News From the Field
Catch top headlines sharing relevant news and stories about Linked Learning practices, schools, and students.
How schools are using ESSER funds to attract, retain teachers
In plans submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, states are detailing how they will use COVID-19 relief funding to recruit and retain teachers, including strengthening the teacher pipeline through "Grow Your Own" programs, offering financial incentives, providing staff mental health supports and creating alternative licensure routes.
Focusing on pandemic gains is as crucial as identifying learning losses
Rather than focusing too much on the learning students may have lost during the pandemic, educators can also call attention to positives by having students assess their soft skills and identify areas where they may have grown stronger, writes high school English teacher Jamie Kobs.
Grief counseling curricula part of some districts' back-to-school plans in the COVID-19 era
As students return to school this fall, many will carry the burden of grief after losing loved ones to COVID-19. In response, some school systems — such as Los Angeles Unified School District in California — are developing grief curricula designed to help students heal, EdSource reports.
How K-12 schools are switching gears on college prep as test-optional admissions grow
With two-thirds of four-year institutions not requiring the SAT or ACT for at least fall 2022 admissions, schools are exploring portfolios, early college and more.
School mental health supports are a pathway to equity
The Jed Foundation's director of high school implementation writes school mental health work must include a focus on systemic change.
Strategies to accelerate computer science implementation
As states implement computer science standards, developing a computer science teacher pipeline is a must for districts seeking to take steps to accelerate the process, District Administration reports.
Career pathways expand opportunities for all high-schoolers
Incorporating high school career and certification pathways into industrial arts fields like automotive and woodworking, which fall under the STEM umbrella but can often be overlooked, is as important as mapping college pathways, writes Sean Cassel, an assistant principal at Seneca High School in Tabernacle, New Jersey.
Ed Dept defines maintenance of equity requirement for ARP funds
The U.S. Department of Education released highly anticipated guidance on maintenance of equity requirements under the American Rescue Plan, the first of the three COVID-19 relief packages to formally prioritize it in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding. The provision ensures states and districts don't make excessive cuts to supplant funding rather than supplementing it, which would disproportionately impact underserved districts and make the additional federal funding essentially ineffective.
3 CTE directors share tips for strong school-business partnerships
Collaborations require time, creativity and flexibility but can yield many benefits for students and companies.