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Implementation Guides

Find a learning sciences implementation guide to help address the problem of practice in schools and districts with tangible real-world solutions.

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Gears

Filter by NCREST Elements

Agency among teachers and students

To transform schools, input from teachers and students about the school modernization process is critical.

Align Technology Planning

In this age of digital learning, aligning school technology planning with curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and other operational needs is a necessity.

Articulating a Philosophy for Learning

For a school or district leader, the vision for the school or district allows the leader to articulate the long-term impact of the work and the reason that impact is essential.

Audience Inclusion, Voice, and Participation

Schools must contend with the cultural dynamics of its internal stakeholders (e.g., students, families, teachers, etc.) in addition to external stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, business and community leaders, etc.) that impact teaching and learning.

Community Relations Plan

Effective leadership requires the ability to engage stakeholders effectively by building and managing relationships.

Consistent and Ongoing Communications

The effective use of technology provides tools, resources, data, and supportive systems that increase opportunities for teaching and learning.

Creating Balanced and Flexible Systems of Decision Making

Support school modernization practices aligned with district and state policies and balance authority with flexibility and agency.

Encouraging Risk Taking

Individuals with a fixed mindset often believe that failure is a sign of intellectual inferiority or weakness, making risk taking a high-stakes endeavor where failure can be crushing.

Evaluate Program Effectiveness

Districts and schools are faced with the challenge of having to implement, sustain, and evaluate many different innovations, initiatives, and programs simultaneously, with limited resources.

Hiring and Retention Policies

A large teacher quality gap exists across schools in many districts, resulting in a situation where students of color and economically disadvantaged students are systemically provided less access to high-quality teachers than their peers.

Leveraging Staff Strengths

No school leader has the time or the expertise to handle all their school’s challenges alone.

Professional Growth Plans for Educators

Set clear expectations for each teacher’s and administrator’s professional growth plan; seek feedback from teachers and use data to show impact.

School Culture of Innovation

Innovation does not mean dictating new policies to a school staff from the principal’s office. Google and Apple, two companies famous for their innovation, also are driven from the bottom up.

Sharing School Success and Student Stories

Share the school’s successes, no matter how small, through all relevant outreach channels (e.g., email, traditional and social media, daily updates, videos, etc.).

Staff Collaboration and Team Teaching

Create peer review and feedback loops.

Sustainability through Leadership Transitions

To develop and support an environment where the work of an initial dynamic leader is continued beyond the leader’s tenure, attention must be paid to the challenges of sustainability and adaptation.