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Creating a ‘tutoring culture’ — for all, by all

July 8, 2024

From EdNC, by Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel, July 8, 2024

Every year, hundreds of billions of dollars will evaporate from the U.S. economy due to permanent learning shortfalls post-COVID, by McKinsey’s calculation.

Research has shown high-dosage tutoring is crucial to addressing these shortfalls. In effective high-dosage tutoring, tutors provide students with at least 90 minutes of tutoring per week, aligned with the school’s curricula, in small groups based on their learning data, to build relationships and meet students’ instructional needs. Tutors grow their knowledge and skills through professional development and coaching.

But far too few students in North Carolina get this sort of tutoring.

Is there a way to get tutoring to everyone without increasing costs? Yes, by engaging all available adults to create a “tutoring culture”– for all, by all.

Read the full post here….

Prep for the Testing Homestretch: Using Data-Driven Goals

March 14, 2024

As schools prepare for end-of-year testing, how can teachers and teaching team leaders use data to motivate students and teachers and celebrate learning growth? This 45-minute webinar was led by Erin Burns Mehigan, a former teacher-leader accountable for the learning results of the 500 students taught by her high school biology team, which produced dramatic leaps in learning growth and proficiency. She is joined by special guest Stevie Roper, leader of an elementary teaching team in a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Title I school that ranked 25th in all of North Carolina for student learning growth, and had the highest proficiency growth among all the district’s elementary schools. Mehigan presents several proven data-based strategies to prepare for the testing homestretch and discusses with Roper what she has used for success—and provides tips teachers can use any time of the year.

March 2024 Newsletter: Free Educator Webinar for Testing Homestretch!

March 5, 2024

How can you use data to motivate students and teachers and celebrate learning growth? Our free 45-minute webinar has tips for teachers and teaching team leaders! Learn more in our March 2024 newsletter, which also includes a message from Shonaka Ellison of Public Impact, a new video about the Team Reach Teacher™ role, plus tools, videos, social media highlights, and news. Read all about it here!

February 2024 Newsletter: Creating Daily Support for Special Education Teachers

February 14, 2024

Show your educators some love! Our February 2024 newsletter features a blog post about how two schools provide stronger support for special education teachers by creating small Multi-Classroom Leader® teams; a preview of the new Opportunity Culture® portal; upcoming professional learning opportunities; plus tools, videos, and social media highlights. Read the February 2024 newsletter here.

Creating Daily, Job-Embedded Support for Special Education Teachers

February 13, 2024

How can schools provide stronger support for special education teachers? Schools we work with generally start their strategic staffing planning by creating small Multi-Classroom Leader® teams—grade- or subject-based teaching teams led a teacher with a record of student learning growth, who takes formal accountability for the team’s student results, for more pay. But some schools have begun to see the need for creating similar teams specifically for special education (SPED) teachers. Here’s an early look at what schools in two districts are doing, in the hopes of strengthening teacher retention and recruitment and better serving students…

Meet A SIMPLE-TC™ Instructor

January 19, 2024

Former Multi-Classroom Leader® educator, Okema Owens Simpson, explains why she believes in the Opportunity Culture® SIMPLE-TC™ framework. Learn more and register for the Opportunity Culture® SIMPLE-TC™ Tutoring Design series here.

All Hands on Deck in 2024 for Students and Teachers!

January 11, 2024

In the new year, we know schools and districts are going after big results for students and teachers. We’re launching into 2024 focused on helping them get and support all hands on deck! Check out our latest Opportunity Culture Newsletter, with information on registering for Opportunity Culture SIMPLE™ Tutoring Design Series—one session or all of five, starting February 1, or the live, virtual Introduction to School Staffing Design with Results™ on January 30 that helps participants unlock the 5 Opportunity Culture Design Principles…

January 2024 Newsletter: A Rising Tide of Tutoring

January 9, 2024

In our January 2024 newsletter, it’s “all hands on deck” as we help schools launch a tutoring culture that engages all adults in the building in small-group teaching and tutoring under the leadership of an excellent educator using the SIMPLE method. The newsletter also includes our new video about the Reach Associate role; a sneak peak at the School Excellence Portal, coming in July; plus tools, videos, social media highlights, and upcoming events. Check it out here!

December 2023 Newsletter: Tips for Strong Recruitment

December 12, 2023

In our December 2023 newsletter, we share tips for getting an early start on educator recruitment; good news from Opportunity Culture districts around the county; tools, videos, and social media highlights; and upcoming events and webinars. Read the December 2023 newsletter here.

Three Of Nation’s Largest School Districts Receive Federal Grant for Wide Use of Public Impact®’s Opportunity Culture® Innovative Staffing Models

November 15, 2023

November 15, 2023, CARRBORO, N.C.—Three of the nation’s largest school districts—Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Fort Worth, and Montgomery County (Maryland)—have been awarded a $7.7 million federal grant for widespread implementation of Opportunity Culture® innovative staffing models, which Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pioneered with Public Impact®’s support in 2013. With the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL) grant, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will expand its use of these models to all of its schools over three years, while the Fort Worth and Montgomery County districts will launch and expand the models over three years.

Districts using Opportunity Culture® designs implement innovative staffing models that help schools reach all students with excellent teaching, consistently, and all educators with excellent, paid career opportunities. Public Impact®, which founded the national Opportunity Culture® initiative, is marking its 10th year supporting implementation of the models, which extend the reach of excellent teachers and the small teams they lead to more students, for more pay, within regular school budgets.

Public Impact® will support Montgomery County (MCPS) and Fort Worth (FWISD) in launching and spreading Opportunity Culture® models and provide Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) with data analysis to inform its expansion.

Read the full press release…