Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

AI education is critical for an equitable tomorrow

Underserved communities are universally disadvantaged in their access to resources and high-quality technical education compared to  their urban counterparts. Data suggests that between 2000 and 2019, the number of college graduates (ages 25-34) in urban America increased from 26 percent to 39 percent, while in rural America, this number increased only by 6 percent(15 percent to 21 percent). This divide can be attributed to the convergence of resources, talent, and opportunities in urban clusters.

A game-changing tool for intervention – one primed to reshape these metrics for rural America, revitalize their economies, and uplift their people – is AI education. Today, the demand for AI adoption is increasing across the world. In fact, AI’s contribution to the global GDP is expected to soar to $15.7 trillion by 2030.

The technology’s applications span a range of business functions and industries, holding the promise of new efficiencies and automation. Therefore, partaking in opportunities that enable skills in the technology is imperative.…Read More

Council of the Great City Schools Presents Norfolk High School Graduate Ayana Askew with $10,000 Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Scholarship for Educational Courage and Justice

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., June 17, 2022—The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) recently presented Ayana Askew, a 2022 graduate of Virginia’s Norfolk Public Schools, with the Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Scholarship for Educational Courage and Justice. Sponsored by Curriculum Associates, the $10,000 college scholarship will be used by Askew to pursue a degree in English at Spelman College in Atlanta.

The scholarship is part of the Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice, named after the Council’s former executive director. The annual award, now in its second year, is presented to a person who has made outstanding contributions in the field of Grades K–12 urban education by taking a courageous and passionate stance on the issue of educational justice and equity. This year’s awardee was Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), who currently serves as the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, where he works to advance an agenda that improves equity and quality in education.

Askew was the valedictorian of her 2022 senior class at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Va., graduating with a 4.48 grade-point average. A skilled poet, she has written and performed original poems on police brutality and Juneteenth on local, national, and international stages and was one of only 20 students nationwide to receive a U.S. Presidential Scholar Award in the arts. She has also created several documentaries advocating for safe public school facilities for students, receiving honorable mentions in CSPAN’s National StudentCam Documentary Contest. Askew’s life goal is to continue to use her platform and voice to touch people’s hearts, advocate for justice, and change the world.…Read More

Council of the Great City Schools Names Congressman Bobby Scott as the Recipient of the Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 8, 2022—The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) recently announced that Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.) is the recipient of its Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice. Sponsored by Curriculum Associates, the award, named after the Council’s former executive director, is presented annually to a person who has made outstanding contributions in the field of K–12 urban education by taking courageous and passionate stances on the issues of educational justice and equity. Scott is the second person to receive this award; the first person was Michael Casserly himself.

Scott has served as a member of US House of Representatives since 1993 and currently serves as the chairman of the  Committee on Education and Labor, where he works to advance an agenda that improves equity and quality in education. As chairman, he helped craft the 2021 American Rescue Plan, which provided $122.8 billion under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, the single largest federal investment in K–12 education in American history. In 2015, he was one of the four primary authors of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for the first time in 13 years and replaced the No Child Left Behind Act.

As a former member of the Committee on the Judiciary, Scott was a leading advocate for reforming the nation’s criminal justice system. He has successfully worked to pass bipartisan legislation to reduce mandatory minimum sentences, reform the juvenile justice system, and require reporting and federal data collection of deaths that occur in police custody, jails, and prisons.…Read More

“It Isn’t Enough to Not Be Racist.” ULC and Gale Call on Library Executives to Actively Embrace Anti-Racism’s Leadership Imperative

A New Urban Libraries Council Leadership Brief Highlights Action Strategies for Library Executives to Lead the Charge for Anti-Racism, Starting by Looking Inward

WASHINGTON & FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has published a new Leadership Brief on Anti-Racist Executive Leadership for Public Libraries, sponsored by Gale, a Cengage company. This resource examines the deep roots and enduring harm of structural racism in public libraries and challenges library executives to take on a more active, intentional and accountable role in strengthening their libraries as anti-racist institutions.

Introducing the Leadership Brief is the following quote from Baltimore County Public Library Director, Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, “In order to make any progress as library leaders, we need to look at our own history with humility and have the courage to recognize that we can be part of the solution.” Alcántara-Antoine is a member of ULC’s Anti-Racism action team, which informed the development of the Leadership Brief.…Read More

Curriculum Associates Sponsors the Council of the Great City Schools’ Inaugural Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice

Casserly, Executive Director of the Council, to select an educator pursuing a graduate-level education degree to receive a $10,000 scholarship

Curriculum Associates partnered with the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) to sponsor the first-ever Dr. Michael Casserly Legacy Award for Educational Courage and Justice. As part of the award, CGCS Executive Director Casserly will select an educator from one of the CGCS’s 77-member school districts who is pursuing a graduate-level degree in education to receive a $10,000 scholarship.

“The leading voice nationally in urban education, built over his 44 years of service to the Council of the Great City Schools, Dr. Casserly has made such a positive impact on students and educators,” said Woody Paik, executive vice president of Curriculum Associates. “In partnership with the CGCS, we are proud to help recognize the remarkable accomplishments of Dr. Casserly, as well as support a rising standout educator who—like Dr. Casserly—is passionate about urban education and is looking to take the next step in his or her career.”…Read More

2020 Green-Garner Award Recognizing Outstanding Leadership

As part of its support of urban education, Curriculum Associates has partnered with the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) as a sponsor of the 31st annual Green-Garner Award. This year’s award recipient, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa of Dallas Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, was selected for this esteemed honor for his strong dedication to the needs of students, profound commitment to improvement, and significant community involvement and leadership.

“We are proud to partner with the CGCS as they recognize exemplary leadership in urban education through this coveted and long-standing award,” said Woody Paik, executive vice president of Curriculum Associates. “Superintendent Hinojosa is an exceptional district leader who is so well-deserving of this recognition. His ongoing work, as well as his commitment to urban education as a whole, has positively impacted students and educators across the district.”

The Green-Garner Award, which is presented each year at the CGCS’s Fall Conference, recognizes a board member or superintendent for their outstanding contributions in urban education. As the nation’s highest urban-education honor, the award is named in memory of urban school leaders Richard R. Green, the first African-American chancellor of the New York City school system, and Edward Garner, a businessman and former school board president of the Denver Public Schools. Superintendent Hinojosa was chosen for this recognition among 20 superintendent nominees from districts across the nation.…Read More

CAE Announces Stacey Sparks as Senior Director of Content Design and Development

Council for Aid to Education, Inc. (CAE), a leading provider of performance-based educational assessments measuring 21st century skills, as well as custom assessments, today announced the appointment of Stacey Sparks to senior director of content design and development. In this role, Sparks will lead content development for the services division and manage content experts and CAE’s production team.

“We are thrilled about Stacey guiding the design and development of performance-based assessments and custom solutions for our clients,” said Bob Yayac, president and CEO of CAE. “Great content is critical to effective assessments and her in-depth knowledge and experience in assessment, coupled with her outstanding writing and editing skills, strengthen our mission.”

Sparks has worked closely with clients including state departments of education, large urban school districts, multi-state consortia, and educational publishers to design and develop K-12 assessments, both formative and summative; digital and print curriculum materials; and professional development tools. She has extensive knowledge of educational frameworks and standards and is deeply committed to developing rigorous, engaging, accessible materials that promote equity and diversity. A seasoned writer and editor in English Language Arts and the humanities, Sparks previously served as a Senior Research Analyst at the American Institutes for Research and a Curriculum Writer for Public Consulting Group.…Read More

3 keys to student success with early college programs

Like a growing number of school districts, North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools (GCS) has early college programs that allow students to earn college credit while they’re still in high school. But what’s unique about GCS is the number of choices the district offers: 14 altogether, including nine high schools that operate on college campuses.

GCS has offered early college options since 2001 and has seen remarkable success, despite serving a largely urban and low-income population. All but two of its early college high schools have a 100-percent graduation rate—and the lowest rate among the other two is 97 percent.

What’s more, these programs aren’t just serving the top students in the district, who would already be on a college track. Some of them target students considered at risk of dropping out, making college both attainable and affordable for students who otherwise would not attend.…Read More

These districts score better than the rest

New achievement results highlight top-performing urban districts

districts-school-urban According to new results from a report measuring student achievement progress in math and reading in U.S. urban school districts, two districts are at the top of their game; however, much progress needs to be made for urban districts across the country.

The results are part of The Nation’s Report Card, which began measuring progress in urban schools districts 10 years ago. The 2013 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) in math and reading reports the achievement of public schools students in 21 urban districts on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

District participation is voluntary, and every district invited agreed to participate. The report shows achievement results in both fourth and eighth grades.…Read More

What makes a successful urban principal?

PBS Newshour discusses training and retaining great principals in struggling urban schools

principal-urban“Urban schools often face great challenges, low test scores and high dropout rates,” according to a recent PBS Newshour segment. But just as schools are trying to create 21st century learners, can education programs create the perfect urban school principal—leading to better test scores and higher graduation rates?

According to Ernesto Matias, high school principal at Wells Community Academy in Chicago, Ill., principals can be trained for urban school environments and issues specific to urban schools.

Wells, which Matias explained experienced a student walk-out last year (2012) and fired four teachers, began to stand for “We Educate Low-Life Students.” For the past 16 years, Wells failed to meet basic academic standards for test scores.…Read More