By: Education Elements on October 1st, 2018
5th Annual Report Highlights School and District Transformation
Ed Elements in the News | Press Release
SAN CARLOS, CALIF. (PRWEB) OCTOBER 01, 2018
Based on 8 years of work with 750 schools in 140 districts, Education Elements – a K-12 consulting partner specializing in personalized learning and organizational design – released their annual report sharing the academic achievements and professional growth of their school district partners.
The report highlights the work and achievements of school districts in 6 of the 34 states where Education Elements works with district partners – Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, and South Carolina.Among the district leaders working with Education Elements, 95% of respondents see teachers innovate more often, and 86% find that team collaboration has become more effective. Teachers report that they feel more supported, more effective, and better equipped and inspired to carry out change-making work in their schools. Additionally, schools report decreases in student re-assessments and class failures and increases in student engagement.
Educators and administrators work hard to improve results, motivate team members, and create a robust learning environment – and are constantly looking for ways to do so. Many districts have invested in organizational redesign, personalized learning, and other student-centered instructional models as a way to achieve these goals. Education Elements supports these districts by providing expertise in developing responsive teams, benchmarking personalized learning, supporting regional learning networks, creating a culture of innovation, and enabling competency-based education through personalized learning.
“It is always a pleasure to reflect on the accomplishments of our district partners, and we are continually grateful that these extraordinary educators trust us in this work,” said Anthony Kim, Founder and CEO of Education Elements, and co-author of The NEW School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools. “The stories in this report illustrate where we have been, how our work has evolved, and point to the future of how we will continue building and supporting dynamic school systems.”
In districts like The Enlarged City School District of Middletown, NY, district leaders report sustained academic growth, with a 17-point growth in ELA proficiency and 18-point growth in math proficiency. This year, 57% of Middletown students in grades K-8 tested proficient in ELA, up from 40% five years ago and 62% tested proficient in math, up from 44% five years ago. The district leadership and teachers are also working with Education Elements as part of The New School Rules Leadership Seminar, based on The NEW School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, to develop responsiveness as an organization to encourage collaboration and effective teaching.
In the Wayne-Finger Lakes region, Education Elements works directly with 12 districts, both through individual work with districts, and group settings with leaders from multiple districts. With support from Education Elements, 25 districts in the region have worked together to devise a model in which they collaborate to implement personalized learning and other innovative practices to improve teaching, learning, and leadership.
“The school districts within the Wayne-Finger Lakes region believe that we are stronger together
than apart,” said Jessica Sheridan, Director of Staff Development for the Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. “Our regional focus on student-centered learning has allowed us to maximize on this
belief by providing educators a common goal to tackle together. Sharing ideas, visiting each
other’s classrooms to see personalized learning in action. And, providing purposeful professional development has afforded us the chance to positively impact a greater number of students than if we were to work on this pedagogical transformation alone.”
The complete report, Focus on School, District, and Regional Transformation, examines some of the various initiatives implemented by school districts across the country, from personalized learning to competency-based education to organization redesign, and how these initiatives have impacted the success of students, teachers, and school and district leaders.
About Education Elements
Education Elements works with districts to build and support dynamic school systems that meet the needs of every learner, today and tomorrow. The Education Elements team takes the time to understand the unique challenges school leaders face, and then customizes an approach for each district. Since 2010, Education Elements has worked with hundreds of districts across the country and brings deep expertise, design-thinking, expert facilitation and the spirit of collaboration, along with an extensive toolkit of resources and technology, to deliver sustainable results.
