In this brief, Erik Rice identifies three strategic practices schools, districts, and communities can use to help prepare students for college and career success: (1) To collectively articulate and align a set of student outcomes that prioritize 21st century skills; (2) Transform defined outcomes into functioning frameworks for curriculum and…

Research shows that professional learning can have a powerful effect on teacher skills and knowledge, and on how well students learn. To be effective, however, professional learning for teachers needs to be conducted in the ways that it is in many high achieving countries--continuously, collaboratively, and with a focus on teaching specific…

Recent findings from a Mathematica study comparing the performance of teachers prepared via alternative and traditional routes have been interpreted to suggest that policymakers and practitioners should expand the use of fast-entry alternative routes and seek teachers trained through such programs, as they presumably perform as well in the…