An item from the neo-liberals…

Can Micro-credentialing Help Address Teacher Shortages? As the need surges for teachers with multilingual instructional skills, UCLA’s ExcEL Leadership Academy developed a micro-credentialing program to help educators equip themselves with the necessary tools to serve multilingual learners. Getting to Know Aurora’s New CEO, Virgel Hammonds Aurora Institute’s Communications Director Chiara Wegener sat down with the organization’s new CEO, Virgel Hammonds, to hear about his past work experiences, where he sees challenges and opportunities in the education innovation space right now, and where he sees the organization headed in its next stage of work. AI Literacy: A New Graduation Requirement and Civic Imperative What would it look like to make a commitment that, by graduation, every senior will possess at least basic AI literacy? In this post, authors Tom Vander Ark and Mason Pashia discuss the importance of students’ understanding of AI. Explore emerging AI literacy programs and resources. Competency-Based Learning: Shifting from Grading Points to Assessing Learning “Our grading system continues to operate based on a belief system that insists on ranking students and defining intelligence and success in narrow ways,” writes author and former teacher Bryanna Hanson. Discover how Hanson shifted grading mindsets and policies from industrial-era beliefs to a learner-centered paradigm. Independence High School Math Students Present Traffic Safety Suggestions for Blackfoot Idaho is one of three states that is piloting a new badging approach to education created by XQ Institute. This piece examines how a teacher at Independence High School in Idaho created two data modeling badges for her algebra students.

Aurora Center for Policy

ExcEL Leadership Academy Micro-credential Pathway Adoption in Rhode Island A new case study from the Aurora Institute offers a look at one micro-credential program developed by UCLA’s ExcEL Leadership Academy, that has been approved for English as a Second Language (ESOL) teacher certification in Rhode Island. The program offers a progression of 12 micro-credentials focused on the skills and competencies educators need to serve multilingual learners (MLLs) effectively. Additionally, the case study offers recommendations for other states that hope to offer their educators high-quality competency-based pathways to certification and/or professional growth. Explore the accompanying blog series that highlights different experiences with the micro-credential program.

Learn More

Connecting & Convening

Register for Our Upcoming Webinar Join us for a webinar, Elevating Student Voice: Lessons Learned Across the U.S. on April 5, 2024. Discover how three districts from different corners of the country have successfully integrated learner agency practices into their environments.

Learn More

CompetencyWorks

Mindsets and Resources for Unleashing Learner Agency In this blog post, discover how a competency-based approach can pave the way for opportunities to transition from the constraints of traditional classroom practices to a more dynamic environment—a space where all our students can thrive.

Read More

Field Spotlight

Diversifying the Educator Workforce Collaborative: Fostering Synergy for Impact The Diversifying the Educator Workforce Collaborative is an initiative by Great Schools Partnership dedicated to advancing educational equity. Through collaboration across the New England region, the collaborative is fostering synergy among stakeholders to enhance its impact on communities, students, and families. Delve into the guiding framework, explore student and teacher demographics, and discover current opportunities to get involved.

Learn More

For more news and updates in K-12 competency-based education, sign up for our monthly newsletters and follow the Aurora Institute on our socials: X, formerly Twitter @Aurora_Inst, Facebook @AuroraInst, and LinkedIn @Aurora Institute.

About the Aurora Institute ​​The Aurora Institute’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning through its work in policy advocacy, research, field-building, and convening. With a national and global view of education innovation, we work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change to yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world in which all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.

Support the Aurora Institute

Aurora Institute, 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010, Arlington, VA 22201