When COVID-19 first disrupted the routines and traditions that constitute school, many teachers grappled for the first time with online instruction, often with little experience or support. The experience of the past months has demonstrated that those who could transition seamlessly to online or hybrid models were already delivering authentic, project-based learning tied to students’ interests or experiences, real problems, and events—and leveraging technology to do it. They provide examples of the way forward post-COVID.


Seize the Moment: Double Down on Authentic Learning





Also In this Issue

Reshaping Assessment and Accountability in 2021 and Beyond

By Andrew Rotherham, Bonnie O'Keefe and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess

Data about system performance will continue to lie at the heart of school improvement.





The Role of Technology in Reimagining School

By Andrew Ko and Kristen Amundson

Pandemic or no, states ought to press for better technology for personalized learning and making staff and students safer.





The Greenfield Path to School Improvement

By Frederick Hess

State Policymakers can help clear away the rubble that impedes vibrant reform.





Transforming Learning through Competency-Based Education

By Susan Patrick

States are adopting a range of policies to personalize student learning and move away from seat-time rules.






Seize the Moment: Double Down on Authentic Learning

By Dennis McGrath and Monica Martinez

Project-based learning tied to students' communities and interests readily makes the leap across modes of instruction.





Moving toward Competency-Based Professional Learning

By Joseph Hood and Melissa Tooley

Microcredentials embedded in effective learning systems can promote teacher growth, advancement, and retention.





Kansas Schools Build Resilience amid Redesign

By Valerie Norville

Schools opt to change their approaches to learning and see gains in adaptability.







Featured Items

Photo Credit: iStock i

Six Questions to Advance Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship

Adolescents consume a lot of screen media, which exposes them to potentially harmful media messages that impacts their physical, mental, and social well-being. Read how some states are equipping students with skills to navigate a complex media landscape.
Business people sitting on books. Image credit: iStock i

Curriculum That Counts

Authors in this issue of the Standard draw lessons from a spectrum of state policies that are being used to increase the adoption of high-quality curriculum.
Multiracial group of teachers walking in school hallway. Image credit: iStock i

Strengthening the Principal Pipeline through State Leadership Academies

Missouri, Delaware, and North Carolina have developed evidence-based professional learning for current and prospective school leaders to increase their effectiveness and reduce turnover.

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