Blog
Scaling Learner-Centered Innovation: It Takes a Community (of Practice)
The benefits of a Community of Practice last well past the collaborative time together. LeShae Daniel makes the case for why you should say “Yes!” to interactive, collaborative learning with colleagues.
Blog
Report Card Redesign in Encinitas Union School District
Is redesigning a report card a technical or adaptive change? To answer this, we can turn to the model of technical and adaptive challenges developed by Ronald A. Heifetz (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997; Heifetz & Linsky, 2002). This framework provides valuable insights into the nature of change in education and other fields (Network for…
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…
Blog
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,…
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…
Blog
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…
Blog
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…
Blog
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…
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…
Tools
End of Year Reflection Tool
As the school year comes to a close, it’s crucial to take a moment to reflect on the experiences, growth, and challenges faced by educators and learners alike. At Learner-Centered Collaborative, we understand the importance of this reflection process, which is why we’ve created the End of Year Reflection Tool. This tool is…
Blog
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,…
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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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…
Blog
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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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…
Blog
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.…
Blog
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…
Blog
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…