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Why Mindset Matters in Cultivating Learner-Centered Change
Photo courtesy of Embark Education When we introduce new structures or practices in education, we often focus solely on implementing them correctly. However, this approach misses a crucial element: the mindset behind these changes. Our underlying intentions powerfully shape how others experience our designs. The way we think about school, learning, and learners (both…
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12 Ways to Breathe Life into Your Portrait of a Learner
As the world evolves, the skills needed to thrive must go beyond narrow standards. Portraits of a Learner (also known as Portraits of a Graduate or Learner Profiles) are gaining popularity as they can help to expand the collective idea of success and elevate the essential competencies, along with foundational knowledge and content, for…
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3 Key Elements for Cultivating a Learner-Centered Culture
In our pursuit of transforming education and centering learners by design, we must get the culture right. But, where do we begin? In our work with learning communities across the nation, the Learner-Centered Collaborative team has found three key elements that must be addressed, no matter the context, for a learner-centered culture to thrive:…
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What Happens When You Let Learners Lead? Embark Learners Share Their Insights
This work is a collaborative effort by Learner-Centered Collaborative in partnership with Eli Yoon, 6th grade learner; Tahliiya Harris, 6th grade learner; Vida Mennell, 7th grade learner; and Carissa Solomon, Senior Lead Educator at Embark Education in Denver, CO. Two learners work to organize the contents of the Essential Manual they wrote to support…
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5 Powerful Practices to Develop Learner-Centered School Leaders
On a sunny January “winter” day in Santa Ana, California, a group of Assistant Principals huddle around a case study that chronicles a common scenario in their (and many) school districts: a new teacher is struggling with reading instruction and classroom management, and her students report feeling bored and disengaged. The school leaders collaborate…
BlogWebinars
Webinar Recording: Personalized Professional Development with Lamont Elementary School District
Explore personalized professional development with Lamont Elementary School District in our latest webinar. LCC Partner Catina Hancock and Superintendent Lori Gonzalez share strategies for implementing personalized PD initiatives. Learn about: Lamont ESD’s three-tiered approach to personalized PD Increasing educator self-reflection by 30% in 4 months Combining quality resources with collaboration time Impact of leadership…
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Listen, Learn, Lead: Start with Community Engagement
You’re a leader ready to embark on a change initiative in your district. What’s your first step? A common first instinct is to create a plan and put it into practice. But before you do, we recommend you start by engaging with learners, educators, and the community to gather insights about their current experience,…
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4 Practical Tips for Creating Coherence Within Your District
In any educational setting, clarity of vision, a well-understood mission, and a core set of operational values can fundamentally transform how initiatives are executed and objectives are met. I have come to understand this deeply through my experiences as an educational leader. The privilege of working with school and district leaders from a diversity…
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Leadership Coaching: A Mechanism for Supporting Organizational Culture and Enabling Conditions
As a school or district leader, your calendar is likely packed with meetings, decisions to make, and fires to put out. With so many demands on your time, it’s easy to push personal development to the back burner. However, making time for leadership coaching isn’t just another task on your to-do list—it’s a critical…
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Why Your Framework for the Future Needs These 4 Essential Elements
Why You Need a Framework for the Future A Framework for the Future serves as an ongoing reference for all to understand the why, how, and what of the system’s vision. It provides clarity to help navigate ambiguity, allows for creativity and flexibility with constraints, and supports coherence and distributed decision-making. As César Morales…
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Understanding and Influencing Collective Efficacy: The Key to Driving Transformative Change in Education
When reimagining education, collective efficacy isn’t just an advantage – it’s non-negotiable for district and school leaders committed to true organizational innovation. At its core, collective efficacy refers to the shared belief among team members that they can purposefully and effectively handle challenges and stressors to achieve desired results and prevent undesired outcomes. In…
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Can Design Thinking Make a Large School District More Agile? We Think So!
Co-authored by Katie Weisberg, Liz Perry, and Jesse Ross, Directors, Strategic Partnerships at Learner-Centered Collaborative who lead the work with Colorado Springs District 11 In large, comprehensive school districts, change often moves at a snail’s pace. While start-ups are known for being nimble, agile, and adaptable, school districts can feel bureaucratic, clunky, and mired…
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Reflect, Rest, and Rejuvenate This Summer
Image taken at Duquesne City School District The end of the school year is an exciting time filled with ceremonies, field trips, field days, exhibitions, plays, and performances celebrating the hard work of every educator and learner. However, it can also be a stressful and emotional period. Grades are due, everyone is tired from…
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Discovering AI Together: Lessons from a Learner-Centered Classroom
Guest blog post by Carissa Solomon Carissa Solomon is a Senior Lead Educator at Embark Education in Denver, CO. Today, AI seems to be part of almost every conversation in education. Some people are excited by its possibilities, while others are anxious that it may usher in more cheating. Do you know what’s missing…
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Education Change Management: The Power of a Guiding Coalition
When I was a superintendent overseeing the implementation of learner-centered education across 30 schools, one of our biggest challenges wasn’t just the adoption of new practices—it was fundamentally transforming how we supported change. While I was Initially resistant to adding more meetings to our already busy schedules, I could no longer deprioritize calls from…
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A Spotlight on the UCSD + LCC Research Convening: Bright Spots and Networks
In July of 2023, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Learner-Centered Collaborative (LCC) announced a groundbreaking partnership to unite researchers, practitioners from LCC, and regional districts in advancing learner-centered practices. Among the key objectives of this partnership is to share knowledge and resources and disseminate findings to ensure broader impact of…
BlogWebinars
Webinar Recording: The Future of Assessment and Reporting: Examples of Competency-Based Approaches
Discover the power of competency-based reporting in our latest webinar, featuring insights from the upcoming Competency-Based Reporting Playbook. Our expert panel shared their experiences and strategies for successfully implementing competency-based reporting, covering topics such as rethinking high school transcripts, credits, and assessment practices focused on growth. Key takeaways: Practical insights into successful competency-based reporting…
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Bringing Student Wonders to Life: An Interview from an Innovation Cohort
Learner-Centered Collaborative has partnered with South Allegheny and Duquesne City School Districts in Pennsylvania to host an Innovation Cohort in 2023-2024. Each cohort evolves with the needs and interests of the participants, but typically includes: Self-paced, online courses that forward and strengthen learner-centered practices Virtual Communities of Practice sessions In-person sessions to discuss learnings,…