Schools Worth Visiting

The Getting Smart team visits hundreds of schools each year and is grateful for the opportunity to see high-quality teaching and learning in action. This series features stories of schools that share best practices, lessons learned and next-gen teaching practices that support high-quality, personalized, project-based learning for all students.

Schools Worth Visiting

7 Critical Components to Empower Student Success

By: Lori Vandeborne & Steve Vanderhoff. Here are the 7 Critical Components to Empowering Success we implement at Rushmore Academy to ensure we remove any and all barriers to learning for our at-risk student population.

Leadership

Student 3D Printing That Helps Make A Difference

By: Joy Schwartz. Students thrive when asked to solve real problems that have the power to make a difference, as demonstrated by my high school students while designing and building a working prosthetic arm to donate to a local seven-year-old girl.

EdTech

Professional Learning: The Power of School Visits

School visits can be a powerful part of a professional learning plan and a critical part of a school transformation effort. Here are five specific reasons we feel school visits are a must-have item for community leader and school member participation.

Competency-Based Education

The Vision of Performance-Based Education at District 51

During my visit to District 51 in Colorado to observe its shift to competency-based education, I learned more about how leadership is shaping the overall vision to create a culture that includes growth mindset and social & emotional learning.

Equity & Access

10 Strategies Promoting Digital Access and Equity

Tremendous progress has been made in K-12 education over the last 20 years, but challenges remain in developing new personalized learning models. Here are 10 strategies that promote excellence and equity in K-12 schools in the digital learning age.

Personalized Learning

It’s Time to Personalize Learning in Alaska

By: Dr. Karen Gaborik. Alaska's Fairbanks North Star Borough School District's superintendent shares how the district began its shift to a student-centered system, how the community is involved and what next steps are for them all.

Competency-Based Education

Building Community Consensus for District Change

I visited Mesa County Valley School District 51 in Colorado for a week to observe its shift to competency-based education. Here are highlights on how leadership is building consensus and shaping community engagement for input on changes.

Schools Worth Visiting

Enhancing a CTE Program to Boost Student Readiness

By: Tammy Hyatt. Working and learning go hand in hand when a student is on the path to mastering a specific skill set or subject material, and for students in Career and Technical Education programs, this couldn’t be truer.