Events

Teachers of color help close achievement gaps for students of color, particularly in high-poverty environments, and all students benefit from having teachers of color. Unfortunately, although more teachers of color are being recruited across the nation, there are growing gaps between the demand for such teachers and the supply. This Washington, DC, briefing examined the federal and state policies that support a well-prepared and diverse teacher workforce.

Effective professional development has the potential to support sophisticated forms of teaching that develop student knowledge and skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and self-direction. The Learning Policy Institute, the American Federation of Teachers, Learning Forward, and the National Education Association held an event showcasing innovative models of teacher-led learning and professional development that can transform schools into spaces where teachers are driving improvement through their own learning and leadership.

LPI hosted leading researchers, policymakers, and practitioners at a September 10, 2019 event which focused on several “positive outlier” school districts achieving extraordinary results with students across racial and socioeconomic groups.

Decades of research show that whole child education is essential to students' academic and life success and can reduce the negative effects of poverty on achievement. Speakers at this briefing examined federal policy levers that state and local policymakers can use to invest in research-based whole child approaches to learning, including integrated student supports, community schools, and other approaches that foster academic enrichment.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights Data Collection demonstrate that students of color, students with disabilities, and other historically underserved students are disproportionately impacted by zero-tolerance school discipline policies. During this briefing, panelists highlighted alternative, research-based school discipline policies and practices which create safe, inclusive learning environments for all students. LPI also released a new report, Protecting Students’ Civil Rights: The Federal Role in School Discipline.

The Learning Policy Institute will be well represented at the 2019 AERA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada from April 5 to April 9, 2019. Staff and research fellows will present their research on a range of topics including principal preparation and development, racial equity leadership, early childhood learning, social-emotional learning, and more.

On February 28, 2019, the Learning Policy Institute hosted a forum examining where we stand today with regard to realizing the promise of educational equity outlined in Brown v. Board of Education. The forum featured experts who shared lessons learned from efforts to fulfill Brown’s promise and analyze approaches being taken to ensure that school system design helps prepare students to be effective participants in our diverse democracy.

On Thursday, February 21, the Learning Policy Institute and EdSource co-sponsored the forum, Reaching for Equity and Excellence: California’s Educational Progress and the Path Ahead. The event was designed to highlight education exemplars in California and spur dialogue among stakeholders about progress, challenges, and next steps for California.

On February 5th, the Learning Policy Institute and the National Urban League hosted a webinar entitled, “Using School Climate Data to Meet Student Needs" on how states are measuring, collecting, and reporting on a variety of school climate and social and emotional learning indicators under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

On January 17, LPI hosted this webinar to preview the report, Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness: Insights for Policymakers, which reviews the research on preschool’s effectiveness in improving academic and life outcomes of children who participate in pre-K programs. The webinar also included a discussion of state models and how the elements of high-quality early learning can be successfully implemented in public preschool programs.