your team different ways to deliver inquiry-based instruction?

Student Engagement with Digital Science Content

As our Education Insights 2025–2026 Report showed, 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that engagement is critical to their students’ success. Despite this, 80% of students say they are bored in school at some point each week. What should you look for that will keep students engaged with digital science content? In general, a program that gets students to think deeply, uses technology intentionally, and provides real-world relevance is going to be more effective.

Virtual Labs, Interactives, Videos, and Simulations

Intentional technology usage can take many different forms, such as virtual labs, interactives, videos, and simulations. Resources like these can provide the three-dimensional, phenomena-driven, and inquiry-based learning that make for exciting student investigations and develop scientific thinking:

  • Virtual labs let students step into the role of scientist and study phenomena or topics that would be difficult or impossible to investigate in the real world.
  • Interactives provide more of an active learning experience, can help break up complex ideas into more manageable pieces, and fit a variety of use cases.
  • Videos can make the abstract more concrete, provide real-world context, and support different learning needs.
  • Simulations let students explore cause and effect, model complex systems, and test predictions.

Teacher Workflow and Lesson Planning

Even though a digital science program may provide engaging lessons and content, does it make it easy for teachers to plan, assign, and deliver those lessons or share content with the class? While search functionality should be standard, technology-based programs may have other ways to help educators find and customize lessons and resources for their classrooms, such as a favorites collection or content editing tools. It may be easy to discount a program’s usability as a factor in teacher success, but poor usability may slow them down or convince them to avoid the program entirely, wasting funds and possibly reducing instructional quality.

Differentiation, Intervention, and Enrichment

Some form of support for differentiation in Tier 1 instruction is a must-have to reach as many learners as possible using a digital science program. This could be ready-to-use resources that are already differentiated, clear guidance on ways to differentiate instruction to meet different needs, or built-in technology that aids the differentiation work of your team. Since manual differentiation is such a time-intensive effort for teachers, a science program that lightens the load should be a top priority.

Ideally, you’re looking at a digital science program that also enables Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention for students who need extra support and enrichment opportunities for students who need new challenges. Student benefits from working with a familiar program include a reduced cognitive load and greater instructional coherence, which can boost learning. For schools, this reduces the complexity of teachers’ toolkits, removes the need for supplementation on their own, and may offer cost savings over purchasing separate programs for each student group.

Assessment, Reporting, and Instructional Data

Formative and summative assessments, reporting, and instructional data all support data-driven decision-making, which strengthens teaching and learning in many ways. For example:

  • Improves the accuracy of placement in different tiers of instruction and boosts learning outcomes of struggling students
  • Informs instructional decisions and differentiation aimed at meeting individual student needs
  • Provides insight into student, classroom, school, or district performance overall

A digital science program that provides assessment, reporting, and instructional data offers similar benefits to those mentioned in our discussion of differentiation, intervention, and enrichment. These include a lower cognitive load for students and a less complex set of tools for teachers to master. Adopting a program with robust assessments built in could open up the possibility of dropping separate assessment solutions that you might be using.

Professional Learning and Implementation Support

A digital science program will likely include some professional learning, even if it’s limited to getting started, to help your team incorporate it in classroom instruction. Beyond the basics, the vendor should either bundle more extensive professional learning with the program or offer it as a separate package. Options may be virtual or in person, on demand or live, single or multi-session, or combinations of those. Once you see what your choices are, you can match them to your needs and preferences. To be effective, professional learning will have characteristics like a focus on strategies, active learning, collaboration, models of effective practice, and more.

Be sure to dive into what implementation would involve at the district, school, and classroom levels, like how the curriculum would fit into your current educator tools and resources and integrate with existing district systems, such as an LMS. We’ve identified seven action items for successful implementation that can serve as a guide. Don’t forget to ask a key question of the vendor: What kind of implementation support can you provide to get us up and running with less time and effort?

What Makes a Digital Science Program Effective?

Here’s what current research says effective science programs do:

  • Offer a sequence of learning experiences that develop students’ understanding of scientific and engineering principles, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas
  • Explore the historical, social, cultural, and ethical aspects of science and its applications as well as engineering and its resulting technologies
  • Gives students opportunities to participate in a range of scientific activities and scientific thinking, including inquiry and investigation, collection and analysis of evidence, logical reasoning, and communication and application of information
  • Map all lessons and assessments to specific standards that are identified for educators
  • Offer Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction using coherent language, routines, and approaches
  • Provide data-driven insights to inform instruction
  • Integrate differentiation, intervention, and enrichment coherently
  • Support teacher implementation through ongoing professional learning

General Questions to Ask About a Digital Science Program

Once you’ve identified a digital science program worth exploring, you may want to ask the vendor:

  • Do you have case studies or data from schools/districts like ours that have used this program?
  • What data would indicate this program is working for our students? How long should we expect it to take?
  • What is the total cost of implementation, including materials, professional learning, technology, and ongoing support? Over how many years?
  • Is there an active learning community associated with the program?

Other questions you can discuss with your team:

  • Does this program address the specific challenges we’re facing?
  • How does this program align with our district’s strategic goals and priorities for science education?
  • What would we need to change to successfully implement this program?
  • How will this program work alongside our existing initiatives?
  • Do we have teacher buy-in for this program?

Questions to Ask During a Science Program Demo

When you’ve scheduled a demo to see a science program in action, use this set of questions to make the most of your time:

  • Can you show us how units and lessons map to our state standards within the program?
  • Is there a scope and sequence that teachers can easily access?
  • What is the process for rostering students?
  • How are lessons organized, accessed, edited (if possible), and assigned?
  • Can you show us teacher and student views of lessons and activities?
  • What instructional supports for teachers are provided and how will they find them?
  • How will lessons support three-dimensional learning?
  • If lessons are phenomena driven, what are the different ways a student can investigate a phenomenon using your program?
  • Can we walk through an example of each type of resource that teachers will need to use, such as a virtual lab, interactive, video, and simulation?
  • Does your program offer accessibility tools and supports for students that you can demonstrate?
  • What student performance data does your program collect and what reporting does it provide (e.g., student, class, school, district)?
  • What technology is required in each classroom and school to use this program?
  • What support do you offer if we run into problems using the program?

Ģý Science Ģý

Science Techbook

This K–12 core science curriculum brings three-dimensional learning to life through ready-to-teach lessons packed with phenomena-driven instruction and immersive hands-on experiences. Science Techbook simplifies instruction and saves educators time with streamlined lesson planning, personalized differentiation, and ongoing progress monitoring. What’s more, its exclusive, original content captures student interest with real-world relevance, helping them connect science to their everyday lives.

Dive into Science Techbook with a demo!

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Ģý Experience

Our K–12 instructional companion Experience, which covers science, math, ELA, and careers, also offers inquiry-based learning, immersive learning activities, and real-world relevance to boost student engagement. Teachers start every day with a personalized, subject-specific starting point that provides resource recommendations organized by instructional intent, quick access to topics by grade band, standards-aligned resources filtered for grade and location, and much more!

See Experience in action with a demo!

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]]> science Instructional Coach: What They Do, Why the Role Matters, and How to Become One /blog/teaching-and-learning/instructional-coach/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:23:06 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=221547 Key takeaways An instructional coach is a specialized educator who consistently and intentionally collaborates with classroom teachers to improve classroom instruction and increase student academic growth and achievement. An instructional coach's most important responsibility is building and maintaining relationships and connections with classroom teachers so they can collaborate effectively to improve student outcomes. An effective […]

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Key takeaways

  • An instructional coach is a specialized educator who consistently and intentionally collaborates with classroom teachers to improve classroom instruction and increase student academic growth and achievement.

  • An instructional coach's most important responsibility is building and maintaining relationships and connections with classroom teachers so they can collaborate effectively to improve student outcomes.

  • An effective instructional coach possesses a variety of skills and traits, including trustworthiness, strong communication skills, and critical thinking skills.

teacher meeting approved

The instructional coach role has rapidly grown over the past decade. It seems that most schools have added one, if not more, to their staff, and for good reason. As the education landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, so too have educators’ and students’ needs.

Now more than ever, educators need support balancing students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs with the ever-changing mandates and responsibilities imposed by school and district administrators, as well as state legislatures. Their to-do list is never-ending, the curriculum and expectations are constantly changing, and students’ needs are greater than ever before. There just isn’t enough time in the day or the school year.

The role of an instructional coach is meant to meet some of these needs through targeted, intentional support of teachers, aimed at improving classroom instruction and increasing student academic achievement. When effectively incorporated into the school environment, an instructional coach is critical to teacher growth and improved student outcomes.

What is an instructional coach?

An instructional coach is a specialized educator, often an experienced or master teacher, who consistently and intentionally collaborates with classroom teachers to improve instruction and increase student academic growth and achievement.

They do this by working with teachers to improve lesson quality, fully implement evidence-based instructional practices, ensure fidelity to curriculum and other school initiatives, and deliver individualized, long-term professional development embedded within the classroom environment.

What does an instructional coach do day to day?

An instructional coach, like many other faculty and staff members in a school, wears many different hats. First and foremost, they build and maintain relationships and connections with classroom teachers so they can collaborate effectively to improve student outcomes. To achieve this, an instructional coach must build trust and create a safe space for teachers to share ideas, take risks, and learn from one another.

In many ways, an instructional coach serves as a mentor to fellow educators by sharing educational resources, modeling best practices in the classroom, serving as a co-teacher at times, and conducting informal observations to provide feedback on teachers’ practice.

Additionally, an instructional coach typically facilitates Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), conducts coaching cycles, helps teachers analyze and interpret student data to drive instructional decision-making, and provides individualized, long-term professional learning rather than the one-and-done professional development of the past.

While an instructional coach may or may not be considered part of a school’s administration, they act as a bridge or liaison between teachers and administrators and must collaborate with school leadership to ensure students’ diverse needs are met and teachers’ needs are supported.

What are the benefits of having an instructional coach for your school or district?

Historically, schools have relied on one-and-done professional development facilitated by outside consultants or experts. While these trainings can be valuable, schools and teachers, in particular, get much more bang for their buck when they bring professional learning in-house. Teachers receive focused, individualized, long-term support tailored to their specific needs, and follow-up support from an instructional coach, which is the key ingredient in building effective classroom learning and improving student outcomes.

Additionally, an instructional coach may have more time to analyze and interpret student data with teachers and can often streamline the process for the school’s leadership.

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What skills does an instructional coach need?

An effective instructional coach possesses several key skills and characteristics.

1. Classroom Experience

An instructional coach should have a proven track record as a classroom teacher. Earning the trust of veteran teachers isn’t always easy, so extensive classroom experience provides the credibility needed to build relationships. That experience is also necessary to ensure a masterful understanding of pedagogy, curriculum and instruction, and student behavior.

2. Credibility and Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness may be the most important skill an instructional coach can have. An instructional coach’s success depends on their ability to build strong relationships with classroom teachers; if teachers don’t view them as a trustworthy colleague, no real work can be accomplished.

3. Communication Skills

Effective communication skills are key for an instructional coach. Whether facilitating a Professional Learning Community, sharing feedback with a teacher after a recent observation, or collaborating with a grade-level team to make sense of student data, clear, concise communication is critical. Additionally, an instructional coach needs to be comfortable giving constructive feedback and have the skills to do so sensitively.

4. Tech-Savvy

Being savvy with classroom technologies and curricula is critical to an instructional coach’s ability to collaborate with teachers on lesson design and improving classroom instruction.

5. Team Player

An instructional coach is not an administrator. Rather, they are a critical member of every grade-level or content-area team. All staff members, including the instructional coach, must understand this distinction. The instructional coach supports every teacher’s growth and development, and this is only possible when everyone works together toward a common goal.

6. Critical Thinker

An instructional coach must be able not only to analyze and interpret student data to drive instructional decision-making, but also to think outside the box to help teachers solve classroom problems.

7. Knowledgable

Being current on educational practice and research is critical for an instructional coach. A large component of their role is to think outside the box to solve problems and introduce fresh ideas and strategies to teachers who are likely too tired or overwhelmed to do the research themselves.

While the role of an instructional coach is multi-faceted and may seem daunting, it is also incredibly rewarding. When incorporated into a school the right way, an instructional coach plays a pivotal role in supporting teachers’ efforts to bring positive change and growth to the students and the school.

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]]> teacher-meeting-approved Literacy Professional Development for Teachers /blog/teaching-and-learning/literacy-professional-development/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:19:39 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=221488 Key takeaways Effective literacy professional development for teachers includes ongoing opportunities to learn, practice new strategies, receive feedback, and improve instruction. Literacy training should connect directly to the curriculum, student work, and the reading and writing challenges teachers see in their classrooms. School leaders strengthen professional learning by protecting collaboration time, providing coaching, and evaluating […]

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Key takeaways

  • Effective literacy professional development for teachers includes ongoing opportunities to learn, practice new strategies, receive feedback, and improve instruction.

  • Literacy training should connect directly to the curriculum, student work, and the reading and writing challenges teachers see in their classrooms.

  • School leaders strengthen professional learning by protecting collaboration time, providing coaching, and evaluating whether new practices are improving instruction.

science of reading

Students use literacy skills throughout the school day. Students need to read directions, understand information, and explain their thinking throughout the school day. When they struggle with reading or writing, it can affect their learning in every class.

For that reason, literacy training cannot be treated as a one-time event on the district calendar. Teachers need time to understand the research, see what effective instruction looks like, try new practices, and examine the results with colleagues. Strong literacy professional development for teachers stays connected to classroom work and supports educators after the first training session.

What Is Literacy Teacher Professional Development?

Literacy professional development helps teachers strengthen reading and writing instruction. Depending on students’ needs, it may focus on early reading skills, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, assessment, intervention, or support for multilingual learners.

Literacy professional development is most effective when it focuses on a clearly identified need. For example, elementary teachers might need support with phonemic awareness or decoding skills, while middle and high school teachers might need ways to help students better understand complex texts, improve written responses, or use evidence more effectively.

The training should then connect directly to the curriculum and materials teachers use. Teachers need to see how a strategy fits into an actual lesson, when students may need additional support, and how they will know whether it is working. General information can be helpful, but teachers also need practical ideas they can use in the classroom.

This is where intentional professional learning becomes important. Teachers should have opportunities to practice, ask questions, and receive useful feedback. That process respects teachers as professionals and recognizes that meaningful improvement takes time.

What Are the Different Types of Professional Development for Literacy Teachers?

Literacy training can take several forms. Districts should first decide what teachers need and then choose the type of training that fits that need.

Workshops can introduce new research, explain a district goal, or help teachers learn new materials. They can be a good starting point, but teachers also need time to use what they learned, ask questions, and make changes.

Coaching gives teachers classroom support. A literacy coach may teach part of a lesson, plan with a teacher, observe instruction, or review student work. This gives teachers feedback as they try a new approach.

Teacher teams can also meet regularly to solve specific problems. They might review writing samples, identify a skill students are struggling with, and decide what to teach next. These meetings are most useful when teachers leave knowing what they will do differently.

Teachers can also learn through classroom observations, online courses, conferences, book studies, and other training programs. Districts may use several approaches. A workshop can introduce an idea, while coaching and follow-up meetings help teachers use it in the classroom.

Building a culture of literacy also means approaching literacy as a shared responsibility. Reading and writing development should not fall only to elementary teachers or the English department. Students need consistent support across grade levels and subjects.

What Kinds of Certifications Can Literacy Teachers Get?

Certification requirements vary by state, so teachers should begin with their state education department and district. Some educators pursue a reading or literacy specialist certificate that includes advanced work in literacy development, assessment, intervention, coaching, and leadership.

Teachers can also earn endorsements in reading, special education, English as a new language, or a specific reading approach. Other training may focus on structured literacy, dyslexia, early reading, adolescent literacy, or literacy coaching.

Teachers should choose training that fits their job and goals. A certificate is most useful when teachers can use what they learn in the classroom. Before enrolling, teachers should make sure the program is based on reliable research and gives them opportunities to apply what they learn.

District leaders also need to decide how they will use that expertise. A teacher with advanced literacy training can support colleagues, contribute to curriculum work, review student data, or coach.

Explore Professional Development Resources

See how Ģý can support teacher growth through impactful professional learning.

What Are the Benefits of Professional Development for Literacy Teachers?

Well-designed professional development strengthens teacher knowledge and decision-making. Educators need to understand how literacy develops, recognize why a student may be struggling, and choose an appropriate response. That knowledge helps teachers use programs and materials thoughtfully rather than follow them without considering what students need.

Professional development can help schools create a more consistent approach to literacy instruction. Students benefit when teachers use similar language, expectations, and routines across grade levels. Teachers do not need to teach identical lessons, but students should be able to build on what they learned the previous year.

Teachers can learn a great deal from one another. Looking at student work together helps them see where students are struggling, share ideas, and decide what to teach next. It also makes literacy instruction a schoolwide responsibility.

Effective literacy strategies are easier to implement when teachers have the right materials and ongoing support. Professional development also helps teachers adjust their instruction when students need more time, another way to learn the material, or extra practice.

Teachers are more likely to find professional development useful when it addresses classroom problems and provides educational resources they can use with students. Training should help teachers do their jobs more effectively, not add another requirement.

5 Tips for Improving Yourself as a Literacy Teacher

1. Choose One Skill to Improve

Choose one part of your teaching to improve. Use student work, assessment results, and what you see in the classroom to help you decide where to focus. This might be vocabulary, reading fluency, writing, or support for students who are still learning to read independently. A clear goal will help you choose the right training and see whether it is making a difference.

2. Use New Strategies in Upcoming Lessons

Use the new strategy in a lesson or unit you are already planning. Think about when students will need an example, practice time, discussion, or feedback. Training is more useful when teachers can apply what they learn to their daily instruction.

3. Review Student Work as a Team

Review student work as a team, focusing on one skill. Identify what students already do well, where they need help, and what to teach next. These conversations can help teachers plan their next steps.

4. Learn From Feedback and Other Teachers

Ask a colleague to observe part of a lesson and give you feedback. You can also visit another classroom to see how a teacher teaches reading or writing and helps students correct mistakes. Choose one thing to focus on before the observation.

5. Check Whether Students Are Improving

It’s also important to decide how you will check student progress before trying a new strategy. You might decide to look at reading accuracy, writing, classroom discussions, or a short assessment. If students are not improving, seek additional support and try a different approach.

Making Literacy Professional Development Part of the Work

School leaders are responsible for creating the conditions that allow this work to continue. That includes protecting collaboration time, providing access to coaching and effective instructional materials, and keeping the district focused on a manageable number of priorities. Leaders should also ask teachers what support they need and remove activities that take time without improving instruction.

Effective literacy professional development for teachers is not measured by how many sessions a district offers or how many certificates employees earn. I would look for the results in classrooms. Teachers should be making more informed instructional decisions, students should receive more consistent support, and teams should respond sooner when learning is not progressing as expected.

The goal is to give teachers the knowledge, time, and support they need to improve literacy instruction. When districts make this a priority, professional development becomes a natural part of the district’s ongoing work to improve student learning.

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]]> science-of-reading Futures Fair: Shaping Student Professional Success /blog/future-ready-students/futures-fair-and-career-fairs-shape-student-success/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:29:00 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=203078 From Curiosity to Career: How School Career Fairs Shape Student Futures It’s so rewarding to see students make breakthroughs, whether it’s learning a new concept, developing proficiency across multiple standards, or finding a sense of direction for their life after they finish school. But that last example can often be a mystery for many students. […]

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From Curiosity to Career: How School Career Fairs Shape Student Futures

It’s so rewarding to see students make breakthroughs, whether it’s learning a new concept, developing proficiency across multiple standards, or finding a sense of direction for their life after they finish school. But that last example can often be a mystery for many students. Educators hear “I don’t know” a lot when they ask about career plans, even from high school students.

That kind of moment is why career fairs matter. For many students, especially those whose families or communities haven’t presented a wide range of professions, a career fair may be the first time they glimpse what’s possible. Hearing a powerful story, meeting someone with an impressive job, or just seeing someone who looks like them in a role they hadn’t considered can shift their perspective.

2025 Futures Fair HS Students by Table

Let’s explore the benefits of career fairs in general and then look at what makes the annual Ģý’s Futures Fair stand out.

Four Reasons That Career Fairs Matter

  • Exposure Expands Possibility: Students can’t aspire to what they don’t know exists. Career fairs give them the chance to discover careers far beyond the small circle of what they normally see.
  • Relevance Connects School to Life: Research shows that students who participate in career development activities are significantly more likely to believe school is useful to their future. When they hear directly from a professional how math, writing, or teamwork matters in their field, students discover real-world applications for their skills.
  • Role Models Make Careers Real: Meeting professionals in person (whether an architect, nurse, or designer) helps them picture themselves in those roles. Career fairs turn job titles into relatable people and stories.
  • Interpersonal Skills for Success: Career fairs aren’t just about jobs, they’re practice grounds for life skills. Students learn how to ask thoughtful questions, introduce themselves with confidence, and explore what interests them. These interactions build social capital and professional fluency long before a job interview.

What Is Futures Fair?

Ģý’sFutures Fair is an annual virtual career fair connecting classrooms across the U.S. with real-world professionals from companies involved in STEM, the arts, skilled trades, entrepreneurship, public service, and more—including Honda, Levi’s, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Educators and students tune in to discover how today’s learning connects to tomorrow’s opportunities. They can choose from elementary, middle school, and high school tracks, which offer a series of 25-minute virtual sessions that give students a firsthand look at the skills shaping the future.

Our overall goal is that we want to encourage early and often career exploration and giving students all sorts of experiences that allow them to understand what their skills are, what they’re interested in, [and] who the people are in the jobs that they could be meeting.

Amy Nakamoto, Chief Commercial Officer, Ģý
2025 Futures Fair HS Student with Corporate Partner

What Was the 2025 Futures Fair Like?

The inaugural Futures Fair connected over 30,000 students in K–12 classrooms, virtually and in person, for a day of inspiring learning and career exploration. Some of the virtual sessions included:

Elementary Track (K–5)

  • “Bright Minds, Safe Futures: Exploring Smart Tech & Creative Problem-Solving!” from ǰٴDz’s Director of AI & Innovation Iskander Sanchez-Rola
  • “From Pipes to Sinks: The Plumbing Magic Behind Everyday Water!” from Home Depot’s Director Omni Retail Sales Casey Nix
  • “Fire Detectives: Solving Mysteries with Science” from The Hartford’s Forensic Engineer Ben Smith

Middle School Track (6–8)

  • “Medicine Meets Machines: Exploring the Future with a Tech-Savvy Doctor!” from ѱٲ’s Director, Product Management John MacDonald
  • “From Cockpit to Cutting-Edge: A Journey into Aerospace Innovation” from DzԱɱ’s Distinguished Technical Fellow, Aerospace Technologies Thea Feyerelsen
  • “From Farm Fields to Lab Discoveries: A Scientist’s Journey to 3M!” from 3’s Corporate Scientist Jeff Emslander

High School Track (9–12)

  • “Crash Science: How Engineers Design Cars to Keep You Safe!” from DzԻ岹’s Crash & Safety Test Engineer Paige Vernon, and Principal Automotive Crash Safety Engineer Susan Mostofizadeh
  • “Genes, Germs, and Discovery: A Biologist’s Mission to Make Science Make Sense!” by ܳԲ’s Senior Scientist Chris Beierschmitt
  • “Breaking the Mold: How Courage, Curiosity, and Steel Spark Lifelong Growth!” by ܳǰ’s Branch Manager Victoria Kirk

A huge thank you to Ģý for including my students and me in such an inspiring experience. The Futures Fair was awesome. Moments like these remind me why I teach to empower students with voice, choice, and a vision for their future.

Daniel Jones, M.Ed. ABD

In-Person Futures Fair

This 2025 Futures Fair was not limited to virtual. We approached our longstanding partner Prince Georges’ County Public Schools with the idea of transforming Gwynn Park High School into a real-life Futures Fair for the day. We brought corporate partners to the event, so more than 500 tenth and eleventh grade students got the chance to interact with professionals from companies like Capital Power, AES, Charles River, and The Swinerton Foundation. They also got to learn about community organizations such as PGCPS Parks & Rec and Atlantic Union Bank.

2025 Futures Fair Kick off

Education advocate and former engineer Brandon Okpalobi kicked the event off by inspiring students with a message to make the most of the opportunity to connect and explore. Then students participated in hands-on activities to develop the “4 Cs”:

  • “Pitch It” prompted kids to pitch a product idea in 30 seconds (Communication)
  • “Design a Logo” prompted them to design a logo for their dream brand (Creativity)
  • “Build It” challenged kids to build as high a structure as possible using pipe cleaners and tin foil (Collaboration)
  • “Reflex Test” asked them to consider what goes into making quick judgment calls (Critical Thinking)

The day concluded with a special, all-grades broadcast live from Churchill, Manitoba (the polar bear capital of the world). Renowned wildlife artist and former Disney animator Aaron Blaise explored how art can connect humans with wild animals, including polar bears.

All the students, educators, and professionals who joined the first Futures Fair made it successful far beyond our expectations, and we are excited for the 2026 experience as well!

It’s very important to learn about [career options], so you can at least expand your information, [and] explore new things that you want to do in life.

Gwynn Park High School Student

How to Continue Career Exploration in Your School or District

Career exploration remains important beyond time spent holding career fairs. According toresearch we released this year, 90% of students believe early exposure to careers helps them feel more confident about who they could become. Ģý is committed to this important work.

  • Experienceis the only teaching and learning solution that makes it easy to connect career exploration to curriculum.
  • Career Connect is built into Experience, making it safe and simple to bring industry professionals directly into classrooms.
  • Careers Hub lets educators access curated resources aligned to 14 career clusters, complete with profiles, virtual field trips, and immersive tools.

You’ll find even more resources through our partnership with.

Picture of DE Staff

DE Staff

David has spent over 10 years in various roles with companies seeking to improve lives through effective teaching and learning. He values the empowering nature of adding knowledge and strengthening understanding, whether personal or professional.

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]]> Blog-2025-Futures-Fair-HS-Students-by-Table Blog-2025-Futures-Fair-HS-Student-with-Corporate-Partner Blog-2025-Futures-Fair-Kick-off Picture of DE Staff Webinar Recap: From Someday to the School Day /blog/educational-leadership/webinar-recap-from-someday-to-the-school-day/ Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:35:22 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=221058 Key takeaways While families are the largest influence on students’ career aspirations, nearly all administrators, teachers, and students agree that schools have an important role to play. 76% of students say they discovered a career that interested them before high school, and more than half said this interest formed in elementary. Embedding career readiness in […]

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Key takeaways

  • While families are the largest influence on students’ career aspirations, nearly all administrators, teachers, and students agree that schools have an important role to play.

  • 76% of students say they discovered a career that interested them before high school, and more than half said this interest formed in elementary.

  • Embedding career readiness in daily instruction and teaching key skills like problem-solving and adaptability are key to preparing students for professional success.

Girl Looking Through Microscope

With the release of the 2026–2027 Education Insights Report, Ģý hosted a webinar for educators and education leaders to dive into the report findings and discuss their implications. Justin Karkow, Vice President of Teaching & Learning at Ģý, kicked things off with an overview of what would be covered: when students start thinking about their future, where perspectives on career readiness differ, and how schools can make career connections a key part of daily instruction.

Where Students Learn About Careers

Mr. Karkow presented a statistical gap from the report for everyone to consider before asking the panelists to weigh in: Only 10% of middle school students say they learn about careers in class at least weekly, but 71% of administrators believe career learning happens at that frequency in their schools. Clearly, the student experience is not the same as the administrator understanding.

When asked what influences their career aspirations the most, students across every grade level identified their family. Mr. Karkow said, “It means students have people in their corner, but it also tells us that a student’s sense of what is possible is shaped largely by what is already around them.”

Career Readiness in Schools

That said, nearly all administrators, teachers, and students surveyed agree that schools have an important role to play in career readiness. 94% of district leaders report that career readiness is just as important as academic outcomes. But teachers and students both tell us that weekly career-connected instruction is not happening at the rate that leaders believe it is. Another gap uncovered in the report: While 92% of administrators say schools effectively prepare students for their futures, only about two-thirds of teachers agree.

Mr. Karkow asked Dr. Mayfield, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning at Houston County SD, to offer his observations on what schools are currently doing with career readiness. Dr. Mayfield said that they want to ensure students know what careers are possible, so in 13 of his district’s 25 elementary schools, they have a special class that introduces computer science or STEM. In middle school, students explore more, make connections in class, and look into career pathways based on personal interests. In high school, they expand and extend the opportunities students have to learn about multiple pathways, and next year they’re opening their STEM Academy that will focus on healthcare, advanced math and science, and technology.

Industry Partnerships with Schools

Mr. Karkow then asked Mr. Lozano, Senior Manager–Responsible Business at Verizon, to speak to a different question: “What makes a partnership that students genuinely feel and remember?” Mr. Lozano brought up Verizon’s holistic approach with their programs that support both students and teachers, which include the technology itself, professional development, and access to their network. In addition, they try to offer relatable role models to interact with students and they’ve partnered with Ģý to create a Virtual Field Trip (VFT).

Mr. Lozano explained that students probably think about the end user experience with Verizon, such as someone selling them a phone in a retail store, but they might not realize there are many careers that support that salesperson. It’s also important to clearly link classroom subjects to the skills needed to solve real-world problems, so that “the curriculum and content [feel] relevant and purposeful.”

Perspective from Higher Education

Dr. Aglio, Associate Vice President for Penn State Outreach & Executive Director, Readiness Institute at Penn State, was asked to provide his perspective on career readiness. He stated that he chose Penn State because of the opportunity to start their Readiness Institute program. As he described it, “It wasn’t getting students ready for something, but [rather] getting students ready for anything.” That’s the shift called for today. Dr. Aglio pointed out that 42% of students in higher education right now are rethinking their majors and degrees because of technology developments like AI. In response, Penn State is focusing on strategy, getting students talking to industry partners and pursuing experiential learning opportunities.

He also noted that they worked with CEOs and industry leaders to create Readiness Skills Through Readiness Hints to help students understand what skills are in demand, like:

  • Communication
  • Wellness (physical, emotional, and mental)
  • Collaboration
  • Confidence
  • Adaptability

Explore the full 2026–2027 Education Insights page for even more research, insights, and benchmarks.

When to Teach Career Readiness

Our Education Insights 2026–2027 Report revealed that 76% of students say they discovered a career that interested them before high school, and more than half said this interest formed in elementary. As mentioned before, only 10% of middle school students say they get weekly exposure to career-connected learning, but it’s worth noting that:

  • 56% say they don’t know much about career options after graduation besides college
  • 58% feel pressure to pursue college even though it may not be the right fit

Mr. Karkow asked what works well when schools start career readiness instruction earlier, and Dr. Mayfield said that the computer science and STEM career exploration they offer in elementary is “simple exposure” rather than trying to push them into any particular pathway. They’ve also been including more project-based learning in the form of real-world challenges for students.

Dr. Mayfield said they’re also trying to overcome any stigma associated with blue-collar professions so that students see that they can find success without attending a four-year institution, but still build literacy and math skills.

Interest in Technology-Related Careers

Interest in technology-related careers goes up significantly from elementary to high school. Dr. Aglio mentioned that technology may give students a sense of optimism and fearlessness to change the world. He talked about a 14-year-old National Science Fair winner who worked on the treatment of pancreatic cancer because of curiosity, and his teachers gave him the flexibility to try to solve the problem. He also noted that the secret to getting students interested in technology (and math, reading, etc.) is to pair it with their interests, passions, and curiosity in some way.

How to Embed Career Readiness in Instruction

Mr. Karkow turned to the question of how career readiness can become easier to deliver early and often. We know most districts already have a vision and Portrait of a Graduate or similar framework, but only 37% of teachers say career readiness is embedded in instruction. What’s more, 91% of administrators say this depends more on individual programs or staff than a shared system.

Turning a Framework into Daily Classroom Practice

According to Dr. Mayfield, going from framework to daily practice starts with having the right people, because “without them, you can’t do anything else.” Then you need the right materials, like curriculum or resources. The third part is often overlooked: the right training, so your team knows how to use those materials effectively.

Dr. Mayfield said they’ve been focusing on clarity of intention daily, such as “What is it I want this student to walk out of my classroom knowing?” Lessons should be relevant for students, impacting their lives in today’s or tomorrow’s world.

What Embedded Career Readiness Looks Like

Dr. Aglio explained that if we prepare students to be part of a community, that will translate into their public, personal, and professional lives. Dr. Mayfield jumped in to say that they’ve been working on getting civics back into classrooms because we’ve lost sight of teaching students to be good citizens. There are also soft skills that students will need for success, such as adhering to general policies at work.

Student Motivations

In introducing some data on what students said would motivate them to pursue a job, Mr. Karkow noted they relate to having meaning. What students say is important:

  • Quality of life (82%)
  • Enjoying the job (43%)
  • Stability (23%)
  • Making a difference (17%)
  • Money (15%)

The question for the panelists: Since most educators see a gap between what students aspire to and what feels realistic, how can schools close that gap without discouraging students and their ambitions? Dr. Mayfield described a questionnaire that they give students at the end of fifth grade called Youth Science. As students answer questions about various fields (technology, health sciences, public service, etc.), it reveals where their aptitude may lie.

AI Readiness and Non-AI Skills

Our 2026–2027 Education Insights Report found that 93% of educators and students believe knowing how to work with AI tools will be important in careers, and it also showed that consistent career-connected learning is associated with greater AI readiness. Since technology keeps going in unexpected directions, Dr. Aglio identified the ability to handle change as a key skill to personal and professional success. Mr. Lozano pointed out that students need to keep the mindset of a problem-solver, where AI is simply a tool that they’re using to get somewhere. And Dr. Mayfield said they want to ensure they’re creating a situation where AI is “enhancing the student’s thinking” rather than replacing it.

Closing

Mr. Karkow ended with a challenge for attending educators and leaders: Don’t let this conversation end with the webinar itself. Every student deserves to see meaningful connections between what they’re learning in the classroom and what’s possible in the future. He urged everyone to take one next step, whether it’s sharing these insights with their team, exploring the 2026–2027 Education Insights Report together, or passing along the webinar recording and assets.

Watch the on-demand webinar for even more insights from the panelists.

Host and Presenters

Justin Karkow, Vice President of Teaching & Learning, Ģý

Dr. Elgin Mayfield, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Houston County SD

Justin Aglio, Ed.D., Associate Vice President for Penn State Outreach & Executive Director, Readiness Institute at Penn State

Alejandro Lozano, Senior Manager–Responsible Business, Verizon

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]]> Blog-Girl-Looking-Through-Microscope What to Look for in a K–12 Social Studies Curriculum /blog/educational-leadership/what-to-look-for-in-a-k-12-social-studies-curriculum/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 21:38:15 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=220907 Key takeaways When evaluating a technology-based K–12 social studies curriculum, ensure it earns its place in the classroom. Five key areas to explore: standards alignment and coherence; engagement and usability; differentiation, intervention, and enrichment; assessment, reporting, and progress monitoring; and implementation and progress monitoring. Use our list of effective K–12 social studies curricula based on […]

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Key takeaways

  • When evaluating a technology-based K–12 social studies curriculum, ensure it earns its place in the classroom.

  • Five key areas to explore: standards alignment and coherence; engagement and usability; differentiation, intervention, and enrichment; assessment, reporting, and progress monitoring; and implementation and progress monitoring.

  • Use our list of effective K–12 social studies curricula based on current research to aid your decision-making.

Teacher and High School Student with Tablet

As students move from elementary to middle school and then high school, the focus of social studies instruction naturally changes. It starts with building a foundational understanding of civics, history, and community and then moves to developing critical-thinking skills and civil discourse abilities while diving into more complex issues and historical studies. Are you confident that your teams have what they need to deliver social studies instruction that has a real impact on learners?

Based on , a majority of educators are looking for high-quality resources and supports, including “high-leverage instructional practices and guidance.” An effective social studies program should provide those and more, but what to look for may not always be clear. In this article, we’ll walk through how to evaluate a K–12 social studies curriculum as you try to meet your school or district’s unique needs.

What Districts Should Consider Before Adoption

Is the social studies curriculum you’re evaluating completely or partially digital? If so, we recommend starting with the idea that every technology earn its place in the classroom. With this in mind, Ģý has created a resource specifically for education leaders: Learning by Design: A District Framework for Evaluating Classroom Technology. This framework identifies six dimensions for deciding whether a technology was built to enable learning through distinct, technology-based instructional practices not easily replicated with print materials or offline activities.

Once you’re confident that a digital social studies program is worth investigating further, there are five areas to explore more in depth.

Standards Alignment and Instructional Coherence

When a program claims to be aligned to standards, what evidence does it provide? Does it document what standard or standards are covered in each lesson and provide a scope and sequence? Documentation may exist separately from lessons, but especially with edtech, there may be more than one way to see standards covered in each lesson. Of course, a supplemental social studies program will not cover all of the standards that a core curriculum will, but you should be easily able to see what standards are addressed.

Coherence can refer to how well key instructional system components such as state standards, curricula, and assessments regarding what instruction should look like. Without coherence, teachers may strictly use state standards as their guide, spend time leaning on their colleagues for support, or simply pull back from the instructional system as much as they can. Therefore, ensure that any K–12 social studies curriculum you’re considering will match your current messages about what instruction should involve.

Regarding instruction, coherence means that students encounter the same language, routines, and approaches, which end up reinforcing learning.

Student Engagement and Teacher Usability

As our Education Insights 2025–2026 Report showed, 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that engagement is critical to their students’ success. Despite this, 80% of students say they are bored in school at some point each week. What should you look for in a K–12 social studies curriculum that will keep students engaged? Getting students to think deeply, using technology intentionally, and providing real-world relevance are excellent indicators that programs will be engaging.

Even though a social studies curriculum may provide engaging lessons and content, does it make it easy for teachers to assign and deliver those lessons or share content with the class? Related to standards alignment and priorities, does the social studies curriculum give districts a way to help teachers focus on certain standards based on district goals? It may be easy to discount a program’s usability as a factor in teacher success, but poor usability may slow them down or convince them to avoid the program entirely, wasting funds and possibly reducing instructional quality.

Differentiation, Intervention, and Enrichment

Some form of support for differentiation in Tier 1 instruction is a must-have to reach as many learners as possible with a K–12 social studies curriculum. This could be ready-to-use resources that are already differentiated, clear guidance on ways to differentiate instruction to meet different needs, or technology that does some or all of the differentiation work for your team. Since manual differentiation is such a time-intensive effort for teachers, a social studies curriculum that lightens the load significantly should be a top priority.

Ideally, you’re looking at a social studies curriculum that also enables Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention for students who need extra support and enrichment opportunities for students who need new challenges. Student benefits from working with a familiar program include a reduced cognitive load and greater instructional coherence, which can boost learning. For schools, this reduces the complexity of teachers’ toolkits, removes the need for supplementation on their own, and may offer cost savings over purchasing separate programs for each student group.

Assessment, Reporting, and Progress Monitoring

Formative and summative assessments, reporting, and progress monitoring all support data-driven decision-making, which strengthens teaching and learning in many ways. For example:

  • Improves the accuracy of placement in different tiers of instruction and boosts learning outcomes of struggling students
  • Informs instructional decisions and differentiation aimed at meeting individual student needs
  • Provides insight into student, classroom, school, or district performance overall

A K–12 social studies program that enables assessment, reporting, and progress monitoring offers similar benefits to those mentioned in our discussion of differentiation, intervention, and enrichment. These include a lower cognitive load for students and a less complex set of tools for teachers to master. Adopting a program with robust assessments built in could open up the possibility of dropping separate assessment solutions that you might be using.

Implementation and Professional Learning

Be sure to dive into what implementation would involve at the district, school, and classroom levels, like how the curriculum would fit into your current educator tools and resources and connect to existing systems. If you’re evaluating an edtech program, we identified seven action items for successful implementation that can serve as a guide. Don’t forget to ask a key question of the vendor: Do you provide implementation support to get us up and running with less time and effort?

K–12 social studies programs will likely include some professional learning, even if it’s limited to getting started, to help your team incorporate it in classroom instruction. Beyond the basics, the vendor should either bundle more extensive professional learning with the program or offer it as a separate package. Options may be virtual or in person, on demand or live, single or multi-session, or combinations of those. Once you see what your choices are, you can match them to your needs and preferences. To be effective, professional learning will have characteristics like a focus on strategies, active learning, collaboration, models of effective practice, and more.

What Makes a K–12 Social Studies Curriculum Effective?

Here’s what current research says effective K–12 social studies curricula do:

  • Use inquiry-based learning with primary sources
  • Include collaborative learning and meaningful classroom discourse that covers different perspectives
  • Map all lessons and assessments to specific standards that are identified for educators
  • Use hands-on activities to develop understanding
  • Offer Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction using coherent language, routines, and approaches
  • Provide data-driven insights to inform instruction
  • Integrate differentiation, intervention, and enrichment coherently
  • Support teacher implementation through ongoing professional learning

Questions to Ask Before Choosing a K–12 Social Studies Curriculum

Now that we’ve explored various characteristics of K–12 social studies curricula, you might want to put together some questions that can help you decide on a particular program.

For the vendor:

  • Do you have case studies or data from schools/districts like ours that have used this program?
  • What data would indicate this program is working for our students? How long should we expect it to take?
  • What is the total cost of implementation, including materials, professional learning, technology, and ongoing support? Over how many years?
  • How is technology used in the program?
  • Does the program include primary and secondary sources in different media, such as text, video, maps, audio, charts, and graphs?
  • Are students asked to evaluate sources, analyze evidence, and develop and substantiate arguments?
  • Do materials connect content to students’ lives and communities?
  • Is there an active learning community associated with the program?

Questions to ask internally:

  • Does this program address the specific challenges we’re facing?
  • How does this program align with our district’s strategic goals and priorities for social studies education?
  • What would we need to change to successfully implement this program?
  • How will this program work alongside our existing initiatives?
  • Do we have teacher buy-in for this program?

Ģý Experience

We’ve got a supplemental K–12 social studies (and math, ELA, science, and careers) program well worth your consideration: Experience. It draws students in with inquiry-based learning, immersive learning activities, and real-world relevance. Teachers start every day with a personalized, subject-specific starting point that provides resource recommendations organized by instructional intent, quick access to topics by grade band, standards-aligned resources filtered for grade and location, and much more!

How does Experience measure up against the criteria we’ve explored? Here are just some of the ways it supports educator effectiveness and student achievement:

  • Teacher Usability: Find, filter, and align resources by grade, standard, topic, and program; use ready-to-teach lessons with built-in teacher notes; and choose strategies from the Instructional Strategies Center to pair with resources for instruction with minimal prep.
  • Differentiation: Assign resources (video, text, or interactive) at different levels, in multiple languages using the Immersive Reader, or with accessibility supports.
  • Progress Monitoring: Run Live Quiz for quick, interactive formative checks during instruction; build quick quizzes with AI TeacherTools | Assess and use the results to regroup or assign targeted practice; and create custom assessments using Assessment Builder.

See Ģý Experience in action with a demo!

The post What to Look for in a K–12 Social Studies Curriculum appeared first on Ģý.

]]> Blog-Teacher-and-High-School-Student-with-Tablet What to Look for in a K–8 Math Program /blog/educational-leadership/what-to-look-for-in-a-k-8-math-program/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:14:33 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=220428 Key takeaways When evaluating a technology-based K–8 math program, ensure it earns its place in the classroom. Six key areas to explore: grade-band coverage; standards alignment and coherence; engagement and usability; differentiation, intervention, and enrichment; assessment, reporting, and progress monitoring; and implementation and progress monitoring. Use our list of what effective K–8 math programs do […]

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Key takeaways

  • When evaluating a technology-based K–8 math program, ensure it earns its place in the classroom.

  • Six key areas to explore: grade-band coverage; standards alignment and coherence; engagement and usability; differentiation, intervention, and enrichment; assessment, reporting, and progress monitoring; and implementation and progress monitoring.

  • Use our list of what effective K–8 math programs do based on current research to aid your decision-making.

Educator Smiling While Using Laptop

Like other education leaders across the U.S., you may be searching for a K–8 math program that can boost student math achievement. The program could be core curriculum or supplemental resources, but either way, the evaluation process and criteria will be much the same. In this article, we’ll walk through important ways to evaluate a K–8 math program as you try to meet your school or district’s unique needs.

What Districts Should Consider Before Adoption

Is the math program you’re evaluating completely or partially digital? If so, we recommend starting with the idea that every technology earn its place in the classroom. With this in mind, Ģý has created a resource specifically for education leaders: Learning by Design: A District Framework for Evaluating Classroom Technology. This framework identifies six dimensions for deciding whether a technology was built to enable learning through distinct, technology-based instructional practices not easily replicated with print materials or offline activities.

Once you’re confident that a digital program is worth investigating further, there are six areas to explore more in depth.

Grade-Band Coverage Across Elementary and Middle School

Does the program support instruction across grades K–8 or is it focused on either K–5 or 6–8? Choosing a K–8 math program may offer benefits such as lower overall cost, easier school- or district-wide implementation and educator training, and reduced mental load for your team when choosing instructional resources. Also a K–8 math program concern: You’ll want to make sure that content is age appropriate and relevant for students in each of the different grade levels to meet their developing capabilities and needs.

Standards Alignment and Instructional Coherence

When a program claims to be aligned to standards, what evidence does it provide? Does it document what standard or standards are covered in each lesson and provide a scope and sequence? Documentation may exist separately from lessons, but especially with edtech, there may be more than one way to see standards covered in each lesson. Of course, a supplemental math program will not cover all of the standards that a core curriculum will, but you should be easily able to see what standards are addressed.

Coherence can refer to how well key instructional system components such as state standards, curricula, and assessments regarding what instruction should look like. Without coherence, teachers may strictly use state standards as their guide, spend time leaning on their colleagues for support, or simply pull back from the instructional system as much as they can. Therefore, ensure that any K–8 math program you’re considering will match your current messages about what instruction should involve.

Regarding instruction, coherence means that students encounter the same language, routines, and approaches, which end up reinforcing learning.

Student Engagement and Teacher Usability

As our Education Insights 2025–2026 Report showed, 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that engagement is critical to their students’ success. Despite this, 80% of students say they are bored in school at some point each week. What should you look for in a K–8 math program that will keep students engaged? Getting students to think deeply, using technology intentionally, and providing real-world relevance are excellent indicators that programs will be engaging.

Even though a math program may provide engaging lessons and content, does it make it easy for teachers to assign and deliver those lessons or share content with the class? Related to standards alignment and priorities, does the math program give districts a way to help teachers focus on certain standards based on district goals? It may be easy to discount a program’s usability as a factor in teacher success, but poor usability may slow them down or convince them to avoid the program entirely, wasting funds and possibly reducing instructional quality.

Differentiation, Intervention, and Enrichment

Some form of support for differentiation in Tier 1 instruction is a must-have to reach as many learners as possible with a K–8 math program. This could be ready-to-use resources that are already differentiated, clear guidance on ways to differentiate instruction to meet different needs, or technology that does some or all of the differentiation work for your team. Since manual differentiation is such a time-intensive effort for teachers, a math program that lightens the load significantly should be a top priority.

Ideally, you’re looking at a math program that also enables Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention for students who need extra support and enrichment opportunities for students who need new challenges. Student benefits from working with a familiar program include a reduced cognitive load and greater instructional coherence, which can boost learning. For schools, this reduces the complexity of teachers’ toolkits, removes the need for supplementation on their own, and may offer cost savings over purchasing separate programs for each student group.

Assessment, Reporting, and Progress Monitoring

Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments; reporting; and progress monitoring all support data-driven decision-making, which strengthens teaching and learning in many ways. For example:

  • Improves the accuracy of placement in different tiers of instruction and boosts learning outcomes of struggling students
  • Informs instructional decisions and differentiation aimed at meeting individual student needs
  • Provides insight into student, classroom, school, or district performance overall

A K–8 math program that enables assessment, reporting, and progress monitoring offers similar benefits to those mentioned in our discussion of differentiation, intervention, and enrichment. These include a lower cognitive load for students and a less complex set of tools for teachers to master. Adopting a program with robust assessments built in could open up the possibility of dropping separate assessment solutions that you might be using.

Implementation and Professional Learning

Be sure to dive into what implementation would involve at the district, school, and classroom levels, like how the program would fit into your current educator tools and resources and connect to existing systems. If you’re evaluating an edtech program, we identified seven action items for successful implementation that can serve as a guide. Don’t forget to ask a key question of the vendor: Do you provide implementation support to get us up and running with less time and effort?

K–8 math programs will likely include some professional learning, even if it’s limited to getting started, to help your team incorporate it in classroom instruction. Beyond the basics, the vendor should either bundle more extensive professional learning with the program or offer it as a separate package. Options may be virtual or in person, on demand or live, single or multi-session, or combinations of those. Once you see what your choices are, you can match them to your needs and preferences. To be effective, professional learning will have characteristics like a focus on strategies, active learning, collaboration, models of effective practice, and more.

What Makes a K–8 Math Program Effective?

Here’s what current research says effective K–8 math programs do:

  • Balance conceptual understanding with procedural fluency
  • Build progressively from one concept to another and revisit concepts during the year and across grade levels
  • Map all lessons and assessments to specific standards that are identified for educators
  • Use visual models, manipulatives, hands-on activities, and structured practice to develop understanding
  • Offer Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction using coherent language, routines, and approaches
  • Provide data-driven insights to inform instruction
  • Emphasize problem-solving, reasoning, and mathematical practices
  • Connect learning to real-world applications
  • Integrate differentiation, intervention, and enrichment coherently
  • Support teacher implementation through ongoing professional learning

Questions to Ask Before Choosing a K–8 Math Program

Now that we’ve explored various characteristics of K–8 math programs, you might want to put together some questions that can help you decide on a particular program.

For the vendor:

  • Do you have case studies or data from schools/districts like ours that have used this program?
  • What data would indicate this program is working for our students? How long should we expect it to take?
  • What is the total cost of implementation, including materials, professional learning, technology, and ongoing support? Over how many years?
  • How is technology used in the program?
  • Is there an active learning community associated with the program?

Questions to ask internally:

  • Does this program address the specific math achievement challenges we’re facing?
  • How does this program align with our district’s strategic goals and priorities for math education?
  • What would we need to change to successfully implement this program?
  • How will this program work alongside our existing initiatives?
  • Do we have teacher buy-in for this program?

Ģý’s DreamBox Math

If you’re interested in finding a supplemental K–8 math program to fill gaps in your curriculum, look no further than DreamBox Math. It helps educators foster meaningful learning for every student in a way that no other program can match: Its Intelligent Adaptive Engine responds immediately to every mathematical decision a student makes, ensuring they get differentiated instruction and supports automatically. Through hands-on exploration using virtual manipulatives, students build problem-solving skills they can use in and out of the classroom. Educators get real-time and daily performance data collected via continuous formative assessment, so they always know exactly where each student stands.

How does DreamBox Math measure up against the key characteristics to consider in a math program? Besides the previously mentioned hands-on learning, automatic differentiation, and progress monitoring, here are some of the many ways it matches:

  • Supports conceptual understanding and procedural fluency equally
  • Builds coherence across grade levels and concepts
  • Aligns to 10+ published curricula and every state’s standards
  • Backed by ESSA Strong (Tier 1) evidence across 13,000+ students in diverse districts

See what personalized learning in real time for each of your students could look like! Request a demo today.

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]]> Blog-Educator-Using-Laptop Everyone Agrees Career Readiness Matters. The Hard Part Is Doing It. /blog/educational-leadership/everyone-agrees-career-readiness-matters-the-hard-part-is-doing-it/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 04:45:35 +0000 /?post_type=blog&p=220462 Who among us has followed a perfectly straight career path? When I reflect on my professional journey from college coaching to nonprofit leadership to Ģý, I’m reminded how important it is for students to have the same freedom to explore their interests and learn about different careers. And that exploration should start early. Not […]

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Who among us has followed a perfectly straight career path? When I reflect on my professional journey from college coaching to nonprofit leadership to Ģý, I’m reminded how important it is for students to have the same freedom to explore their interests and learn about different careers. And that exploration should start early. Not because students need to choose an occupation sooner, but because they deserve the time and experiences to discover what matters to them and where they want to make a difference. Many of today’s students will follow their own uniquely winding path, and all would benefit from a clearer sense of the terrain ahead.

Wide Agreement, Inconsistent Implementation

At its best, career readiness helps students better understand themselves, future opportunities, and how classroom learning prepares them to connect the two. We see that everyone, from policymakers and district leaders to families and students, believes that this work matters. Ģý’s 2026-27 Education Insights Report affirms that, finding that 99% of teachers and administrators agree that schools play an important role in preparing students for their future careers. In fact, 94% of district leaders say career readiness carries the same weight as academic outcomes. State policy reflects a similar trend, with more than 40 states including at least one career-focused indicator in their school accountability systems.

Yet the challenge is turning that shared commitment into an experience that starts early and continues consistently, yet creatively, across grades. Students too often encounter meaningful career exploration too late, right when they are being asked to make important decisions about their futures after graduation. If we want those choices to be informed by years of organic discovery rather than a moment in time, career readiness needs to be built into the fabric of teaching and learning from the start. Schools need to be able to help students understand why learning matters, where it can take them, and how the future they are imagining can become reality.

Building Earlier on What Works

We know that career-connected learning works. In high school, the benefits are well documented: students stay engaged, perform better academically, and are more likely to graduate. A MDRC evaluation of the Career Academies found that among at-risk students, CTE participation reduced dropout rates by 11 percentage points and increased annual attendance by more than two weeks. Similarly, studies of Massachusetts vocational technical schools and Connecticut’s technical high schools found similar gains in graduation, attendance, and academic performance including math and English scores.

High school Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs have shown what is possible when learning and the real world come together. What happens if we begin earlier? Our new research suggests that middle school may be a critical window. Most students report that they begin forming career interests before high school, yet their exposure to careers remains limited during these years. At the same time, middle school students are making choices about what comes next even while they say they feel unaware of the full range of options and pathways available.

Career-connected learning can help close that gap, incorporating career exploration and skills development within daily core instruction. Earlier exposure to careers helps students connect what they are learning today with what they may imagine for tomorrow, while they still have time to explore. Additionally, incorporating career connections into daily instruction can foster intrinsic motivation. Our research found that approximately seven in ten students say they would try harder in school if they saw a clear connection between what they learn and their future. However, only about half said school connects to their interests or goals, with that gap between motivation and experience widening in middle school.

A Comprehensive Action Plan

If middle school is a critical window for career exploration, then simply starting earlier is not enough. Students need access to experiences that align with high-quality curriculum and build intentionally from grade to grade. Data from the Education Insights Report revealed that 91% of administrators say career readiness in their district today depends more on individual programs or staff than on a comprehensive plan of action across all grades and schools. Only 37% of teachers and 45% of curriculum directors said career readiness is embedded in instruction; further, 77% of teachers said bringing career exploration into core learning is difficult in practice.

Teachers are clear on what would help: 95% said they need more resources to connect classroom learning to real-world careers. At the same time, administrators identified broader implementation challenges, including staff capacity, timing, usable curriculum, and instructional alignment. Addressing both requires more than adding isolated activities or programs. Teachers need practical, high-quality resources they can embed into instruction, and districts need a coherent approach to develop career-connected learning across grade bands. Together, these pieces can make career readiness experiences more meaningful and consistent.

Many states are working on this. For example, Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Washington joined the Middle School Career Exploration Impact and Learning Network with the goal of embedding career awareness into middle grades curricula. New York’s Board of Regents adopted a statewide Portrait of a Graduate in July 2025 as part of its NY Inspires plan, joining 26 other states that have adopted a statewide portrait. Ninety-two percent of the superintendents surveyed by Hanover Research and Ģý report having a portrait or similar skills framework that guides their own district. While these efforts differ in approach, they share a common thread of future-readiness more deliberately embedded in K-12 outcomes.

Make Career-Connected Learning Count

If few careers follow a straight line, we should not design career readiness as though students are expected to choose one. Instead, let’s work together to design it as a system of repeated exploration. We must remember that career readiness should be more than preparation for one job. It should give students early and ongoing opportunities to build interests and skills to navigate many possible futures.

There’s both opportunity and urgency to make career exploration a more consistent part of learning long before students enter high school. That means creating meaningful connections between what students are learning and the world around them, without adding another subject to an already packed school day. If we create that space, students can approach the future with the confidence, curiosity, and adaptability to thrive as their interests and the workforce evolve.

Discover the Data!

Get your free copy of the 2026-2027 Education Insights Report: Learning with Purpose

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