Strategies for Building Connection to Combat Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism, referring to a student who is missing more than 10% of the school year, is of rising concern for schools and districts nationwide. Rates have doubled since the pandemic; from pre-pandemic levels of 13% to 26% for the 2022-23 school year. When students aren’t in school, they can’t learn. One effective strategy has [...]
Innovative Schools Reimagine Time
Innovation can be a tricky word to define, especially in education. There are so many educational philosophies and ways of doing things that change, sometimes because of current research, and sometimes because it’s trendy. What makes an 'innovative' school? But far from being just a ‘flavor of the month’, we make the argument [...]
Competency-Based vs. Outcome-Based Education
As a new principal, I realized that I have a tragic flaw when it comes to leadership. To flip an old cliché, my issue is that I often don't see the trees for the forest. I am a big picture thinker to a fault. As a teacher, focusing on the big picture and having a [...]
How Advisory Periods Help Build Relationships
Guest post. Relationships in Education All too often, our schools are focused on metrics of academic performance and based on standardized test scores. Because of this, the significance of interpersonal relationships in shaping a student's academic and personal trajectory often doesn't receive the attention it deserves. The advisory model in education, emphasizing the cultivation [...]
One School’s Journey to Whole-Child Learning
At one High School in Massachusetts, administration was searching for transformation. As in many schools across the country, educators are seeking a way to improve learning for students, to make the shift from a schedule driven by content, to one that enables students to build relationships, master what they're learning and be intrinsically motivated [...]
Creating a Competency-Based Curriculum
On the first day of class every year, I have a student volunteer come up to the front of the classroom, and I teach them how to putt a golf ball. I use tape to put a straight line on my floor, and I demonstrate how it is possible to putt a ball straight [...]