Events

At this July 18 briefing, panelists shared findings from the report Encouraging Social and Emotional Learning in the Context of New Accountability. Speakers discussed opportunities states and districts have under the Every Student Succeeds Act to broaden their definitions of student success to include students’ social and emotional learning (SEL).

In 2015–16, districts around the nation struggled to get enough qualified teachers in classrooms and fell short by approximately 60,000. In this Twitter chat, LPI, the Center for Teaching Quality, and our colleagues in the Twittersphere discussed the shortages and evidence-based approaches to solving them. Use the hashtag: #teachershortage

High-quality professional development helps teachers learn and refine the instructional strategies needed to teach 21st century skills. This event, co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), and Learning Forward, included a presentation of findings from an LPI review of research on professional development to advance student learning. It also featured a discussion by practitioners and policymakers on how federal, state, and local policy and resources can help support the implementation of high-quality professional learning opportunities for teachers.

On February 27, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) and the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) held a convening on preparing and supporting quality school leaders. The program included a presentation of research and recommendations on effective principal preparation and professional learning and a panel offered local and state perspectives on the critical issue of school leadership.

On Thursday, January 26 the Learning Policy Institute and the California School Boards Association hosted a legislative briefing on the teacher shortage and its implications for California schools and students. The program included a research presentation on findings from a recent LPI-CSBA survey, comments by local stakeholders, and recommendations for state-level policies to build a strong and sustainable teacher workforce.

The Alliance for Excellent Education and the Learning Policy Institute held a webinar on using the Every Student Succeeds Act and its accompanying regulations to advance equity and educational opportunity. Designed for state policymakers and education stakeholders, the webinar focused on how states can effectively design multiple-measure accountability systems to assess overall school performance and progress—including gaps in student performance—and drive evidence-based interventions and continuous improvement across all schools and for all students.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) contains a number of new provisions that can be used to advance equity and excellence throughout our nation’s schools for students of color, students from low-income families, English learners, students with disabilities, and those who are homeless or in foster care. The Learning Policy Institute will convene a briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss these provisions and share information from a new report that outlines the equity implications of ESSA and offers recommendations on how states, districts, and schools can leverage key provisions in the new law to improve educational opportunities, especially for our most vulnerable students.

On October 26, 2016, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) joined with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to host a webinar on Building a Strong, Sustainable Teacher Workforce. Developed for state policymakers and their staff, the webinar focused on evidence-based policies and practices to recruit and retain high-quality teachers, especially in hard-to-staff subjects, schools, and regions. The recorded webinar is available for viewing.

Across the nation, teacher shortages are causing districts to scramble to find qualified teachers in math, science, special education, bilingual education, and other fields—with the most severe shortages in the highest-need schools. On September 15, the Learning Policy Institute convened leaders from government, education, business, and parent and community organizations for a timely discussion of this critical issue.

The First Five Years Fund and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) held an #ECEMatters Twitter Chat discussing national polling on early education and what states/communities are doing to ensure quality early education for all students.