Blog
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,…
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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…
BlogWebinars
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…