Concerns over how to be a better principal, how to better serve English language learners, and how to best relate to and serve students from different backgrounds were tops this year on Education Dive. As we count down to the end of 2016, we are reflecting back on the top moments and stories of the year.
1. Promoting growth mindset means checking biases at the door
The idea seems so basic: before an educator can instill in a child the notion that s/he can learn and achieve anything, that educator must actually believe the student can learn and achieve anything. Even still, this piece achieved the top spot on Education Dive's most-read stories this year.
2. What 7 principals wish they knew their first day on the job
Leaders from across the country spoke about the value of mentors and the emotional toll the job can take, and shared insights on what went through their heads at the first staff meeting of the year.
3. What makes a good school principal
Filter every decision through the question of "is this good for student learning?" Create an empowering environment for students and teachers, and realize you don't know it all.
4. Innovation in ELL bodes well for K-12 students
When a focus on personalized learning meets attention to education strategies for English Language Learners, good things happen.
5. Measuring the impact of poverty in education
The third piece in a series that examined the impact of social factors on learning and school operations, this examination of poverty's impact on schools resonated most with readers because of its critical examination of the intersections of race and class and what states are (and aren't) doing to fill the gaps.
6. 4 ways ESSA will change how schools serve ELL students
Changes to classifications and standardized testing, as well as expectations for English proficiency and new reporting mandates are expected to play a major part in the way schools serve English Language Learners in 2017 and beyond.
7. Have e-days gained enough traction to usurp the snow days?
More schools nationwide are transforming expectations around what students do when the weather is too dangerous to attend classes. Exactly what they sound like, increasingly popular "e-days" see students attend school remotely via the Internet.
8. Dr. John Hattie: Assessment should measure teachers' impact
We caught up with the measurement statistician at the 2016 Visible Learning Conference in National Harbor, MD, to talk education policy, personalized learning, where assessment should focus and more.
9. Why testing prevails in K-12 education
Educators say mandatory assessments put a strain on learning, but they persist as an evaluation tool. Some say it's all about the money, others argue that until there's a better way to measure progress, standardized testing is here to stay.
10. Professional learning communities bring benefits for teachers, students
Working teachers rarely have an opportunity to see their colleagues in action. They are either teaching or preparing for their next classes and observation time is minimal or nonexistent. PLCs embrace collaboration among teachers to improve student achievement — and they get results