Foundations across the country, both those who work nationally and those who focus on specific communities, have a long history of engaging in place-based work. Place-based initiatives have historically used a comprehensive set of strategies to address the multifaceted needs...
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Rigorous and transparent open Request for Proposals (RFP) processes are one strategy grantmakers can use to source, vet and select high-potential grantees. Done well, RFPs can introduce funders to new ideas and grantees while fostering more equitable and effective grantmaking....
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Opportunities exist in Title II-A, now more than ever before, to design and fund strategies uniquely tailored to support school and teacher leaders. States are preparing to submit their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans in April, and after reviewing...
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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives all states the chance to dramatically change the way they approach and think about public education. “Making the Most of ESSA” is a reference guide designed to help policymakers and other stakeholders leverage...
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Our updated primer on Common Core-aligned assessments offers policymakers, staff, education leaders and advocates reusable slides that make the case for why we need new and better tests of student learning. The primer also digs into the different testing options...
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Since its founding in 2008, Education First has helped numerous partners – from funders, to nonprofits, to the Federal Government – establish and facilitate networks of grantees, districts and educators. Effective collaboratives, communities of practice and grantee networks are a...
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In any strategic planning project, our task is to help the organization leaders and staff develop a blueprint that will guide their organization for several years. The organization’s ideas, values and activities must be knit together into a coherent strategy....
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In this series of briefs we provide an introduction to important areas for effective K–12/higher education collaboration and alignment. Each brief tackles a different issue: 1) Overall introduction; 2) Defining college- and career-readiness; 3) Adopting college- and career-ready assessments; 4)...
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In this brief we outline what alignment between K-12 and higher education means and how to achieve it in practice. We go into detail on why alignment is important and what the key elements of alignment are. We then offer...
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In this brief we outline how K-12 and higher education can create a shared definition of what college and career readiness means. We found that this shared definition often forms the basis of a broader K-12/higher education college readiness improvement...
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