The need for social and emotional learning (SEL) has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unprecedented school closings have led to social isolation, illness, and economic hardship -- exacerbating anxiety -- and reopening plans continue to cause uncertainty and stress. These factors heighten the urgency to equip educators and school…

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, educators, students, families, and community members are seeking ways to ensure students' needs are met across a range of academic, social, and emotional considerations. They are also looking ahead to the future, recognizing there may be opportunity for innovation after the last 18 months reset expectations for…

The importance of high-quality evaluation is underscored in Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning: Evaluation provides information that supports advocates, professional learning planners, and anyone who wants to know "about the contribution of professional learning to student achievement" (Learning Forward, 2011). Most…

When schools closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many wondered, "When are we getting back to normal?" A few weeks later, the question changed to, "Will we get back to normal?" And now, many are realizing the old normal won't be back, at least not anytime soon. Still, educators will eventually return to their campuses,…

In March 2020, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) began tracking U.S. districts' plans for navigating school closures and distance learning. The database, which is available on CRPE's website (www.crpe.org), draws on publicly available plans from the 30 largest districts in the country, members of the Council of the Great City…