We are living through heartbreaking, horrific, and deeply troubling times. We are struggling to understand the violent killing of George Floyd at the hands of those sworn to serve and protect. His death is emblematic of countless other killings, and systemic racism pervades every aspect of our nation. All of this as we struggle through a…
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School systems across the country are starting to pivot from what has been very necessary reactive crisis management to more proactive scenario planning with an eye towards SY20-21. As state education agencies, school districts, and schools start to lay out all of the possibilities, many are feeling overwhelmed. There’s a lot we don’t know about…
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Great teachers facilitate great student learning experiences. That’s why leaders invest time, money, and effort into improving teaching. But how can leaders know if their efforts are paying off? How can we know if teaching is actually improving in ways that advance priorities and goals? Our partners are right to ask us these questions. In…
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Dr. Sarah Phillips leads Mass Insight’s research and impact work. It is a new position that Mi created to help our team assess areas of strength and areas where we can improve in our work with schools, districts, and state education agencies. Sarah keeps us focused on continuous improvement and has helped us measure the…
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Building a smart school improvement plan is important, and to result in change, it has to be implemented. But to ensure implementation, the way in which the plan is developed matters a lot. Boston Green Academy (BGA), a public grade 6-12 Horace Mann charter school in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, was ready and eager…
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Dr. Carolina Buitrago recently joined Mass Insight to lead our school improvement network initiatives. She is responsible for developing local and national networks of districts and schools to increase college readiness and success for African American/black, Latinx, and low-income students. Mass Insight recently received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help us…
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At Mi, we continue to learn about what it takes to successfully lead and support the work of improvement networks. The networks call for the convening of practitioners, researchers, and others to collectively address persistent problems of practice they identify as pressing, develop a theory on how to improve them, and implement and test change…
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Massachusetts is celebrating STEM week October 21-25. Mass Insight is proud to be a supporter of this annual event, which is organized by the state’s STEM Advisory Council. We will be tweeting quotes from Mass Insight’s Advanced Placement STEM content directors and teachers throughout the week @MassInsightEdu. Last week, close to 300 AP math and…
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Just about everyone who works in or participates in the field of education understands the need for equity in all aspects of teaching and learning. We hear about the need for equity in the quality of the learning environment, equity in access to rigorous curricula, equity in access to instructional technology, and equity in the…
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Esther Hines brought extensive teaching experience and deep knowledge of chemistry to the classroom when she began teaching Advanced Placement Chemistry at Billerica Memorial High School a few years ago. But something wasn’t clicking for students – they were struggling to pass the exam. Part of the challenge was preparing kids to manage their time…
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Two bills were heard by the Mass. Joint Committee on Higher Education recently that, if passed, would help students who score a 3 on their Advanced Placement (AP) exam receive college credit. S. 762 and H. 1206, An Act Relative to Advanced Placement Examinations, co-sponsored by Senator Moore and Representative Brodeur, establish as state policy…
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Among the many enthusiastic students from across Massachusetts at the State House March 5 to celebrate the state’s first ever Advanced Placement Day were two exceptional Everett High School seniors. These two AP coursework veterans deeply appreciate the value of the classes and also the importance of ensuring that more students like themselves receive credit…
read moreOur blog features commentary and insights from our staff and, from time-to-time, special guest bloggers about school improvement practices and policies that are changing student lives and changing schools. Contact jschneider@massinsight.org for more information.