📣Exhibit at the Aurora Institute Symposium 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana

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We are just over 5 months away from the Aurora Institute Symposium 2024, to be held in New Orleans, LA from November 3-5! Secure your spot on the expo floor today. Learn more about exhibitor opportunities here.

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For questions, please contact Amy Washburn, Sponsor and Exhibitor Sales Specialist at sponsor@aurora-institute.org.

Thank you to our generous Aurora Institute Symposium 2024 Sponsor!

About the Aurora Institute ​​The Aurora Institute’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning through its work in policy advocacy, research, field-building, and convening. With a national and global view of education innovation, we work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change to yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world in which all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.

Support the Aurora Institute

Aurora Institute, 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010, Arlington, VA 22201

🔔Just Released🔔: Aurora Institute State Policy Priorities

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Aurora Institute’s 2024 State Policy Priorities

Today the Aurora Institute released the organization’s 2024 State Policy Priorities – aimed at reshaping our public education system to be more personalized, competency-based, and equitable.   The report highlights strategic guidance and recommendations for state policymakers looking to advance learner-centered education.

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State policymakers who want to drive transformation and innovation can look to these recommendations for key entry points, policy levers, and paths forward to advancing personalized and competency-based education systems. This document outlines six core state policy areas to advance learner-centered education and transform public education systems: Establishing a vision by developing a Profile of a Graduate Creating the conditions for equitable learner-centered, competency-based education systems Transforming systems of assessments Aligning accountability and data systems Supporting educators to thrive in a competency-based system Redesigning learning experiences

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About the Aurora Institute ​​The Aurora Institute’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning through its work in policy advocacy, research, field-building, and convening. With a national and global view of education innovation, we work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change to yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world in which all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.

Support the Aurora Institute

Aurora Institute, 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010, Arlington, VA 22201

Aurora Digest | April 2024

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Our Workforce Must Be Ready to Help Growing Numbers of Students Who Come to School Learning English “The future of our country depends upon fully supporting and realizing the potential that multilingual learners bring to our communities. They need educators who are properly trained to support them,” writes author Laurie Gagnon. Micro-credential programs can help address this gap.   ‘Innovating Through Proximity,’ Northgate School District Partners With a Resurgent Community Resource A small public school district on the outskirts of Pittsburgh is leveraging partnerships–including a collaboration with neighboring Suburban General–to give students the flexibility to pursue anywhere, anytime learning.   Helping Schools and Districts Expand Their Definition of Student Success In this piece in The 74, authors Devin Vodicka and Katie Martin share a new way to approach accountability called Accountability Plus. This approach includes the voices of students, families, teachers, administrators, businesses, and local leaders. Explore district examples oriented to the whole child.   The Heart of a Community: Lake Arthur Municipal Schools Located 30 minutes outside of Roswell, NM, Lake Arthur is a small town with a population of 400 people. As a small district that serves as a resource to their community, Lake Arthur Municipal Schools is creating innovative opportunities for their students to grow.   The Portrait of a Nevada Learner Persists Through Pivots In Nevada, learners and educators are collaborating to create a personalized, competency-based Portrait of a Nevada Learner. Authors Laura Jeanne Penord and Dillon Booker share key elements for implementation in Nevada: partnerships, patience, and persistence.

Aurora Center for Policy

Aurora Institute State Policy Priorities and Recommendations: Coming Soon! Stay tuned for the upcoming release of the Aurora Institute’s annual state policy priorities. This year’s priorities will outline six policy areas where state leaders can make shifts to transform education for all learners–especially those who have been underserved by the current system.

Welcoming New Board Members

Aurora Institute is thrilled to welcome two new board members: Anpao Duta Flying Earth, Executive Director of the NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN), and Rebecca Midles, Vice President of Learning Design at Getting Smart. Flying Earth and Midles both join the board with decades of experience in the education innovation space, and will bring tremendous knowledge, wisdom, and leadership to the organization.

Introducing Anpao Duta Flying Earth Before serving in his role as Executive Director at NISN, Anpao Duta Flying Earth served as Executive Director of the Native American Community Academy (NACA), a charter school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Duta assisted in the creation of the charter school and network, and has been instrumental in representing NACA as a premiere example of Indigenous education nationwide that combines academic preparation for higher learning, grounding in culture and identity, and holistic wellness together for community transformation for young people.

Introducing Rebecca Midles As Vice President of Learning at Getting Smart, Rebecca Midles supports and advises schools, districts, and learning organizations on the path forward for education. Known for guiding district level transformation as a leader and a consultant, she has led education innovation in four states–encompassing charter, rural, suburban, and urban contexts–and through multiple perspectives: as a teacher, site leader, district leader, and board member.

Connecting & Convening

Elevating Student Voice Webinar Recording is Now Live Discover how Lindsay Unified School District, Kettle Moraine School District, and The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria have successfully integrated learner agency practices into their learning environments in our recent webinar, Elevating Student Voice: Lessons Learned Across the U.S.

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Interested in Becoming a Symposium Exhibitor? We’re excited to share our interactive exhibit hall floor plan for the Aurora Institute Symposium 2024. The Symposium is designed to provide exhibitors with high-value opportunities to engage directly with attendees, giving you visibility and access to key decision-makers at the district, school, and program levels. View the booth map here to get started.

Select Your Booth

Register for the Upcoming Educating All Learners Webinar featuring Laurie Gagnon Join Laurie Gagnon, Program Director, CompetencyWorks, and Jay Jay Pina, a competency-based high school Support Specialist and graduate, to explore CBE in practice. Dive into entry points for shifting to a competency-based approach by registering for the webinar, Competency-Based Education 101: Demystifying CBE, Unlocking Deep and Joyful Learning.

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CompetencyWorks

Illustrating the Competency-Based Education Definition This month, CompetencyWorks shared a new graphic representation of the Aurora Institute definition of Competency-Based Education (CBE). The graphic shows how the elements of CBE in the Aurora definition relate to each other. Dive into this blog to learn more about creating a coherent and equitable CBE system.

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Field Spotlight

From Concept to Classroom: Real-World Applications of Learner-Centered Frameworks at Getting Smart Town Hall In this Getting Smart Town Hall event, education leaders from Education Reimagined, Knowledge to Power Catalysts, The PAST Foundation, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching addressed the pressing need for systemic innovation and transformation, emphasizing the potential of learner-centered ecosystems to foster equitable and engaging learning environments for all students.

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For more news and updates in K-12 competency-based education, sign up for our monthly newsletters and follow the Aurora Institute on our socials: X, formerly Twitter @Aurora_Inst, Facebook @AuroraInst, and LinkedIn @Aurora Institute.

About the Aurora Institute ​​The Aurora Institute’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning through its work in policy advocacy, research, field-building, and convening. With a national and global view of education innovation, we work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change to yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world in which all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.

Support the Aurora Institute

Aurora Institute, 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010, Arlington, VA 22201

Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor at the Aurora Institute Symposium 2024 in New Orleans, LA

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Interested in becoming a sponsor or exhibitor for this year’s Symposium? The Aurora Institute Symposium brings together education innovators working to transform K-12 education. Join over 1,000 attendees from across the world in New Orleans, LA on November 3-5, 2024.   Key Benefits of Sponsoring and Exhibiting Include: Two days of exhibit hall time to engage face-to-face with district and school leaders seeking tools, products, and services to support their work. Brand exposure on the Symposium website, targeted emails, social media, and on-site during the Symposium. Complimentary conference registration for you and your staff based on sponsorship level.

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Booth space and sponsor benefits are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Learn more information here.

For questions, please contact Amy Washburn, Sponsor and Exhibitor Sales Specialist at sponsor@aurora-institute.org.

About the Aurora Institute ​​The Aurora Institute’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning through its work in policy advocacy, research, field-building, and convening. With a national and global view of education innovation, we work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change to yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world in which all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.

Support the Aurora Institute

Aurora Institute, 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010, Arlington, VA 22201

Aurora Institute Welcomes New Board Members: Anpao Duta Flying Earth & Rebecca Midles

An item from the neo-liberals…

The Aurora Institute Welcomes New Board Members

The previous notification had a misspelling of Rebecca’s name; it’s updated below. We apologize for this error.   Today, the Aurora Institute welcomes two new board members: Anpao Duta Flying Earth, Executive Director of the NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN), and Rebecca Midles, Vice President of Learning Design at Getting Smart. Flying Earth and Midles both join the board with decades of experience in the education innovation space, and will bring tremendous knowledge, wisdom, and leadership to the organization.   Before serving in his role as Executive Director at NISN, Anpao Duta Flying Earth served as Executive Director of the Native American Community Academy (NACA), a charter school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Duta assisted in the creation of the charter school and network, and has been instrumental in representing NACA as a premiere example of Indigenous education nationwide that combines academic preparation for higher learning, grounding in culture and identity, and holistic wellness together for community transformation for young people.

As Vice President of Learning at Getting Smart, Rebecca Midles supports and advises schools, districts, and learning organizations on the path forward for education. Known for guiding district level transformation as a leader and a consultant, she has led education innovation in four states–encompassing charter, rural, suburban, and urban contexts–and through multiple perspectives: as a teacher, site leader, district leader, and board member.

“Duta and Rebecca each bring incredible wisdom, equity-centered hearts, and deep experience in the education innovation space, and will be tremendous assets to our board,” said Virgel Hammonds, CEO of the Aurora Institute. “We feel so humbled and honored to have them guiding and leading the organization at this time.”   “We could not be more thrilled to be welcoming Duta and Rebecca to the Aurora Institute Board,” said Tom Rooney, board chair of the Aurora Institute. “Duta and Rebecca each bring unmatched vision around education innovation. We are ecstatic to have them on board.”

About the Aurora Institute ​​The Aurora Institute’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning through its work in policy advocacy, research, field-building, and convening. With a national and global view of education innovation, we work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change to yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world in which all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.

Support Aurora Institute

Aurora Institute, 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1010, Arlington, VA 22201