News
Uncertain future of IDEA law puts students with disabilities at risk, EdSource
As federal support for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) faces unprecedented threats, this article reveals how millions of vulnerable students could lose vital protections—unless parents, educators, and policymakers act now to defend their rights.
The state playbook for teacher recruitment, development, and retention, Phi Delta Kappan
As teacher shortages escalate nationwide, Missouri’s bold, state-led strategy offers a replicable playbook for recruiting, developing, and retaining educators—especially in underserved communities—by aligning policy, funding, and innovation across districts.
CTAC announces two significant changes in leadership
After more than 4 years of careful planning, the CTAC Board of Directors is pleased to announce two significant changes in leadership. Bill Slotnik, our visionary Founder & CEO, becomes CEO Emeritus, continuing to guide our mission. Jeff Edmison, a proven leader with 13 years at CTAC, steps into the CEO role to drive our next chapter.
State action on teacher recruitment and retention: Missouri takes the lead
A four-phase evaluation shows Missouri is leading the way in solving teacher shortages—investing over $50 million in innovative, data-driven strategies that are boosting recruitment, retention, and certification through Grow Your Own programs and statewide collaboration.
Preparing leaders for expanded impact: An evaluation of the Missouri Leadership Development System
Missouri’s Leadership Development System is transforming school leadership statewide—this evaluation reveals how a tiered, data-driven approach is helping principals grow, stay in their roles, and drive student success across diverse communities.
ECISD launches LEAP initiative
The goal of Leadership for Ector’s Accelerated Performance is to sharpen the skills of teachers to be effective instructors, and to strengthen the school’s instructional leadership teams. By developing a more effective and supported workforce, ECISD hopes to see higher student achievement in math and ELA.
A statewide system for developing leaders, The source (Cognia)
Missouri’s statewide leadership initiative is transforming education by equipping over 1,600 principals with the skills, support, and vision to lead lasting change—boosting retention, strengthening instruction, and proving that strategic investment in school leaders drives student success.
When an emergency is no longer emergent: How and for whom schools work
The COVID-19 pandemic, for all its devastation, has opened an opportunity for schools and districts to transition into a new era. The education field, like many others, needs to recognize and seize this moment as one to move forward and rethink the traditional.
Unlike any other: The school year ahead
As schools and districts plan for the coming school year, focus cannot simply be on recovery, but on transformation—accelerating learning in the short-term and creating sustainable change in the long-term. It’s time to seize this moment to recast and make learning come alive for all students.
Carol Choye: In Memoriam
CTAC remembers lifelong educator and longtime CTAC board member Carol Choye. Both at CTAC and in her many community and academic involvements in New Jersey, Dr. Choye was a fervent and skilled advocate for equity and social justice.
TSL: A special grant opportunity for leaders and districts
The U.S. Department of Education has announced the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program, a competitive grant program that will assist districts to provide educator professional development and supports that address the immediate learning needs of their current students.
CTAC Charter Center conducts Texas evaluation
Texas Education Agency recently selected CTAC to conduct an external evaluation of the Texas Charter School Program High-Quality Replication Grant. CTAC is working to identify the practices, processes, and supports associated with successful charter replication.
Partnership OK’d on teacher evaluations in Md., Associated Press
In response to a unique partnership formed by Maryland education leaders to develop an important part of teacher evaluation, Gov. Martin O’Malley stated, “Every student needs great teachers and school leaders. Every educator needs support and collaboration to be their best.”
Where to start? Inside one California district’s approach to redesign STEM education, EdSource
Tracy Unified School District is re-thinking its approach to teaching STEM by developing curriculum units that feature science and engineering projects and also integrate elements such as writing, public presentations, math and computer science.
Civil rights protections rescinded
Schools and districts across the country are actively reviewing school safety protocols and increasing the presence of security personnel. Yet, in the wake of this push to protect schools, federal guidance on school discipline was rescinded following a report issued by the Federal Commission on School Safety. What does rescinding the guidance means for students and schools?
Debunking the myth of the teacher performance plateau, Phi Delta Kappan
There is a belief, long-held but inaccurate, that teachers’ professional skills reach a plateau early in their careers and then barely budge. Districts can set aside these past beliefs and instead build true talent development systems that help educators flourish and grow throughout their careers.
Leading educators join CTAC Board of Directors
CTAC is pleased to welcome three leaders in higher education, STEM, and evaluation as new members of our Board of Directors. Learn more about the experience and expertise of Dr. Harouna Ba, Dr. Cynthia Char, and Dr. Ajay Nair.
CTAC and Tracy Unified receive EIR grant
CTAC and the Tracy Unified School District have been awarded an Education Innovation and Research grant by the U.S. Department of Education. Leadership of STEM: The PreK-12 Pathway provides students a STEM project-based curriculum that is engineering- and computer science-centered.
Moving from school improvement to school achievement
After engaging in CTAC’s Standard Bearer Schools (SBS) process for just one year, Belmont Elementary School in Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia has achieved dramatic results.
CTAC welcomes Joanne Brady to board
CTAC is pleased to welcome Joanne Brady as a new member of our Board of Directors. She is an expert in translating research into programs, curricula, and tools for practitioners and policymakers concerned with educational improvement.
Arming students against bad information, Phi Delta Kappan
With the wealth of information available at one’s fingertips, how can students become good consumers of information? In the age of fake news, teachers in every subject area should redouble their efforts to help students distinguish between credible and deceptive sources of information.
R.I. graduates are still not ready, Providence Journal
Jim Kadamus discusses how student test scores and proficiency goals identified in the state’s ESSA plan highlight a monumental challenge ahead for both the K-12 system and higher education in Rhode Island.
In Memoriam: Lodis Rhodes
CTAC remembers lifelong educator and longtime CTAC board member Lodis Rhodes. Both at CTAC and in his many community and academic involvements in Austin, Dr. Rhodes was a fervent and skilled advocate for equity and social justice.
Helping states meet big challenges
Through the Northeast Comprehensive Center (NCC), CTAC assists the Connecticut State Department of Education to address issues that have statewide educational impact. The NCC provides technical assistance to the six New England states and New York.
Staying the course on educator evaluation
Maryland provides lessons to the nation on how to implement and support teacher and principal evaluation (TPE) systems. This report examines the progress Maryland has made during four years of TPE implementation, 2013 to 2016.
When educators learn, students learn
This final evaluation of the Learning Leaders initiative in Virginia’s Henrico County Public Schools shows that Learning Leaders measurably improved student achievement in eight of its lowest-performing schools.
New study shows student learning gains
CTAC’s study of the Teacher Incentive Performance Award (TIPA), a five-year initiative implemented in the 30 lowest performing schools in Prince William County Public Schools, finds that building educator skills and school-wide collaboration produces student learning gains.
Testing won’t promote accountability, Providence Journal
Jim Kadamus proposes adding a measure of college and/or career readiness to high school graduation requirements. Then a new high school accountability system would measure schools on whether they were successful in getting their students to be college and/or career ready and require those schools that fall short of this promise to improve or face state intervention.
USEd announces new grant program
The U.S. Department of Education has announced the first round of the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program, a competitive grant program that will assist districts to provide educator professional development and supports that address the immediate learning needs of their current students.
Two Virginia School Districts Invest in Teacher Training, See Student Achievement Gains, Education Week
To improve student achievement, invest in teachers. Education Week reports on two five-year studies of districts that successfully used customized professional development, on-the-job coaching, and performance-based compensation to increase student learning in low-performing schools.
ESSA Implementation Requires Accountable Leadership, School Business Leader
Now that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has become law, K–12 leaders will get what they’ve wanted—more flexibility. Joe Frey explores what this means for building locally-developed and supported approaches to school improvement.
Making instruction come alive
While results from schools under the School Improvement Grant program have been mixed nationally, schools implementing CTAC’s Standard Bearer Schools process continue to far exceed the norm. Read about Schuyler Middle School’s success.
Maryland provides keys to implementing evaluation systems
Maryland is taking a systematic building block approach to increasing the capacities needed at school, district, and state levels to understand, develop, and implement new Teacher and Principal Evaluation (TPE) systems effectively. What are some of the key elements of Maryland’s strategy?
What to Do Next With Teacher Evaluations, The Huffington Post
The newly reauthorized federal education law known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) now prohibits the U.S. Secretary of Education from interfering with state decisions on teacher evaluation. That places the burden on local school boards and superintendents to figure out an approach to teacher evaluation that is not only fair but also supports good teachers and respects their professionalism.
California Jolt: State Upends How It Funds and Runs Education, The Huffington Post
Not only is the nation’s biggest state calmly implementing the Common Core State Standards that have roiled the waters in a number of other states, but the Golden State is revamping its entire education architecture, from how dollars flow to schools to how teachers and principals are supported and held accountable.
New Directions in Texas
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) and CTAC are partnering on a statewide initiative to implement Student Learning Objectives (SLOs). Texas has selected SLOs as one of four options to measure student growth as a component of teacher evaluation.
What ESEA flexibility means for SEAs
Joe Frey, CTAC Senior Associate and former Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education for NYSED, examines what flexibility means for building locally-developed and supported approaches to school improvement in “Why can’t the Feds just leave us alone and let us do our jobs?!”
Virginia Educators Share Best Practices
Prince William County Schools (PWCS) and CTAC partnered to implement TIPA, a school-wide performance-based compensation and professional development initiative. PWCS educators attended a Best Practices Conference highlighting the many outstanding practices implemented through the TIPA program.
National Leadership in Maryland: Change in Practice in Educator Evaluation
A new comprehensive study shows that Maryland is a national leader in implementing an educator evaluation system statewide. Drawing on three years of data, findings show that TPE implementation is generating changes in practice and perception.
Long Overdue: A New Discourse on School Reform, The Huffington Post
We need reform, so that all U.S. schools are well run places with high quality teachers and high expectations for students. But this requires a new type of collaboration and creativity that transcends the barriers of ideology, money and power.
Maryland teachers and principals score well on report card, Chesapeake Family
This article highlights Maryland’s first full report on teacher evaluations and cites Real Progress in Maryland, the report issued by CTAC and WestEd through the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center.
The Elephant in the School Failure Debate, The Huffington Post
No one questions that what educators do or don’t do is key in school success or failure. But poverty also matters. And concentrated poverty matters a lot. If we do nothing to alleviate family poverty, especially in our hardest hit communities, our quest to fix persistently failing schools will continue to fall flat.