“You get them feeling like ‘You got this,’ and your students need you, and your staff needs you,” says Kafele, a former middle and high school principal. “But you remind them, you’ve got to make sure there’s harmony in your life, there’s balance, so you don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re not just that leader, you’re also a human being away from the school.”

He continues to stress authenticity and fervor as key traits for successful leaders. “If you allow certain situations, certain circumstances, certain politics, certain environments to undermine your being, then you’re going to be operating as something that would be a stranger to yourself if you saw it in a mirror,” he explains.

Read more from DA: 5 leaders share their uplifting secrets to self-care

But he also warns that stress burnout among principals and assistant principals remains a significant concern. The years since the return to face-to-face learning have presented many new challenges. “It’s like they’re learning all over again their craft of leadership, dealing with young people, adults, staff, community, parents—the world has shifted and it has implications for effectiveness as a school leader,” Kafele points out.

District Administration’s Talking Out of School podcast is where superintendents, principals and other key educational figures share their experiences, strategies and forecasts for K12. Hear what else Principal Kafele has to say to senior writer Matt Zalaznick and reporter Micah Ward about the principal’s increasingly important role of instructional coach, culturally relevant pedagogy and his latest book, The Assistant Principal Identity.

You can listen to the full podcast below, on Apple, Podbean or Spotify.

The post ‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Why authenticity is so important for Principal Kafele appeared first on District Administration.

“Increasingly, leaders are realizing that the scale of the challenge requires radically rethinking who they hire to educate students, how they design the job, and how they support educators to stay in the profession,” say the authors of the Center on Reinventing Public Education report, which tracked implementation of seven strategic school staffing models:

• Redesigned schedules and workload
• Redefined teacher requirements
• Collaborative teaching structures
• Intentional teacher recruitment programs
• New teacher leadership roles
• Differentiated and personalized teacher development
• Compensation

The report’s most troubling finding is that despite being extensively piloted and showing promising results, these models “remain fragile,” the report warns. The administrators surveyed said that the barriers included state regulations, school board mandates and “informal but deeply rooted school and district-level practices.”

Some staff were also distrustful about how the new procedures would impact teachers, which required leaders to communicate clearly about their intentions. Another hurdle was “uprooting old assumptions about what the teaching role can be and breaking rule-following mindsets,” the authors noted.

Strategic school staffing: Secrets to success

Strong relationships were the key to transforming school staffing models, administrators interviewed for the report advised. Leaders needed to keep open lines of communication with staff about their day-to-day experiences and any problems arising as new models are adopted. One leader told researchers that she meets regularly with a panel of 16 teachers to stay updated on the progress of new procedures.

These relationships also help administrators identify thought leaders who will become instrumental in making the changes last. Another way to entrench new models is to show off their success. As one leader told the researchers: “to make that change, people need to see it’s different to believe it. And then it’s awesome.

The report encourages administrators to share the responsibilities of reimaging the teaching profession. This includes seeking help from school board members and stakeholders outside the district who may be able to lobby state officials to provide policy support. External organizations can also be instrumental in developing training materials.

“Superintendents who do not intend to lead this work should make frequent declarations about the importance and priority of these initiatives,” the report concludes. “This explicit support can help combat resistance among staff uninterested in changing … Without this sort of system-wide support, initiative leaders are left working with the early adopters who are naturally drawn to the idea.

‘Talking out of School’ podcast: Addressing a complexity of student needs

The post Strategic school staffing: How to upscale 7 promising models appeared first on District Administration.

After last school year’s struggles with artificial intelligence, district leaders are supporting teachers more robustly with policies and resources, according to the Center for Democracy & Technology’s new “Up In the Air” research report.

“The biggest risks of this technology being used in schools are going unaddressed, due to gaps in training and guidance to educators on the responsible use of generative AI and related detection tools,” Alexandra Reeve Givens, the Center’s president and CEO, noted. “As a result, teachers remain distrustful of students and more students are getting in trouble.”

‘Talking out of School’ podcast: Addressing a complexity of student needs

For example, more than eight in 10 teachers report using generative AI. Yet, more than half of the teachers surveyed said that the technology has made them more doubtful that students are submitting their own work. The level of skepticism is higher in schools that have banned AI.

When it comes to misuse, there was a sharp increase—from 48% to 64%—in the number of teachers who said students got in trouble for using or being accused of using AI to complete schoolwork.

The report also found:

• 59% of teachers are certain one or more of their students have used generative AI on schoolwork.
• 80% of teachers received training about AI policies and procedures.
• 72% of teachers were asked to help develop AI policies.
• Only 28% of teachers know how to respond if they suspect a student has misused the technology.
• 68% of teachers used a detection tool.

Those detection tools appear to be impacting protected classes of students disproportionately. More than three-quarters of special education teachers reported using detection tools compared to 62% of other teachers. Students in special education are also more likely to use AI on class assignments.

The report recommends that districts integrating the rapidly advancing technology go beyond “general permission or banning policies” by continuing to train teachers on the risks to students’ privacy, civil rights and educational experience. Teachers also need more guidance on how to respond when students misuse AI and how to use detection tools more fairly and effectively.

“Since generative AI caught the education sector off-guard last school year, there have been plenty of think pieces about whether usage is a good or a bad thing,” concluded Elizabeth Laird, director of the Center’s Equity in Civic Technology Project. “What we know for sure is that generative AI, and the tools used to detect it, require schools to provide better training and guidance to educators.”

The post AI concerns grow even as more teachers adopt the technology appeared first on District Administration.

It remains to be seen whether AI will fundamentally change human society in the way literacy did, but we already know that AI is a tool that can extend human capabilities and free us from mundane chores to focus on more exciting and fundamentally human things, like creative expression, exploration, and problem-solving.

AI does, however, present challenges to our traditional educational systems. Within my organization, Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), we’ve already begun offering our educators professional development designed to help them address those challenges and use AI to enrich their students’ learning. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you encourage your teachers to wrestle with how AI can fit into your learning environments.

Introducing artificial intelligence concepts and tools

I offer a series of three introductory webinars for teachers in my organization and its component districts. (As a BOCES, Ulster serves all the districts in our county, filling a role similar to that of educational service districts or county departments of education in other states.) Each webinar lasts 30-90 minutes, and they cover understanding the artificial intelligence revolution, teacher tools, and tools that students can use.

In the first session, I try to drive home that the big differentiator of the new generation of AI tools is that they can understand natural language. That, in turn, means they can learn to use any tools humans can, so we talk about the likely consequences for the job market and higher ed, as well.

The second webinar is about free, teacher-facing AI tools. I like Brisk Teaching, for example, because as a Chrome extension, it is very light and unobtrusive. Brisk is just a button that lives in the bottom right corner of your browser and can be used on whichever page of the text-based resource or student work you’re currently using. It follows you on every page you visit without the need to keep a separate tab open. This second session is more hands-on. I explain how to log on to tools like ChatGPT, the main principles of prompt engineering, and useful share links.

In the third session, we discuss how students can use AI and the implications of those uses. Although I do present examples of student work where AI was used at some point, the main idea is to communicate that students are already using AI, and that the percentage of students who use it for schoolwork is increasing rapidly.

DA’s “Talking Out of School” Podcast is now live! Join the District Administration editorial team and special guests every Wednesday as they discuss their experiences, strategies and forecasts for K12 education.

AI detection tools do not work reliably, so teachers who continue to design assignments the same way they always have are condemning themselves to a life of grading papers written by AI. A lot of teachers are turning to paper-and-pencil methods to avoid this, but clearly, this can’t be a long-term solution and will without a doubt decrease engagement and students’ perception of schoolwork’s purpose. So what do we do then?

This third session is meant to be more conversational because I do not have a clear and definitive answer to this conundrum. I do present perspectives and ideas, but if attendees leave the webinar understanding the issue, it has accomplished its goal. Models such as project-based learning and process-based assessment are going to be part of the answer. As an educator, I would rather find a way to design assignments for which I wouldn’t even have to wonder if AI was used.

The reception from teachers has been quite good. I’ve advocated for technology in the past, but this time I see teachers adopting the tools much more frequently. One teacher came up to me after a recent PD session and said that she had never felt the need to engage with education technology before, but she was inspired to learn more about these tools. When teachers see what’s possible with AI, it becomes difficult to ignore.

Elements of effective AI PD

It’s important to offer more than one-and-done sessions for artificial intelligence PD. Ideally, teachers should receive multiple PD sessions throughout the year, supporting them with scaffolding the entire way, just as we do when teaching students. Between sessions, teachers need time to play and experiment.

As a PD leader, it might even be a good idea to give them assignments to nudge them toward exploration. In the next session, they can share notes, talk about their challenges and successes, ask questions, and chat with each other about how they can use what they’ve learned in class.

It’s also important to provide context in AI PD. I’ve seen several webinars that present a product and show how it can be used—and stop there. If the PD isn’t explaining why helping students understand AI is fundamental to their future, teachers are far less likely to adopt it.

To encourage teachers who may be apprehensive about adopting these new tools, I would suggest modeling the use of AI and simply giving teachers time to learn about it. If you send out a district-wide memo, for example, don’t be afraid to use AI to draft it—and be sure to include a note in the memo acknowledging that you did so. This will go a long way towards taking away teachers’ fear and suspicion.

Getting started on your own

If your school or district isn’t offering professional development about artificial intelligence, don’t be afraid to create your own. Reach out to other teachers in your building or across the country on social media to build your own PLC.

Remember, this is a space where we’re all learning and will all continue to learn for the foreseeable future. We develop our understanding of these tools by sharing ideas and successes, commiserating over challenges, and brainstorming solutions to them.

It’s also helpful to follow educators who are talking about AI on YouTube and Substack. One of my favorites is Ethan Mollick. He suggests that people who want to understand AI should spend about 10 hours trying to get an AI program like ChatGPT to perform a variety of tasks. Use it to write something to your spouse, coworkers, or boss; try to learn something new; or try to automate some of your work tasks.

The idea is essentially trying to use it for anything you have to do that involves producing language or code. That will give you a basic understanding of what AI can and cannot do. Those capabilities will change quickly, but the 10-hour project will give you a clear picture of what your chosen tool can do right now.

In the end, AI in education will be what educators make of it. If you work with innovative teachers who inspire you and experiment with what’s possible instead of hiding from what might be, you’ll open possibilities for your students to discover that artificial intelligence, like writing, can be a powerful educational tool.

The post How to create PD for AI in the classroom appeared first on District Administration.

Take a closer look at these long-time educators and you’ll likely see that they have high job satisfaction because their fundamental needs are being met. They:

• Feel valued by their colleagues and administrators
• Have a strong network to support them
• Are prepared to handle whatever comes their way
• Have the autonomy to grow as a teacher, ensuring they can adapt to meet their students’ needs and achieve schoolwide goals simultaneously

So, why has the system failed others who are fleeing the classroom or not even considering careers in education? I believe that current and future teachers are not well prepared for the realities of the classroom, particularly from the social-emotional angle that is fundamental for both their own and their students’ success.

Building the professional social-emotional competence of prospective educators and their understanding of how to support their students should begin in college coursework. But it requires more than a “one-and-done” approach.

Professional development must be prioritized and re-envisioned for those working in the classroom to ensure all teachers have the grace and space to foster practical social-emotional skills that enable them to excel professionally and be personally satisfied in their chosen career.

Social-emotional skills are fundamental

The positive impact of well-implemented social-emotional skills programs on students is well documented. Such programs help students develop skills like problem-solving, self-regulation, impulse control and empathy. These skills are key to achieving academic success, improving classroom environments, and minimizing bullying and other negative social behaviors. Social-emotional skills translate beyond the classroom, too. They help students in everyday life when it comes to making productive decisions and becoming successful members of their community.

During my 19-year career, I’ve seen how educators are expected to lead social-emotional programming and be social-emotional role models for their students and colleagues. They also are expected to know how to use social-emotional skill development curricula, embed social-emotional skills into academic instruction and collaborate effectively with caregivers to build family engagement. But that is a lot to ask of educators, who may not have had the opportunity to hone their own social-emotional skills in preparation for college or their teaching career.

DA’s “Talking Out of School” Podcast is now live! Join the District Administration editorial team and special guests every Wednesday as they discuss their experiences, strategies and forecasts for K12 education.

There must be a stronger connection between certification requirements, what is taught in college coursework concerning the realities of the classroom, what is expected of teachers, and how they are supported in their classrooms to meet those expectations.

According to one report, the overwhelming majority of teacher education programs in 49 states did not address any of the five core social-emotional learning dimensions. There is a distinct need, according to a Learning Policy Institute study, to foster the social-emotional skills of teachers to prepare them to support the needs of their future students.

Teacher prep programs now are beginning to understand the importance of embedding social-emotional skill development content into coursework. Some universities are even developing separate certifications for social-emotional skill development.

Building blocks for the future

Given current and likely future challenges of meeting the diverse social and emotional needs of students in our classrooms, the existing way we support the preparation and professional development of educators simply does not prepare educators fully for the realities of the classroom nor does it meet the most basic and psychological needs of today’s teachers to ensure that educators will remain in the classroom. Strengthening social-emotional skills must begin as individuals prepare to become teachers. And it must continue after they step into the classroom and throughout their time as educators.

Educators must be taught how to support their professional social-emotional growth, as well as develop the skills they need to share these valuable lessons with their students. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. To ensure that teachers have a strong foundation, universities and school districts should consider the ABCs of integrating social-emotional skill development into coursework and professional development:

1. Agency—Teachers need support identifying how to leverage their expertise. Plus they must be confident that the intentional choices they’re making will produce positive outcomes. New – and even seasoned – teachers often have a hard time connecting what they see from their students with strategies they can apply to make an impact. Data gathered from strength-based assessments can be valuable here. This information can provide teachers with insights pinpointing where students need support and guidance on how to creatively integrate these lessons throughout the school day alongside core academics.
2. Belongingness—Educators need intentional time and purposeful outlets to help them connect with each other and build a supportive community. It goes far beyond the occasional happy hour or team bonding activity. Even staff meetings or professional learning communities (PLCs) rarely dedicate sufficient time to modeling social-emotional skill development strategies, practicing skills and connecting with others about their experiences. In the college classroom, for example, future educators can engage with each other through community circles. This long-standing practice supports learning and builds connections and trust among peers and is easily replicable in a professional setting. Once in the classroom, job-embedded PD is key. Teachers must have a voice in PD, collaborating on content, expectations and outcomes to ensure that they are given agency in how to grow and are capitalizing on collective self-efficacy in order to grow alongside their colleagues. Ultimately, the limited time teachers have to improve their own skills must be used effectively and provide a clear connection to how it applies to helping their students succeed.
3. Competence —Educators need the grace, space and permission to grow the skills that are meaningful to them and that have a positive impact on their expertise and their students. Even though most schools have professional growth systems in place, the goals are often mandated by administrators or the district based on end-of-year assessment data. These edicts leave no room for intertwining professional and personal growth. Teachers must be encouraged to ask for help where they need it – not judged when they do. And more importantly, there must be time set aside for mentorship, with guidance provided on how to be an effective mentor or mentee.

Immediate action is required to stem the continuing exodus of long-time, excellent educators and encourage the next generation to enter the classroom with confidence and competence. The first step entails integrating social-emotional skill development into college coursework so future teachers can hone their own social-emotional skills and feel confident in modeling them for their students. This will provide future educators with a strong foundation for success when they enter the classroom.

Then, current educators need continual support, with PD and other strategies that encourage them to learn new skills and engage in lifelong learning. This approach will ensure that members of the teaching profession feel valued, feel that their voice matters, and feel empowered to continue making a difference in the lives of their students.

The post Why new teachers are not prepared for today’s school climate appeared first on District Administration.

The teacher shortage crisis is affecting countries worldwide. A few of these countries and their concerns are as follows:

England found that some 40,000 teachers were leaving their workforce. This was 9% of the teaching workforce (Adams, 2023). Australia’s teacher shortage raised concerns about how it would be turned around (Longmuir, 2023). The European countries of Germany, Hungary, Poland, Austria, and France have over 80,000 teacher shortages. A primary concern of these countries is what happens to the high quality of teaching they have experienced through the decades (Shehnaz, 2022).

What do the drastic shortages in the U.S. look like?

Students who had earned teaching licenses dropped from 320,000 in 2006 to 215,000 by 2013. In addition, those earning a teaching license dropped from a peak level in 2009 of 700,000 to a figure close to 400,000 in 2020 (Barnum, 2023).

Shortages reported in recent years

The 2020-21 and 2021-22 teacher shortages, reported by 21 states, were estimated at 27,844 unfilled teaching across the country. In addition, 286,290 non-certified teachers were estimated not to be fully certified in their teaching assignments. Forty-seven states plus the District of Columbia reported (Franco & Patrick, 2023).

The state of Texas hired one in three of its new incoming teachers without teacher certification in 2022- 2023. By state requirement, parents of the students assigned to these non-certified teachers’ classrooms are to be notified (Wurman, 2023).

The following is a list of teacher shortages reported in the following sampling of states 2023. The first number reflects the number of ‘non-certified’ teachers. The second number is the number of ‘vacated’ positions (no teacher available):

• California—Not fully certified: 27,475 Unfilled positions: Not Reported
• Florida—Not fully certified: 22,538 Unfilled positions: 3,911
• Washington—Not fully certified: 4,880 Unfilled positions: 776
• Oregon—Not fully certified: 4,653 Unfilled positions: Not Reported
• Michigan—Not fully certified: 5,936 Unfilled positions: 1,228
• New Mexico—Not fully certified: Not Reported Unfilled positions: 1,046
• Virginia—Not fully certified: 11,212 Unfilled positions: 2,815
• Texas—Not fully certified: 49,346 Unfilled positions: Not Reported
• North Carolina—Not fully certified: 6,207 Unfilled positions: 3,218
• Arizona—Not fully certified: 5,072 Unfilled positions: 1,729

Community–technical colleges in the above states

• California 73 (+43 with multiple campuses)
• Florida 28
• Washington 33 (+2 with multiple campuses)
• Oregon 17
• Michigan 28
• New Mexico 13
• Virginia 23
• Texas 57 (+17 with multiple campuses)
• North Carolina 58
• Arizona 13 (+13 with multiple campuses)

Why community–technical colleges are the solution

Several states have stated in their education plans that baccalaureate degrees can be considered for community colleges in areas with shortages. Several such programs exist in California, Florida, and several other states.

While these same states have severe shortages of teachers in their K12 schools, only Florida has, to date, approved its community colleges to prepare teachers in those teaching areas most in need. The states of Washington and Oregon and a few others have approved pre-school teaching programs.

DA’s “Talking Out of School” Podcast is now live! Join the District Administration editorial team and special guests every Wednesday as they discuss their experiences, strategies and forecasts for K12 education.

There are nearly 1,200 community-technical colleges across the U.S. They are strategically located in all 50 states, and every U.S. K-12 school district is near one of these colleges.

Concerns of community-technical colleges entering the teacher preparation market

A recent research paper has addressed the concerns of numerous states that community–technical colleges offering baccalaureate degree programs would ‘harm’ or be a significant problem for the universities and four-year colleges. What was found is that these concerns have been overblown.

One of the few studies by the University of Florida researchers found no adverse effect on public or private not-for-profits. Some adverse effects were documented for private-for-profits. The positives they identified were significant in terms of the diversity of students who were able to enroll in community–technical college baccalaureate degrees:

• Average age was older (31-32)
• More racially and ethnically diverse
• Many came from families with limited financial resources to pay for college
• Many also worked full-time to support themselves and family (Bragg, 2024)

Benefits of dual/concurrent enrollment while attending high school:

Community and technical colleges have helped shorten the time to obtain a degree for hundreds of thousands of secondary school students. The importance of these programs in terms of time to degree for the possibility of preparing baccalaureate degree teachers is paramount.

Almost every community–technical college in the U.S. now offers dual/concurrent enrollment programs. They are offered in general education, technical, apprenticeship, and vocational courses. The benefits of starting early with college courses include the following:

1. Accelerated Learning: Students can get a head start on their college education. They enroll in college-level coursework, explore new subject areas, and challenge themselves academically. A significant number of these students now graduate from their secondary school with (1) one semester, (2) one year, and (3) several graduates with two years of college credit and an associate degree.

2. College Credit: Completing dual/concurrent enrollment courses means earning high school and college credits simultaneously. This gives students an early taste of the college experience and allows them to graduate from college earlier.

3. Smooth Transition: Engaging in dual/concurrent enrollment helps ease the transition from high school to college.

4. Exploration and Flexibility: This program offers courses across various disciplines. The exposure helps inform students of future academic and career choices.

Dual/concurrent students can enroll in select college courses taught at their local secondary school, community college, or online. Experienced faculty members will guide students through the material, ensuring they receive quality teaching that aligns with their goals.

Student loan burdens: University vs. community–technical colleges

A study by the Learning Policy Institute analyzed some of the impacts that student loans have on those students entering teaching as a profession:

• Approximately 2.1 million (60%) have taken out loans
• Nearly 1.3 million are still paying off those loans
• Student loans disproportionately impact (1) new teachers, (2) special education, and (3) Black teachers.
• Over one-third of these teachers are working in other jobs due to those loans
• The stress levels for these teachers are reported as ‘high’ or ‘very high’ due in part to these loan debts

Community–technical colleges make cents for students: The Community College Daily, in their recent study of community-technical college students and student loans, published the following:

• 67% of the graduates of the community and technical colleges in 2019-20 had not taken out loans
• For-profit community college institutions were found to have only 9% who had not taken out loans
• Only 39% of university and four-year college students had not taken out loans
• Average tuition and fees for public two-year colleges in 2023-24 was $3,990
• Average tuition and fees at U.S. universities was $11,260 in the same year (Dembicki, 2023)

Many students and their families are worried about the high cost of education. Community colleges offer a great solution by providing affordable tuition and a range of financial aid options. By reducing the financial burden, students can concentrate on their studies without being weighed down by excessive student loan debts. In addition, attending a community college allows students to stay close to family and friends, eliminating the need for costly relocations while pursuing their educational goals.

Common sense on utilizing community–technical colleges now as a new teacher preparation pipeline

• Community colleges are primed to offer baccalaureate degrees in teaching, which can do much to help lessen the national teacher shortage crisis.
• Community colleges prioritize creating a supportive learning environment for students, where dedicated faculty members provide personalized attention and guidance throughout their academic journey.
• Many students have additional work or family commitments and responsibilities. That is why community – technical colleges offer flexible class schedules, including evening and online options. These options allow the student to customize their education around their busy life.

The post Preparing teachers in community colleges makes sense—and cents appeared first on District Administration.

While the trades require extensive classroom learning, it is during apprenticeship when tradespeople learn to apply what they learned in the classroom. Apprenticeship models, long valued in skilled trades, are gaining recognition as an innovative approach to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills.

This article explores the benefits and challenges of integrating an apprenticeship model that accelerates the careers of existing school employees, attracts new employees, and helps address teacher shortages.

More from DA: Want students to be more engaged? Don’t ban cellphones!

Traditional apprenticeships require an experienced trade master who can share their field experiences with an emerging tradesperson who works with them under close supervision. The scenario in education most similar to a trades apprenticeship already exists in millions of classrooms.

Paraprofessionals, also known as teacher’s aides, instructional assistants or paraeducators, play a crucial role in supporting teachers and fostering a positive learning environment in schools. Like apprentices, paraprofessionals do not have the full responsibilities of the classroom teacher, but they work closely with experienced teachers and witness effective teachers’ professional practices.

Despite the similarities, the work of the paraprofessional was not viewed as akin to a formal apprenticeship. The reality is that most paraprofessionals continue in their work but rarely take the next step to become teachers.

It’s time for school districts to recognize that paraprofessionals are already working in apprenticeship programs. The challenge is formalizing the apprenticeship model and providing a pathway to a teaching certificate.

How to get started with apprenticeships

Paraprofessional apprenticeships involve several requirements that fall outside the capacity of typical school districts. The model is not possible without developing external partnerships that will lead paraprofessionals to the finish line with a college degree and a teaching certificate.

1. Partner with a college of education
2. Formal Department of Labor apprenticeship agreement
3. State department of education support
4. School board support
5. Labor union support

Removing obstacles

One of the most important benefits of any paraprofessional apprenticeship program is that it removes two of the largest obstacles that many paraprofessionals would otherwise face when pursuing a college degree and teaching certificate. One primary obstacle for many seeking to return or continue their college education is the financial stress created by giving up a job to pursue education, especially when that loss of employment is coupled with tuition payments.

Because this apprenticeship model requires employment in a school system, many school systems offer tuition reimbursement and other ways of providing financial support to employees continuing their education. With an approved United States Department of Labor apprenticeship program, there are additional opportunities for funding education.

A lack of time is another problem frequently identified as an obstacle for working adults seeking to return to or continue college. A paraprofessional apprenticeship allows future teachers to continue to work and earn college credit at the same time by simply continuing with existing employment.

The apprenticeship model further reduces the total amount of time required to earn a degree and can also be designed to make classes more flexible with online learning and asynchronous classes. This is especially helpful for working adults who are trying to balance a job, home responsibilities, and college coursework.

Unsung heroes of education

Integrating apprenticeship models into the paraprofessional work experience represents a promising shift that values and supports current employees, provides a career ladder, and helps address teacher shortages. While many school districts fund para-to-teacher programs, those programs do not take full advantage of the apprenticeship model, and many are simply tuition reimbursement programs.

Typical para-to-teacher programs do not remove the obstacles to higher education facing many paraprofessionals. By embracing paraprofessionals as teachers working in an apprenticeship, we elevate the work of these critical school employees who are often the unsung heroes of our educational system.

The post Paraprofessionals—and apprenticeships—are the big solutions to shortages appeared first on District Administration.

Five policies must be in place for that to happen—particularly in the early grades, the National Council on Teacher Quality’s just-released “State of the States” report asserts.

“States that have seen elementary students’ literacy rates increase have done so with a long-term commitment to improving teacher effectiveness,” the report notes. “They not only changed reading instruction by bolstering teachers’ knowledge and skills through initial adoption of strong, aligned, coherent policies, but they coupled these policies with ongoing support and financial resources.”

More from DA: Want students to be more engaged? Don’t ban cellphones!

Over the last 10 years, some 32 states have enacted new laws or policies around evidence-based reading but even more needs to be done, the report contends.

Starting with state decision-makers, five things have to happen to ramp up the science of reading. K12 leaders can lobby for some of the policies while others may become the subject of state mandates:

1. Detailed reading standards for teacher prep programs.
2. A review of teacher prep programs to ensure they teach the science of reading.
3. Adoption of a strong elementary reading licensure test.
4. Requirements for districts to select a high-quality reading curriculum.
5. Providing professional learning for teachers and ongoing support to sustain the implementation of the science of reading.

Science of reading in your state

“Many new teachers aren’t prepared to teach reading because only 26 states provide clear standards to teacher prep programs,” the report attests. “Lack of specificity in standards leaves a lot up to chance.”

K12 leaders should advocate for teacher preparation standards that cover English learners and struggling readers, including students with dyslexia. Some 30 states have achieved the former benchmark while more than 40 can boast of the latter.

Explicit teacher prep standards would allow districts to get more complete information on the skills newly hired teachers have acquired. Meanwhile, 40% of states “have no way to know the quality of reading curricula in use.” And only nine states require districts to use “high-quality reading materials.”

Arkansas, for example, requires districts to select curricula from a list that has been vetted against rigorous, research-aligned standards. The state can withhold up to 10% of funding from districts that do not pick curricula from the list, the report finds.

“Without knowledge of which curricula districts use, states are missing an opportunity for instructional improvement,” the report explains. “They do not know which students are getting access to a research-backed curriculum and which students are being taught mediocre or weak curricula (more likely historically underserved students).”

K12 leaders can also lobby for more funding for professional learning in the science of reading. While more than half of states require it and provide financial support, more than half a million teachers may still not have access. “Overall, states are doing a better job at setting standards for prep programs and providing professional learning opportunities,” the report concludes. “They are further behind in embracing strong prep program approval practices, requiring a strong reading licensure test, or ensuring districts use high-quality reading curricula aligned with the science of reading.”

The post 5 ways to give teachers better support in the science of reading appeared first on District Administration.

Most school districts, and especially those facing state takeover, have limited capacity for instructional coaching. The highest-performing teachers can give their colleagues only so much hands-on help before their own practice begins to suffer.

As a result, we decided to have teachers create videos of their own practice for coaching purposes and to use exemplar videos of teachers from within Jackson Public Schools and from other districts to increase our coaching capacity. Here’s how we did it.

Video turbocharges coaching

Approximately 40% of our teachers are new and novice, so we need to be intentional about providing professional development and coaching that will help them become better teachers as quickly as possible. We are also working with our instructional leaders to continue developing their ability to effectively coach and provide real-time feedback and support.

We chose to adopt the Teaching Channel video platform for two main reasons: 1.) The library of videos allows us to view excellent teaching practices beyond our own current capacity, and 2.) the video coaching platform enables our coaches to be efficient in helping excellent practices proliferate throughout our district.

Your instructional coaches and principals—or whoever are the strongest members of your team—may be exceptional teachers but they can only model a lesson in person for or meet with so many teachers at once. With video, they can share a single lesson with any number of teachers across the district and even share videos made by educators from other districts whom they’ve never met. As a district that was facing state takeover, we frankly didn’t have enough consistently excellent instruction in our district to serve as high-powered models. It’s hard to be excellent when you can’t see excellence, and the Teaching Channel Library of exemplar videos has helped us fill that gap.

Sometimes when teachers see their colleagues doing amazing things with students, it can begin to tear down their assumptions about what some children are capable of. The question then becomes, “How can I get them there?” It’s helpful to see how someone else checks for understanding, to note the differences in the way they call for attention, organize the learning space or maximize their time. It’s only by seeing excellent examples that teachers can know their practices aren’t quite excellent and begin taking steps to improve them.

Most importantly, research has demonstrated that students of teachers who received video coaching had higher English language arts scores than students of teachers who received none, and those with less than five years of experience or weaker teaching practices at the start of the study saw even greater improvement in both math and ELA scores compared to similar teachers who did not receive additional coaching.

Avoiding a ‘gotcha’ culture

When we began using video in our coaching, we paid a lot of attention to recalibrating the culture of our district. It’s important to help folks understand that it’s not a “gotcha!” or about making teachers feel bad or professionally incapable. It’s about helping them be the excellent teachers they already want to be. Receiving even the most constructive criticism doesn’t always feel great, so it’s important to put in the intentional work of building trust from the very beginning by offering feedback that’s fair, consistent and focused on helping.

It’s also important to make space in the schedule for things like collaborative planning and debriefing with a principal or instructional coach. Teachers are busy and their days will slip away if you don’t ensure they have protected time to share some discourse about next steps or lessons learned.

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The last bit of culture that must be in place for successful video coaching is a vision for continuous learning. The organization, and the individuals within it, must have a growth mindset. Every educator should know that the district will support them in their growth and that they each have an individual responsibility to put the work in and grow themselves.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work in environments where we received a lot of thoughtful feedback and were expected to put effort into getting better. That’s not everyone’s experience, however. There are a lot of folks, some who’ve been educators for decades, who have never received effective coaching. It can really hurt to hear that you need to improve.

As a result, I’ve tried to model how to constructively receive and act on feedback. Every couple of months, I will ask some of my teachers and other team members to give me their reactions to a talk I gave or a presentation I made to the board. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate that I don’t have it all figured out either, and need help from my community to grow and improve as well.

Focusing on clear goals

When it comes to actually creating or using videos, there are two ways our coaches and teachers decide what to focus on. We have district-wide focus areas, such as literacy or numeracy skills, that we highlight based on data from the previous year or the start of the current school year. An entire professional learning community might record their approaches to a skill and then watch them together and provide feedback.

With the help of a coach, each teacher also sets personal professional development goals based on recent data. They might be assigned a video on classroom management so they can see the skills used in a high-functioning classroom. Or a teacher might record themselves to review one thing and then find as they watch and reflect with their coach that, for example, they’re losing a lot of time during transitions. They may then be assigned a video about maximizing instructional time.

Tips for getting started with video coaching

To get the most out of a video coaching program, your goals are the best foundation to build on. At Jackson Public Schools, we have a high level of turnover and the pipeline of new educators is not what it once was. For us, the vision was to become a district that grows its own excellent teachers. We aim to be an organization in which everyone is constantly learning and growing.

To spread that commitment to making today’s practice better than yesterday’s, it’s a good idea to start with the willing. Go find your early adopter teachers, the ones who are eager to sign up. Then set them loose and document the heck out of it. First, why are they so eager? Is it because they think they’re such great teachers? Or do they think they need help? Are they just oriented toward growth? Are they looking at student data and seeing a need to focus on their instructional practice? Whatever their story, it’s important.

From there, keep it simple. Let them record video on their phone so there’s no complicated technology. Keep the list of people who see their videos short and transparent, so they focus on the process and working out any kinks, rather than worrying about being evaluated.

Finally, make sure the time set aside for reflection is sacred. It doesn’t matter if teachers record and watch their videos if it doesn’t lead to change. Teachers need to discuss how they will progress from their current practice to attaining mastery of this pedagogical technique. They can plan with a coach, watch a colleague model excellent practices or role-play but only if the time to do so is scheduled and sacred.

Everyone deserves coaching but most schools can’t provide it to every teacher. Video coaching helped us multiply our capacity and leverage that of other districts as we sought to change our culture and help everyone, from our novice teachers to our highest performers, improve their practice. We have improved two letter grades on the state accountability system and maintained local control of our school district. While there is always room for additional improvement, we’re confident we’ve found a path forward.

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“By ensuring that AI literacy is at the heart of our digital literacy program, we’re ensuring that we can not only mitigate the risk of AI, but seize the opportunity it creates to help improve the way we learn and the way we work,” says Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat from Delaware, who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D., an Indiana Republican.

The bill, which would amend the Digital Equity Act, defines AI literacy “as the skills associated with the ability to comprehend the basic principles, concept and applications of artificial intelligence, as well as the implications, limitations, and ethical considerations associated with artificial intelligence.”

A main goal of the bill is to help schools teach students to use the rapidly advancing technology safely and ethically.  Grants created by the proposal would help district leaders and other education organizations:

• Provide teachers with training and certification to drive AI literacy efforts in schools.
• Send teachers to courses, workshops and conferences related to artificial intelligence instruction and course design.
• Schools without resources for computer science education would get assistance in using best practices to develop and design AI course materials for computer science classes.
• Create partnerships with the private sector to expand AI education.
•  Build school labs that provide students with hands-on AI learning experiences.
•  Develop virtual learning platforms for remote and individualized AI instruction.

“Every administrator, teacher and student should know how to use AI and how AI works because when you understand the underlying fundamentals, you will be better able to use AI safely, effectively, and responsibly,” Pat Yongpradit, chief academic officer of Code.org, said in a statement.

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