We’re excited to share the latest results from Opportunity Culture schools in North Carolina, according to the data released by the state. The following is a column by Public Impact’s co-presidents, Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel, first published by EducationNC on January 2, 2019. As the founders of the Opportunity Culture initiative to […]
Opportunity Culture Schools Outpace State Results in N.C.
EdNC, January 2, 2019, by Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel
As the founders of the Opportunity Culture initiative to extend the reach of great teaching to many more students, we keep a tight focus on how students and teachers benefit from Opportunity Culture implementation in their schools. In North Carolina — the largest implementation state so far — the latest student growth numbers give one great example.
Local Principal Awarded National Fellowship
Rocky Mount Telegram, November 19, 2018, by Amelia Harper
North Edgecombe High School Principal Donnell Cannon recently was selected as one of 15 Opportunity Culture Fellows nationwide. The 15 fellows come from multi-classroom leaders and principals serving in school districts that have adopted the Opportunity Culture model. This year’s fellows were selected as leaders who have achieved strong results in districts in Texas, Indiana, Arkansas and North Carolina, a press release from Public Impact said.
What Principals Can Do to Keep Good Teachers in Their Schools
EdWeek, October 16, 2018, by Madeline Will
Principal Mary Beck knew that in order to transform her Chicago high school’s staff culture, she had to go the distance—13.1 miles, to be exact. Beck, who is the principal of Nicholas Senn High School on the North Side of Chicago, ran a half-marathon last year both to raise money for her teachers and to encourage them to prioritize their own wellness.
The Risks and Rewards of Using Blended Learning to Reach More Students
By Elizabeth Annette Bartlett. This column first appeared on EducationNC. If, as a teacher who sees success with one class of students, I could reach twice as many students per class, why shouldn’t I try? That’s the question I asked myself in trying to solve a dilemma my middle school science students faced. In the […]
Meeting the Personalization Challenge with New Roles + Blended Learning
Amid all the buzz about personalizing learning, what can we learn from schools getting great results? In Public Impact’s new report with the Clayton Christensen Institute, Innovative Staffing to Personalize Learning, we analyzed eight schools and school networks that are not only personalizing learning, but also getting strong learning results with disadvantaged students. What’s different […]
Guilford County Becomes N.C.’s 5th Opportunity Culture District
Under Superintendent Sharon Contreras, Guilford County Schools, based in Greensboro, N.C., has joined the national Opportunity Culture initiative to extend the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to more students, for more pay, within schools’ recurring budgets. Researchers at the Brookings Institution and American Institutes for Research released a study in January showing the […]
Personalizing Learning with Innovative Staffing + Blended Learning: 4 New School Profiles
As part of a deep look at how schools rethink how they are organized to address each student’s needs, Public Impact and the Clayton Christensen Institute today released the second set of profiles of schools and teachers using innovative staffing with blended learning. These profiles, many with accompanying videos, set the stage for an upcoming white paper […]
Providing Good Teachers for All Students Proves to be a Challenge for States
Education Dive, April 10, 2018, by Amelia Harper
Though the “highly qualified teacher” mandates have been scrapped under the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are now tasked with defining an “effective teacher” and making sure that these teachers are being equitably distributed to all demographic groups, Education Week reports.
Analysis: New Study Finds Huge Student Learning Gains in Schools Where Teachers Mentor Their Colleagues as Multi-Classroom Leaders
This column was first published on The 74 on February 13, 2018. In survey after survey, teachers report dissatisfaction with the professional development they receive. Many aren’t satisfied with their professional learning communities or coaching opportunities. Teachers say they want more on-the-job development, career advancement while teaching, and collaboration time. Some teachers are getting what […]
New Teaching Model Yields Learning Improvement for Students in Math
Brookings, January 25, 2018, by Michael Hansen and Ben Backes
Since President Trump took office, it seems that most education news has moved away from a key pillar of the Obama-era education platform: teacher quality. Increasing teacher quality, particularly for disadvantaged students, was a principle that surfaced time and again from the Department of Education under secretaries Arne Duncan and John King.
New Research on Opportunity Culture: Multi-Classroom Leaders’ Teams Produce Significant Learning Gains
This column first appeared in Education Next on January 17, 2018. What if every student actually could have an excellent teacher? According to a new study released through the CALDER Center, it might be possible. Study authors Ben Backes of American Institutes for Research (AIR) and Michael Hansen of the Brookings Institution found that students in classrooms […]