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The Impact of Distributed Leadership from Devin Vodicka (@learnercenteredleadership):
"I have witnessed the power of distributed leadership firsthand. When I began my superintendency at Vista Unified, I had to hire 24 new principals in my first year, teacher retention was at 80%, and the district had been experiencing significant enrollment decline. By shifting from a top-down model to a networked approach, the district saw:
✅ Principal turnover declined significantly.
✅ Teacher retention rose to 98%.
✅ Enrollment recovery driven by improved reputation and staff advocacy out in the community.
Fast forward to today, and one of Learner-Centered Collaborative’s partners, National School District, is showcasing a great example of distributed leadership through student leadership initiatives.
The district’s Superintendent Student Roundtable empowers sixth-grade students to take part in decision-making, engage with civic issues, and lead school-wide initiatives.
These examples further strengthen the research and illustrate a core truth: When leadership is distributed, schools become more stable, innovative, and resilient."
Read more about What it Takes to be a Learner-Centered Leader by clicking on the link in our bio!
It`s been an amazing year with our North County San Diego Superintendents Cohort.
In this week`s Bright Spots, @katiemartinedu reflects on the final convening of the year and the transformational power of cross-collaboration among learner-centered leaders.
To see this happen across multiple districts at a very local level maximizes the impact on thousands of learners at once.
Read more about this group by visiting the link in our bio!
The shape and scope of federal funding in education are evolving, including a potential shift toward regionally focused investments in research and innovation.
With that shift comes an important question: Are communities equipped to lead?
We believe they can be.
Learn more in our co-written piece about Regional Innovation Hubs (link in bio).
Through the inaugural Learner-Centered Assessment Fellowship, @digitalpromise and Learner-Centered Collaborative brought together early-career scholars, education partners, and mentors to explore the potential of collaboration and culturally responsive approaches to educational assessment.
As a final reflection and celebration of their work, each fellow authored a blog post for Learner-Centered Collaborative.
Keisha Lanier Brown (Ph.D. student @georgiastateuniversity) shares her research and proposed theory of change as it relates to increasing access and enrollment of AP and Dual Enrollment opportunities for Native American students.
Check out her research and a case study from Bonsall Unified School District on how the district is increasing cultural visibility and deepening its partnership with local Native communities (link in bio).
There are a number of important and nuanced considerations to make when it comes to integrating AI into the day-to-day learning experiences in our schools and districts.
However, there is one thing that needs no debate. These conversations should be explored in partnership with students.
@katiemartinedu sat down with two high schoolers from @avonworthsd who have been openly using AI in their studies in partnership with their teachers. The results are worth hearing about!
Listen to this important episode wherever you listen to podcasts!
In April, five education innovation organizations—Learner-Centered Collaborative, Advanced Education Research and Development Fund, @leanlabed, InnovateEDU, and the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI)—convened a national group of 20+ leaders at @asugsvsummit in San Diego to discuss the potential and promise of regional innovation hubs to prepare every community for the unexpected.
Regional innovation hubs are collaborative ecosystems defined by citywide, statewide, or multi-state collaboration that bring together local educators, researchers, technologists, and community leaders. These hubs provide a collaborative learning, experimentation, and progress framework that aligns with each community’s unique needs and strengths.
Regional ecosystems offer the ideal scale for experimentation and evolution. They’re big enough to impact systems, small enough to build trust, and flexible enough to adapt to context. In short, regional hubs are where vision meets action.
Promising examples of regional education innovation hubs exist. Learn about these examples and how you can join the conversation in our latest blog post!
A new kind of collaboration is taking root in Southern California—one that bridges K-12 schools, higher education, and communities to center and support the whole learner.
Join us next Tuesday where you’ll hear from leaders at Del Mar Union School District, @hightechhighofficial, @ucsandiego, and Learner-Centered Collaborative as they reflect on their first year of SoCAL LiNK: a regional partnership grounded in learner-centered values and real-world impact.
Together, we`ll explore:
💭 How Del Mar and High Tech High are reimagining learner experiences
🔗 What makes the SoCAL LiNK partnership different from typical improvement initiatives
🏫 How higher ed can play a critical role in K-12 transformation
✍️ Lessons you can apply in your own district, school, or classroom
Register for the webinar using the link in our bio!
“We’ve been talking for years about ways to focus more on our mission- and vision-aligned outcomes. The scorecard gave us a framework to prioritize and measure what we value most.”
-Hawaii Educator
Let`s think beyond standardized tests as the only way to measure school or district success. Scorecards provide the opportunity to prioritize whole learner outcomes that celebrate each learner`s strengths within culturally and community-relevant contexts.
Read the full blog and get in touch at the link in our bio.
From Inspiration Visits to Celebrations of Learning, check out this week`s highlights of learner-centered transformation happening with our school and district partners!
We had a powerful School Visit Exchange that brought together educators to see @conway_eusd, @eusdfarmlab, and San Marcos High School (thesmhsknights).
From exploring authentic, hands-on learning environments to seeing Portraits of a Learner in action, we were inspired by the shared commitment to an expanded view of success. These visits continue to affirm the potential of learner-centered ecosystems rooted in purpose, community, and possibility.
@eusdlearn`s Design Team, Superintendent, and several board members gathered for an unveiling and celebration of redesign cohort #2`s design pitches. These pitches represent an important milestone in the redesign journey of each of these five schools, showcasing the bold vision for learner-centered education personalized to each of their communities` hopes and needs.
Staff and students on Keith McCarthy Academy`s (Lake Elsinore Unified School District) redesign team spent the day visiting @clairemontchieftains and @hshmc to gain inspiration for their own redesign.
They learned about each school`s iterative approaches to building successful pathways, internship programs, career-connected community partnerships, and hosting industry professionals on their campuses.
To wrap up the week, South San Francisco Unified School District admin celebrated ways educators across the district took action to learn about the District’s Learner Progressions.
The work to transform learning communities into learner-centered ecosystems continues! If you`d like to learn more about how we support schools and district with this work, connect with us via email collaborate@learnercentered.org
In the latest episode of The Learner-Centered Collaborative Podcast, @katiemartinedu speaks with high school seniors Lexi and Reese from Avonworth High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Katie first met the students during a school visit and was so inspired by their research on AI and human flourishing that she invited them to share more.
Their reflections offer a powerful example of what’s possible in learner-centered environments.
Tune-in wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
@avonworthsd
In collaboration with the @Getting_Smart Collective and Transcend, we`re excited to release The Public Microschool Playbook!
The playbook offers practical guidance for designing small, agile learning environments that prioritize relationships, real-world connections, and learner agency.
If you`ve ever wondered how microschools might unlock new possibilities on your district`s learner-centered journey, this playbook is for you!
Explore the resource at the link in our bio and let us know what you think!
As a former principal of High Tech Elementary, Allie Wong knows firsthand how difficult (and even a little scary) it can be to shift power dynamics, trust others to take the lead, and redefine traditional roles.
But, when we lean into that fear and invite our entire community to embark on this journey of reimagining learning, difficulties quickly turn into exciting possibilities!
In our latest blog from Allie, discover what it takes to build a school where students drive their own learning (link in bio).
LCC Co-CEO @katiemartinedu and team members Kate Weisberg and Danny Scuderi sat down to discuss best practices for closing out the year strong in your classroom.
Watch the recording at the link in our bio!
“When we provide authentic experiences, we allow students to grapple, to make mistakes, and to persevere within a context that is meaningful to them and that applies to their life outside of the classroom, setting them up for success once they leave,” says Danny Scuderi of LCC.
Read the full blog about the learner-centered project Danny facilitated in his middle school classroom at the link in our bio.
So much incredible work happening throughout the country to transform learning communities into places that truly center learners and learning by design. Here`s this week`s highlights!
@mcpsmt traveled with a team to engage in Inspiration Visits at three schools in the Denver area. This brilliant group considered instructional moves—building on Bright Spots and considering new ideas, big and small—that support their Graduate Profile.
Special thanks to @jeffco_open, @laluzeducation, and C3-Creativity, Challenge, Community for inspiring the Missoula team on their learner centered journey!
@adelantoesd`s Guiding Coalition came together to collect final feedback on their Big Moves.
We had our third and final in person day with the Western PA Innovation Cohort hosted by @avonworthsd. We collaborated to identify high leverage learner-centered strategies based on different classroom contexts, brainstormed ideas to explicitly teach and practice our Portrait of a Learner outcomes, visited inspiring classrooms, and ended the day with a vibrant celebration of learning.
The Del Mar Union School District community of families, educators, school, and district leaders came together to provide feedback on the Destination 2028 plan identifying celebrations, insights, and questions to inform the priority actions of the district moving forward. It’s inspiring to see so many voices contributing to developing students` strengths, passions, and sense of purpose!
@encinitas_usd`s Leadership Day was a powerful reminder of what it takes to lead meaningful change. From navigating crucial conversations to driving learner-centered innovation, these leaders are showing what’s possible when vision, courage, and collaboration come together.
Learn more about how we partner with schools and districts by visiting our website!
We are thrilled to recognize Julie Burton as our Catalyzer of the Month for May!
As Site Administrator for @eusdfarmlab, Julie has led the transformation of the 10-acre campus into a dynamic hub for sustainability education and innovation.
Her commitment to open collaboration is evident in the numerous visitors she has welcomed, each leaving inspired by the authentic, project-based learning experiences that align seamlessly with the Encinitas Learner Profile.
Julie’s ability to foster partnerships and share best practices has positioned the Farm Lab as a model for educational excellence.
Beyond student engagement, Julie and her team have leveraged the Farm Lab as a professional learning center, providing educators with hands-on experiences that exemplify real-world, phenomena-based learning.
Her dedication to modeling authentic learning has not only enriched the student experience but has also empowered teachers to integrate sustainability and environmental stewardship into their curricula.
Julie’s unwavering passion and innovative approach continue to catalyze meaningful change within our educational community!
