Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association, made this clarion call to action when she introduced herself as a new member of the Science of Learning and Development Alliance National Advisory Committee (SNAC) at a recent convening. Composed of a diverse community of education and youth-serving leaders from across the country, the SNAC is a force for good that is helping to solve some of our nation’s most pressing challenges.
This week, Routledge, a division of Taylor and Francis, published The Science of Learning and Development: Enhancing the Lives of All Young People. The Science of Learning and Development unpacks major transformations in the study of learning and human development and provides evidence for how science can inform innovation in the design of systems, settings, policies, practice, and research to enhance the life path, opportunity, and prosperity of every child.
The science of learning and development shows us that “context” – one’s experiences, environments, and opportunities afforded– is the defining influence on a young person’s development. Experiences, physical environments, relationships, and a young person’s various opportunities to express their full genius shape their brain architecture and genetic expression and impact how they learn and develop.
Education has long been central to the promise of the United States of America. But our current education system has never been designed to promote the equitable opportunities or outcomes that our children and families deserve, and that our democracy, society, and economy need. Our system was designed for a different world — to support mass education preparing students for their presumed “places in life.”
Right now, we are living in a critical moment for change. The COVID-19 pandemic, racial reckoning, and economic recession exacerbate and elevate the need to transform education and youth-serving systems. Young people, families, and communities are demanding systems that are designed for equity and aligned with the science of learning and development.
As President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris prepare to take office, our nation faces unprecedented challenges caused by overlapping crises, including the ongoing COVID pandemic, longstanding racial injustices, and worsening economic conditions. As President-Elect Biden has said, our goal must be not only to respond to these crises but to transform our outdated systems and position our nation to “build back better.”
A new case study written by SoLD Alliance Governing Partner, Learning Policy Institute (LPI), documents promising school practices that illustrate how the creation of a positive school climate, along with a full and rich curriculum focused on meaningful learning, has led to improved motivation, sense of belonging, and student achievement at Gateway Public Schools in California.
Ten new How Learning Happens videos connect what we know about the science of learning and development with practical applications for educators and providers in all youth-serving settings. The collection highlights exemplary out-of-school time programs in four communities, examines the best practices at work, and integrates expert commentary from our very own SoLD Governing Partners Dr. Linda Darling Hammond and Karen Pittman.
This is a time of unprecedented challenges in education. States and districts across the country are beginning this school year in the midst of several ongoing crises, including the COVID pandemic, racial injustice, and economic recession. A key question for education policymakers is, what priority actions can you take to both address current needs and seed fundamental, long-term changes to address systemic inequities and help each and every child achieve their full potential?
A Trusted Space is foundational training for educators on how to help mitigate the effects of the grief, trauma, anxiety, and other emotional stressors that so many students, families, and even they themselves, are feeling as they walk – or video conference – into school. By learning about and understanding the complex issues and feelings that they and their students are coping with, teachers will be able to help redirect grief into growth by building a safe and trusted emotional space.
