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Aug 7, 2020
Alaska taps longtime educator and leader Bernie Sorenson as new director
The Region 16 Comprehensive Center, serving Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, has new leadership. Bernie Sorenson, of Alaska, joined the Center in July as director, joining co-directors Jeneen Hartley in Oregon and Beth Geiger in Washington.
Sorenson most recently served as a program coordinator for the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED),…
Blog Post
Aug 7, 2020
As the global coronavirus pandemic continues, many districts will offer virtual, remote, or hybrid schooling models in the Fall. Districts are actively planning the design and delivery of instruction within new models. NCIL’s newly released online implementation toolkit on Remote Literacy Learning helps schools and families join efforts to support children’s literacy growth in remote or blended learning environments.
The Remote Literacy…
Blog Post
Jul 31, 2020
Whether a veteran or novice school principal, all desire that every student returns to a school that is even better than the one the child left the previous year. Principals require support as they will continue to rally around students, teachers, families and staff in doing just that – ensuring this school year is more productive and successful than the last, despite the differences and changes that COVID-19 now requires.
While every new…
Blog Post
Jul 8, 2020
As states and districts contemplate the logistics of re-opening schools in the fall, supporting the teacher workforce is essential to ensure continuity of learning for students. Education leaders can take several steps to support teachers in the quest to provide equitable and effective instruction. Evidence-based approaches include instructional coaching and induction programs, which can improve instructional quality and student outcomes.…
Blog Post
Jun 26, 2020
The end of the school year tends to be a time to reflect on the past and think about the future. 2019–20 is no different—but it is unique, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, we have an unprecedented opportunity to develop and implement innovative solutions that address long-standing educational challenges.
One example is accountability testing (i.e., standardized tests).
Accountability testing has many valid critiques (such as…
Blog Post
Jun 23, 2020
As a parent of rising first-grader whose kindergarten year just wrapped up virtually, I’ve been closely attuned to the conversation around returning to school in fall 2020. At this point, it seems like there are three common scenarios:
learning takes place in-person,
learning takes place via a hybrid model of in-person and online learning, and,
learning takes place online.
As a working mother, when I think about these three options, I feel a…
Jun 10, 2020
U.S. Department of Education Updates
New CARES Act FAQ on Maintenance of Effort
The U.S. Department of Education released Frequently Asked Questions document on "Maintenance of Effort" requirements in the CARES Act on June 5, 2020. Two programs, the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER Fund) and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund), require States to maintain fiscal effort on behalf of elementary,…
Blog Post
Jun 5, 2020
What images come to mind when thinking about teaching young children to read? Perhaps a parent helping a child sound out the letters in an unrecognized word or a teacher talking with a small group of children about the characters in the story they’ve just read aloud. Chances are the average person doesn’t immediately summon an image of policymakers, state leaders, or researchers when thinking about young children’s reading. Yet it is the work of…
May 21, 2020
Over the last two weeks, the Department of Education and other federal agencies have released guidance to support schools, educators, and families regarding COVID-19. Some of those resources include, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance for School Settings, Resources for Institutions of Higher Education, Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund’s: Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students reporting, and the Education…
May 5, 2020
For Teacher Appreciation Week, the National Board is asking policy and system leaders to help them recognize, celebrate, and support the ways teachers, especially NBCTs, are leading during this challenging time. NBCT released a new brief which shines a light on the extraordinary leadership NBCTs are exhibiting during the pandemic, and provides suggestions for policy leaders to support teacher leaders (and all teachers) right now and in the long-…
Blog Post
May 4, 2020
I spent eight years teaching, and one of the things I remember most, second only to my students and my conversations with them, was the immense amount of time I spent curating just the right resources and materials during lesson planning.
If you’ve been a teacher, you know what I mean. You’ve also spent hours curating materials or drafting assignments, because, as you know, the right materials matter so much in teaching.
I was reminded of this…
Apr 29, 2020
The Department of Education (Department) is issued a notice Thursday, April 23, announcing the ESSER Fund under Title VIII of Division B of the CARES Act. Awards will be allocated based on a formula, and up to 10% of the SEA’s award may be retained for the state agency to use to address needs related to responding to coronavirus. SEAs have until July 1, 2020, to apply for ESSER funds by submitting a simple signed Certification and Agreement form…
Apr 7, 2020
The Department announced a new streamlined process for providing states funding flexibilities to best meet the needs of students and educators during the COVID-19 national emergency. The new flexibilities, authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, allow schools to repurpose existing K-12 education funds for technology infrastructure and teacher training on distance learning, among other flexibilities to…
Blog Post
Apr 6, 2020
An early outcome of stay-at-home policies combined with school closures is that parents, particularly parents of young children, have been thrust into a daunting role—that of being a teacher. Each of us has friends or coworkers who are not only responsible for managing increased household obligations but also feel the responsibility of providing their children with meaningful educational activities. Where can they turn for help? Where should…
Apr 1, 2020
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