Projects & Issues

Responding to growing interest in community schools among educators, community groups, and policymakers, LPI explores community schools as a strategy to advance equity and support student and family well-being and academic success. Our work is grounded in an in-depth analysis of 143 research studies on the impact of community schools on student and school outcomes and includes a variety of resources and tools to support understanding and implementation of this evidenced-based strategy.

The Learning Policy Institute is partnering with EducationCounsel and Education First in a groundbreaking national effort to support the use of k–12 performance assessments, such as student portfolios and capstone projects, in higher education admissions, placement, and advising decisions. The initiative brings together a diverse group of k–12 and higher education policy and practice leaders who agree that both systems can benefit from authentic and holistic ways of assessing students’ competencies and mastery of skills.

This project brings together researchers, civil rights leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to advance understanding and develop policies that leverage deeper learning as a pathway toward educational equity. Through strategic research and shared-learning opportunities, LPI and partners are creating a broader community of actively engaged and knowledgeable equity advocates for deeper learning and building awareness about how high-leverage deeper learning practices can be scaled up. Strategic communications play a critical role in this effort, by promoting powerful examples and advancing a shared message and vision for deeper learning.

The California Performance Assessment Collaborative represents educators, policymakers, and researchers who are working to study and advance the use of authentic approaches to assessment, such as presentations, projects, and portfolios, which require students to demonstrate applied knowledge of content and use of 21st century skills. The lessons captured and documented from this work will inform educators seeking to implement performance assessments, as well as policymakers who are developing next-generation assessment and accountability policies.

This study features case studies of exemplary teacher preparation programs that embody deeper learning practices and prepare teachers to use those strategies themselves in k-12 classrooms. The lessons learned from the study of these programs will provide valuable information for practitioners and policymakers seeking to ensure that our nation’s teachers have the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare all students for college, career, and civic life.