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,…
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The Transformative Power of Surveys for Learner-Centered Improvements
In our continuous journey towards creating more learner-centered environments, Learner-Centered Collaborative has embarked on a pioneering effort to harness the insights of those who matter most in education: learners. By developing and deploying comprehensive learner surveys, we’ve aimed to capture a multi-faceted view of student learning outcomes and experiences. Here’s a glimpse into what…
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Beyond Conventional Metrics: Telling a New Story Through Tiers of Data
School and district leaders are custodians of a future that demands diversity in our measures of success, mirroring our dedication to whole-learner outcomes and the unique visions that drive our schools and districts. Unfortunately, the school-centered system has narrowed the definition of success in such a way that innovative ideas struggle to get off…
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Webinar Recording: Supercharge Passion: Evolving Educator Capacity
An insightful discussion with Royd Darrington, a visionary educator from Juab School District in Utah, as he shares his philosophies and approaches for cultivating meaningful professional development experiences for teachers. Juab School District has been a leader in implementing personalized learning strategies and empowering educators to become facilitators of learning. This webinar explored Juab…
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Designing Assessments with Learners at the Center
Assessment often carries negative connotations for many educators, who associate it with grades, rankings, time pressures, effort, frustration, misrepresentation, and standardized tests. However, assessment doesn’t have to be a negative experience. When approached from a learner-centered perspective as a tool for learning and growth, assessment can be a powerful catalyst for student success. The…
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3 Key Shifts from Traditional Grading to Competency-Based Learning and Assessment
This is the second blog post in a series on Competency-Based Learning from Bryanna Hanson. Read the first post on what competency-based learning is and why it’s important here. As a teacher, I quickly became frustrated by the limitations of the traditional grading system, one based on points, percentages and averages. This sparked my…
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Education is Everyone’s Business: Bridging the Gap Between School and Learning for Success in Life
Logan Country Schools Exhibition of Learning Every educator I have ever met wants their students to be successful. The challenge, however, is that we don’t all share the same definition of success. Some educators narrow it to their specific standards, their class, or their personal view of what it means to be successful. Others…
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A Spotlight on the UCSD + LCC Research Convening: New Measures of Success
In July of 2023, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Learner-Centered Collaborative (LCC) announced a groundbreaking strategic partnership that would 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…
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Flexing Your Creative Confidence for School Redesign
Flex Your Creative Confidence “What if I don’t have a creative bone in my body?” an educator asked during a recent staff meeting I was invited to attend. “I hear creativity,” she said, “and, I just shut down.” Her brave admission resonated with many in the room. As an innovation leader, I’ve encountered…
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Elevating Early Innovators to Spark and Sustain Statewide Change
A Collaboration with the Indiana Department of Education and Employability Skills Indiana’s Employability Skills Initiative represents a concerted effort for students to build the practical competencies essential for thriving in today’s workforce. Through this work, Indiana’s Department of Education (INDoE) integrates vital skills such as collaboration, communication, and work ethic into the state’s educational…
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Going Beyond Assumptions: The Journey to Policies that Enable Learner-Centered Transformation
Reflecting on my journey as Superintendent of Vista Unified School District, I learned the power of auditing and engaging in a collaborative process to update district policies. As critical as it is to establish a learner-centered Framework for the Future—vision, mission, values, goals, learning model, and accountability structure—all of it sits on shaky ground…
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How might we create learner-centered teacher credentials?
Teachers and aspiring teachers, in no uncertain terms, are telling us we need to reimagine how they are being prepared and supported to do their jobs well. A recent report by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education delivers a concerning message: “Between 2008 and 2019, the number of students completing traditional teacher…
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Indiana’s Bold Step: Empowering Students with Employability Skills
Co-authored by: Brittany Griffin, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Learner-Centered Collaborative Lauren Cole, Vice President of Strategy and Operations, America Succeeds Eric Lerum, Senior Advisor, America Succeeds In the summer of 2022, the Indiana Department of Education (INDoE) embarked on an ambitious journey with the launch of its Employability Skills Innovation and Implementation (ESII) Grant.…
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Transforming High School: A Collaborative Journey with Alexandria City Public Schools
In an era where education is evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world, school districts like Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are reimagining the high school experience. With a commitment to innovation and equity, ACPS embarked on a transformative journey to shape the future of education for their diverse student population.…
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Great Teachers Make Innovative Solutions Possible
Guest Author: Dr. Cory Steiner, Superintendent of Northern Cass School District (ND), Learner-Centered Collaborative Advisory Council member Northern Cass is a mentor school district in the 2023-24 Learner-Centered Connections program Several years ago Northern Cass School District in North Dakota acknowledged that despite traditional markers indicating things were “good” across the district they wanted…
BlogWebinars
Webinar Recording: Cultivating Meaningful Learning Experiences in Hawaii
An insightful discussion with leaders from SEEQS in Hawaiʻi as they share their philosophies and approaches for cultivating meaningful learning experiences for students. SEEQS, the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, is an innovative public charter school in Honolulu serving grades 6-8 since 2013. This webinar explored SEEQS’s core beliefs and how they…
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Updates from a Flourishing Research Collaborative
Learner Centered Collaborative (LCC) and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) recently hosted a second Research Partnership convening—this time focused on relational trust, belonging, and flourishing in educational ecosystems. The unique partnership, which applies research in practice to ensure findings translate seamlessly in the field, is also committed to timely dissemination of information…