Plugged In | 03.26.21 – Symposium Presentations Due Tonight, Webinar Announcement and More

March 26, 2021

The Aurora 2021 Call for Presentation Proposals Closes Tonight
Submit by 11:59 PM ET

Aurora Institute is now accepting presentation proposals for the Aurora Institute Symposium 2021. Use this link to access the Request for Proposals and submit your proposal to present. The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, March 26, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

You may download our RFP Questions document as a guide to support completing your proposal offline before entering it into the system.

Educators, system leaders, policymakers, researchers, philanthropists, and others come together at the Aurora Institute Symposium year after year to learn together, identify solutions to their toughest challenges, share the latest trends and innovations, and advance systems change in K-12 education. The convening is a chance to draw on the collective wisdom and expertise of field leaders from around the globe who are building knowledge and honing practices that will usher in the future of learning.

The Aurora Institute Program Committee will prioritize proposals that provide engaging and interactive learning opportunities, modeling personalized, competency-based approaches, drawing on participant experiences, and promoting dialogue and exchange.

The Symposium will be hosted virtually October 25-28, 2021, and we’ve created a variety of new presentation formats to foster a dynamic and interactive conference experience.

Learn More

Submit a Proposal

Education Domain Blog

One Year In: Innovative Approaches to Learning During a Pandemic

This time last year, I was visiting Ednovate’s public high schools in Los Angeles with school leaders from NewSchools’ innovative schools portfolio. Each of these leaders was designing and launching new, innovative public schools like Ednovate. Little did we know that these school leaders would have to completely redesign their approach to adjust to the realities of the pandemic.

U.S. Department of Education Issues State Guidance on Assessments This School Year Amid Pandemic

K-12 schools must administer annual standardized tests for the 2020-2021 school year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced in late February, but the agency will offer additional flexibility that balances concerns expressed by a group of diverse stakeholders, including district leaders, teacher unions, parents, advocates, and lawmakers.

Featured Resource

Educator Competencies for Personalized, Learner-Centered Environments

The newest edition of Educator Competencies for Personalized, Learner-Centered Environments, created in partnership between KnowledgeWorks and the Council of Chief State School Officers, is designed to serve as a customizable tool to guide educator development.

The intent is to enable a growing number of teachers to implement and scale up a transformation of their classrooms into places of personalized, student-centered learning. However, the Educator Competencies are aspirational; no single superhuman teacher can perform all the practices and exhibit all the behaviors continually. While individual educators may find the document useful, any significant implementation will need to take place within a broader learning community.

The new edition of Educator Competencies features:

A refreshed text with a focus on equity
A focus on teaching strategies that embrace these forces of change
Examples of the Educator Competencies being used around the country

Download

Plugged In Headlines: News About Education Transformation

Innovative School Models

The Canopy Project: A look at innovation in our schools and in our system
EdNC

Juggling ‘Roomers’ and ‘Zoomers’? How Teachers Make Hybrid Learning Work
EdSurge

Building critical thinking skills online
eSchoolNews

Why Personalized Learning Will Be Important in 2021
Wales 247

COVID-19

Feds’ First Survey of Pandemic Learning Finds Nearly Half of Students Taught Remotely
Education Week

Coronavirus and schools: Reflections on education one year into the pandemic
The Brookings Institution

The Week in COVID & Education Policy: 17 Key Updates on Schools, Students and New Data Surrounding Social Distancing in Classrooms
The 74

Reimagining the future of public education after COVID
The Hill

Almost everyone is concerned about K-12 students’ academic progress
The Brookings Institution

Education Policy

North Dakota governor signs bill to expand learning outside classroom
Grand Forks Herald

3 takeaways from the Ed Department’s National Safe School Reopening Summit
Education Dive

Department of Education Announces American Rescue Plan Funds for All 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to Help Schools Reopen
U.S. Department of Education

Educational Equity

New Study: 5 Ways Racist 1930s Housing Policies Still Haunt Schools
The 74

Data Reveals Significant Racial Disparities in School Reopening
US News

As support for LGBT-inclusive curricula grows, districts navigate persistent challenges
Education Dive

Broadband Connectivity

Internet-access spending improves academic outcomes, according to study of Texas public schools
Science Daily

The FCC’s $7 Billion Fund to Address the ‘Homework Gap’: 6 Key Issues to Watch
Education Week

Bipartisan Legislation Would Allow E-Rate Funding for School Bus Wi-Fi
Education Week

Join Our Community

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.

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.

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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