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The Aurora Institute 2020 Symposium In-Person Event Is Canceled: We’re Going Virtual
After much discussion and careful deliberation, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person 2020 Aurora Institute Symposium, scheduled for October 25-28, 2020, in San Antonio, Texas. We are working now on holding the Aurora Institute Symposium events virtually in the fall, including on October 26-28, 2020 (so keep your calendar’s save-the-date), to ensure we create a space for important conversations with our community.
Our top priority has always been the health, safety, and wellbeing of our attendees—the K-12 education innovators working for systemic change in K-12 education the world over. We have concluded in our reasonable judgment that COVID-19, and the resulting public health emergency, have made it inadvisable to hold our Symposium in physical proximity. With so much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, especially what it means for school communities, we believe canceling is the only way to protect attendees, speakers, staff, sponsors, and crew. |
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Aligning the Education Policy with the Science of Learning
We have launched a new blog series to highlight the recently released report, Aligning Education Policy with the Science of Learning and Development. The paper builds upon the research from the learning sciences and offers recommendations on how education policy can support and align with the science of learning and development.
A robust public education system is essential for democracy and civil society to thrive. It is time to build a system on the core principle that all students can succeed and be ready for the next steps in their learning, the workforce, citizenship, as well as for lifelong health and prosperity. Follow the series for an introduction to the learning sciences, a review of current literature, and federal and state policy recommendations. |
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New Flexibility to Use Federal Title Funds for Technology Infrastructure and Teacher Training for Distance Learning
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has created new flexibility for the use of federal title funding due to COVID-19. States can repurpose existing K-12 federal funding to pay for technology and teacher training needs associated with shifting to online learning. States and districts are recognizing the growing need to provide teachers with professional development focused on distance education and remote learning, as the COVID-19 outbreak closes schools. |
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Task Forces and Pilot Programs: Two Strategies to Enable Future-Focused, Student-Centered K-12 Education
Our special series on Future-Focused State Policy Actions to Transform K-12 Education continues. The series highlights policy issues to modernize our education system and align current educational practice with knowledge of how students learn best. We focus on leveraging state policy opportunities to increase access and open pathways toward future-focused learning experiences that build knowledge and skills for lifelong learning. |
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The Opportunity for a California Profile of a Graduate
What does it mean for young people to be prepared for future success? Are the competencies, skills, and mindsets universal, or do they vary from community to community, state to state, and country to country? How can we anticipate the needs in a world that is so unpredictable, as we have learned over the past few months? Even if we are not confident in our ability to predict the future, can we still rely on the most current research to identify the skills most likely to catapult our young people confidently into their futures? |
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Free, Customized Coaching for School System Leaders Shifting to Remote Learning
The Always Ready For Learning Network is a coalition of leading education organizations providing timely, targeted, and sustained coaching to help leaders tackle the challenges most relevant to their communities and goals. Schools and system leaders can
receive free hands-on support, including:
- Individualized coaching based on where they are and what they need to support anytime, anywhere learning
- Rapid, one-on-one planning focused on providing remote instruction, preparing for back to school, and identifying high-quality resources to support implementation
- Guidance for improvement over time through sustained access to coaches and help thinking through long-term models to support every student
To get started, school leaders must complete a brief form. A team member from The Learning Accelerator will connect to identify needs and create an action plan. Learn more and reach out for help here. |
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Aurora Institute in the News
How the coronavirus could change the way Kansas students are taught for decades – via The Wichita Eagle
“Competency based education is more than just an initiative. It really is a full systems change,” said Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the Virginia-based Aurora Institute, which promotes competency-based education. Patrick estimated that about 8 percent of districts nationally are shifting toward competency-based models.
Fast Forward: Hybrid models could prove effective. Are they here to stay? via Education Dive
Bruce Friend, chief operating officer of the education organization Aurora Institute, believes this moment could trigger a significant shift in the education system — one where hybrid learning transitions from optional to expected.
The pandemic is causing an exponential rise in the online exploitation of children, experts say – via CNN
Experts say there are two important things parents can do to protect their children from the dangers of online: Pay attention to their internet habits, and teach them how to surf the web carefully. “As parents, we have to constantly be vigilant,” said Bruce Friend, the chief operating officer of Aurora Institute, formerly known as the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. |
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| Our Center for Policy leads the multi-stage evolution of policy necessary for the growth of effective student-centered learning models toward the goals of high-quality learning and equity. Our policy priorities are designed to ensure the nation’s education system is fit for purpose and help move states forward from their current state of education to future systems. |
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| CompetencyWorks is an online resource dedicated to K-12 competency-based education. CompetencyWorks shares original research, knowledge, and a variety of perspectives through an informative blog with practitioner knowledge, policy advancements, papers on emerging issues, and a wiki with resources curated from across the field. |
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| The Aurora Institute hosts a resource library containing more than 200 materials. Working collaboratively with diverse experts in the field, the Aurora Institute produces reports, books, policy briefs, blog posts, webinars, and related resources on key topics and tough issues that equip and empower educators and leaders to catalyze and scale personalized, next-generation learning models. |
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Aurora Institute
The mission of Aurora Institute is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all.
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