| As 2021 dawned, we saw many wishes to “return to normal,” to re-open schools and get back to the way things were before the global COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered life as we knew it. The urge is completely understandable: what is known must surely be better than staying adrift in a time when no one knows where the guideposts are. In a post reflecting on the successes of the past year and looking ahead to what’s possible in 2021, Aurora Institute President and CEO Susan Patrick challenges the wishes for normalcy. |
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Aurora Institute Statement on the Violent Storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021
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| Aurora Institute President & CEO Susan Patrick issued the following statement in the aftermath of the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol and attempt to overturn the presidential election and thwart a peaceful transition of power:
“Aurora Institute vehemently condemns the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The actions, and their antecedents in violent rhetoric, cast a dark shadow over an American tradition that has played out peacefully for two centuries. This brand of domestic terrorism is an assault on democracy, and yet another trauma heaped on a nation already beset by challenges we’ve yet to overcome.”
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Webinar Invitation | January 27, 2021 | 1 PM ET
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Strengthening Relationships and Social Emotional Learning Supports to Foster Equity and Academic Success
More than ever, successful schools are laser focused on strengthening relationships with students, bolstering social emotional learning (SEL) supports, and guiding each student’s academic growth. These are the facets of an effective primary person model—a term for the conditions and practices that enable these goals—which help to drive equity and build a sense of identity and belonging.
Springpoint Directors of Leadership & School Design Jeff Sudmyer and Christy Kingham will lead a webinar, kicking off with an overview on the importance of learning partnerships as a way to emphasize the critical role of trusting, caring relationships that are essential to successful primary person models.
Participants will have an opportunity to dig into a practical academic coaching tool, unpack model academic conferences, and practice conferencing. Springpoint will provide resources and tools that participants can use in their own school community following the session. A school-based educator, School Social Worker Athania Ramos, will join to showcase her work, discussing the critical moves that help her successfully support students on their learning journey.
Presenters include:
- Jeff Sudmyer, Director, Leadership & School Design, Springpoint
- Christy Kingham, Director, Leadership & School Design, Springpoint
- Athania Ramos, School Social Worker, CREC Impact Academy
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Taking Time to Assess What Students Know, Think, and Feel
When my twins’ fourth-grade teacher shared their scores during their back-to-school conference last September, I was reminded of how little we learn from the summative data. Knowing their reading level was above proficient as compared to their district and state peers did not help their teacher understand areas where one or both of them might be struggling any more than the scores could tell me if they identified or connected with the stories they read. I left the meeting with a nagging feeling about what would be useful.
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Aurora Institute Issues Statement on the Nomination of Dr. Miguel A. Cardona as Education Secretary
“The Aurora Institute congratulates Dr. Miguel A. Cardona on his historic nomination to serve as the next Secretary of Education. Dr. Cardona has a distinguished history as a strong advocate for educational equity, and his professional and personal commitment to the future success of all children makes us optimistic for the road ahead. We pledge our best efforts to support the incoming administration in what will inevitably be a challenging year of re-opening and recovery, restoring hope, expanding opportunity, and transforming education.” |
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Top 10 Posts of 2020
K-12 education has been far from ordinary this year. As the novel coronavirus pandemic picked up pace across the nation, we supported school systems with lessons about anytime, anywhere learning. Also, education policymakers throughout the country sought counsel on how to enable the conditions for personalized, competency-based education. From continuity of learning to comments on federal policy to new publications, the Education Domain blog has chronicled a year that history may prove to be a watershed moment for systems change in K-12 education. The following 10 posts are the ones that resonated most with our readers in 2020.
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Mere Engagement: Reflections about the Connections Between Online Learning, Student Agency, and Student Engagement
School leaders mustn’t lose sight of the need for student agency and student engagement as they contend with the myriad challenges posed by COVID-19. In fact, they must reimagine what agency and engagement can look like in cases when students are learning virtually and also when they are unable to connect.
Mere Engagement: Reflections about the Connections Between Online Learning, Student Agency, and Student Engagement offers school leaders seven action steps to support students’ sense of mastery and ownership of their learning, along with promoting their sense of connection and belonging. They include:
- Make the implicit explicit by providing clear communications in multiple formats.
- Ensure anytime, anyplace learning with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning activities.
- Enable competency-based learning where students demonstrate mastery of content.
- Keep families in the loop.
- Design lessons that link student interests with the environment.
- Check for learning along the way.
- Create equitable opportunities to learn.
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Aurora Institute in the News
Aurora Institute shares 7 steps for engaging remote students – via District Administration magazine
The authors of new guidance from the Aurora Institute have two words for school district leaders as they focus on remote students in 2021: “Mere Engagement.”
Although much of the focus in reopening schools this January has centered on providing safe environments and assurances that technology be in the hands of students – both must-haves – the Institute says there has been a notable lack of attention paid to what can keep kids from falling behind: Those two words above. |
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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
CompetencyWorks is an online resource dedicated to K-12 competency-based education. Drawing on lessons learned by innovators, we share knowledge through a practice-focused blog, research reports on emerging issues, policy advocacy, and 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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