The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar featuring state directors of comprehensive systems for birth-through-grade-twelve literacy development and education—Julie Morrill from the Georgia Department of Education and Cindy Rhoads from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Curriculum and Instruction Specialist Cindy Anderson from the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (Pennsylvania) addressed local implementation. They discussed the essential elements that must be put in place to advance improvements in literacy instruction and achievement at the secondary school level. Alliance Senior Fellow Mariana Haynes moderated the discussion.

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar to explore case studies that demonstrate how large and small businesses are capitalizing on expanding learning time and opportunities through digital learning to transform the educational experiences of youth.

The Alliance for Excellent Education and the National Academy Foundation (NAF) held a webinar to explore case studies that demonstrate the strategic steps businesses take to ensure their engagement with educators leads to effective expanded learning time and opportunities for students and positive experiences for the partnering business(es).

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar discussion on featuring the perspective of states, districts, and national organizations on the power of digital learning and how to participate in Digital Learning Day. Stuart Ciske will gave examples of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s plans for a statewide celebration, and Michael Fragale highlighted some of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s efforts. Peter Richter also described what made the schools in Washington Township, New Jersey stand out in their 2012 Digital Learning Day efforts and provided insight to what the district has planned for 2013, including badges, blogging, and surveys. Terri Schwartzbeck of the Alliance moderated the discussion.

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar featuring Sheila Brown and Lee Kappes of the Aspen Institute, authors of a recently released primer, Implementing the Common Core State Standards: A Primer on Close Reading of Text. They examined the use of close reading as a key instructional approach for building students’ abilities to assess, evaluate, and synthesize information from text. Practitioner-leader Lynn Dougherty-Underwood from Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) discussed what integration of this instructional approach looks like in practice. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance and former governor of West Virginia, moderated the discussion.

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar on to learn more about the perspectives of three organizations committed to student success, and hear their views about the problems and potential of the federal student aid system to help increase access and opportunity for postsecondary students. 

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar on the future of teacher preparation in the digital age. The webinar highlighted promising developments and explored the challenges of remodeling teacher preparation programs.

The Alliance for Excellent Education, the New America Foundation, and a number of other stakeholders held a Twitter town hall that featured views and commentary from policymakers, researchers, students, parents, and other stakeholders. The conversation focused on current problems with the federal student aid system and discussed the ways that these problems can be addressed.

The Alliance for Excellent Education held a webinar discussing the Alliance’s latest brief, Inseparable Imperatives: Equity in Education and the Future of the American Economy, which examines the critical juncture between civil rights and the economy. The webinar addressed the nation’s shifting demographics as well as the economic benefits of providing all students with a quality education.

The Alliance held a webinar discussion on the need for states and districts to develop plans that incorporate the use of technology in school improvement efforts, specifically as they implement college- and career-ready standards for all students; use online assessments to gauge comprehension and learning; integrate new teacher evaluations; deal with shrinking budgets; and address the effects of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act waivers.