Education First is a seasoned team of trusted advisors to the leaders responsible for delivering what many Americans want most: public education that effectively prepares all students for success in college, careers and a world of constant change.
Education First has been a key leader of one of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) academics and equity initiatives. CCSSO runs the IM-PD Network that supports more than a dozen states to increase the number of districts selecting high-quality, standards aligned instructional materials and increase the number of pre-service and in-service teachers receiving curriculum-based high-quality professional learning. Education First provides thought partnership and coaching to state leaders in Arkansas, Delaware and Maryland, resulting in significant strides in spurring the adoption and use of great materials, especially in classrooms serving students of color and students experiencing poverty.
We are partnering with San Bernardino County Schools to support a three-year, integrated systems initiative to improve student behavioral health and well-being through the coordinated implementation of California’s Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) and the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI).
We serve as the measurement and evaluation partner to Silicon Schools Fund for the Elevate initiative, which connects technical assistance TA providers with participating charter networks and districts to provide instructional coaching to educators to implement HQIM. We designed a research process to assess the early impact of Elevate and we conduct virtual observations of classrooms, review lesson plans and analyze student work samples. Using data from these evidence sources, the team provides the Fund with reports showing areas where instruction is improving in Elevate schools and areas where educators need additional support from their instructional coaches and the TA providers.
As a TEA-approved provider in the Resilient Schools Support Program, we provide 1:1 coaching to multiple Texas school systems to build their capacity for academic recovery from COVID, implement HQIM and improve the quality of professional learning systems and structures. Education First has been advising Longview ISD’s central office administrators, principals, and academic deans to increase the implementation of their ELA curriculum. As a result, during SY22–23, teacher use of the ELA HQIM went from almost zero use in observed classrooms to over 50 percent of observed classrooms teaching a high-quality lesson using the adopted materials.
