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| A New Year’s resolution: Cultivating hope in the classroom |
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| As season’s greetings bring in choruses of hope for the holidays and new year, it seems like an ideal time to reflect on the power of hope for our students. As it turns out, research shows that hope is more than just a feel-good emotion: it’s actually a powerful mental state and predictor of student success.
Of course, as I shared in a recent Educational Leadership column, simply hoping for something doesn’t make it so. Instead, as the late C.R. Synder observed in The Psychology of Hope, hope needs to be accompanied by two other powerful mental habits: willpower—the belief that we can achieve our goals, and waypower—the ability to chart a course to achieve our goals and take alternate courses of action when we encounter obstacles. |
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| Here’s the hopeful piece to all of this as educators. We can help our students cultivate their own sense of hope, through straightforward teaching strategies. We can, for example, help students set “quick win” goals (for example, “I will add better supporting details to my essay”) to help them develop willpower. And we can help them develop waypower by showing them how to create realistic plans for achieving their goals (“I’ll spend 20 minutes per day for a week quizzing myself on multiplication to see if I get better”). And perhaps most importantly, we can model for them how hopeful people turn the negative voices in our heads (“I’m no good at this”) into positive self-talk (“I’m not good at this yet.”)
Perhaps the best thing about helping students cultivate hope is that, as the old adage goes, it springs eternal. Without hope, willpower, or waypower nothing is possible. But with all three, almost anything is possible for our students and ourselves. With that in mind, I hope that you all flourish in 2023, accomplishing whatever goals you may set out to achieve for yourself and your students. |
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| Bryan Goodwin, CEO, McREL International |
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| McREL blog series highlights key components from The New Classroom Instruction That Works
Three effective teaching strategies to support equitable learning outcomes
• Dr. Karen Baptiste and Michele Kimball explain how research finds these three strategies can help all students and share key takeaways for every educator looking to implement the strategies more intentionally in their classrooms.
Planning for learning sets up students and teachers for success
• When teachers are clear about what successful learning looks like and explicitly plan to emphasize students’ work and their successes, the outcomes for student learning are greatly improved, write Dr. Kristin Rouleau and Tonia Gibson.
How The New Classroom Instruction That Works builds on past knowledge
• Instructional expert Cheryl Abla shares how following the sequenced framework from the new book will celebrate teachers’ expertise and guide lessons in a more intentional, purposeful way—all with the goal of increasing student learning in a joyful environment. |
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| Hindsight is 20/20
Cheryl Abla joins other industry experts in answering a question from teacher and author Larry Ferlazzo for his EdWeek column: What advice would you give to yourself as a first-year teacher? At the top of Cheryl’s list is “be a warm demander.” Learn how this is accomplished and read her other advice here. |
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| Come learn with us! 2023 professional learning events
Join our expert professional learning facilitators for a two-day in-person workshop in 2023 to gain practical insights on 14 evidence-based teaching strategies you can use in your classroom to help students make bigger gains in their learning. Drawing on findings from The New Classroom Instruction That Works, these engaging, interactive sessions will help you know when, why, and how to use these practices to help your students learn more, and how to adapt and align the strategies to your specific classroom contexts, goals, and planning.
Learn more and register now:
More in-person professional development dates and locations will be announced soon. Watch for them on our Events page. |
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| ICYMI: The New Classroom Instruction That Works is now available
This new analysis of research on effective teaching-and-learning practices identifies 14 strategies for best first instruction in K-12 classrooms and provides insights and suggestions for how to best use them in the classroom. This resource draws on the latest and best evidence for improving student learning success. Order your copy of the book and our handy quick reference guide that shows how the strategies align with our six-phase model for student learning.
Published in partnership with ASCD, the book is also available in the ASCD Bookstore and on Amazon. |
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| Google seeks to understand the future of education
After conducting a study across 24 countries on the future of education, Google for Education in collaboration with research partners Canvas8 and the American Institutes for Research have released reports highlighting the first two parts of the study. The first part focuses on preparing for a new future by interviewing educators about how and why they’re rethinking the role of education, including sections on rising demand for global problem solvers, changes in worker skillsets, and a shift to a lifelong learning mindset. The second part examines how technology advances are impacting how we teach and learn, with an emphasis on a more personal approach to learning while reimagining and elevating the roles of teachers. |
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| How do rural schools implement positive behavioral supports?
In a Rural Special Education Quarterly article co-authored by McREL’s Dr. Erin Chaparro, the implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in over 6,000 schools reported that rural schools took longer to achieve higher fidelity levels of Tier 2 and Tier 3 systems than in city and suburban schools. |
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| The growth-mindset debate intensifies
In the course of three weeks,Psychological Bulletin published two meta-analysis reports about the impacts of teaching that anyone’s intelligence can be improved through hard work, the concept behind “growth mindset.” The problem? The studies found conflicting results. Now the studies, the researchers, the data analysis, and the very definition of intelligence are all being debated. This Hechinger Reportarticle breaks down the discussions surrounding growth mindset training and if it helps pupils, particularly low-achieving and disadvantaged students. |
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| High school teachers also benefit from later school starts
Turns out it’s not just adolescents who appreciate a later start to the day. Secondary teachers in schools that moved to a later start time reported sleeping longer (22 minutes, on average), and may be less stressed and more effective due to the extra sleep, a new study suggests from a team of researchers led by Kyla Wahlstrom from the University of Minnesota. This is good news as teachers tend to have less-than-ideal sleeping habits, according to an article from EdWeek, which summaries the findings. |
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| McREL can be a strategic thought partner for your district or agency on these grants, helping you develop a high-quality application. We can also often serve as your grant’s external evaluator. Contact us for more information about our grant partnership services.
Common abbreviations: institutions of higher education (IHEs); local education agencies (LEAs); and state education agencies (SEAs) |
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Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL)
> Agency: The National Science Foundation (NSF)
> Program goal: To fund research and practice, with a continued focus on investigating a range of informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning experiences and environments that make lifelong learning a reality.
> The ask: This program seeks proposals that center on equity and belonging, and further the well-being of individuals and communities who historically have been and continue to be excluded, underserved, or underrepresented due to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, neurodiversity, geographic location, and economic status, among others, as well as their intersections. NSF encourages proposals that specifically focus on public engagement with an understanding of STEM, including community STEM; public participation in scientific research; science communication; intergenerational STEM engagement; and STEM media.
> Project types: The program supports five types of projects with varying grant values and durations:
1. Synthesis ($100,000–$500,000 across two years)
2. Conferences ($75,000–$250,000 across two years)
3. Partnership Development and Planning ($50,000–$150,000 across 1–1 ½ years)
4. Integrating Research and Practice ($250,000 to $2 million across two to five years)
5. Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM ($1 million–$3.5 million across two to five years)
> Applications are due Jan. 11, 2023.
> Learn more here |
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Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE:EHR)
> Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
> Program goal: To promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches for generating and using new knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teaching and learning to improve STEM education for undergraduate students.
> The ask: The program will support projects from IHEs and associated organizations that
1. Adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices into STEM teaching and learning;
2. Lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education; and
3. Have a high potential for broader societal impacts, including improved diversity for students and instructors participating in STEM education, professional development for instructors to ensure adoption of new and effective pedagogical techniques that better meet students’ changing needs, and projects that promote institutional partnerships for collaborative research and development.
This program also encourages the replication of research studies at different types of institutions and with different student bodies to produce deeper knowledge about the effectiveness and transferability of findings. IUSE:EHR especially welcomes proposals that will pair well with the efforts of NSF INCLUDES to develop STEM talent from all sectors and groups in our society.
> Project types: The program features two tracks:
1. Engaged Student Learning (ESL), which has three levels: Level 1 (up to $400,000 across three years), Level 2 (up to $750,000 across three years), or Level 3 (up to $2 million across five years)
2. Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT), which has a Capacity-Building option (up to $200,000 for a single IHE or $400,000 for a multi-IHE proposal across two years) and two levels: Level 1 (up to $400,000 across three years) or Level 2 (up to $2 million across five years)
> Applications for ESL Level 1 and ICT Capacity-Building and Level 1 proposals are due Jan. 18, 2023; ESL Levels 2 and 3 and ICT Level 2 proposals are due July 19, 2023.
> Learn more here |
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Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grants
> Agency: U.S. Department of Education
> Program goal: Provide funding for projects that support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and LEAs, with a goal to increase the number and diversity of high quality, trained providers available to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs.
> The ask: The partnerships must include:
1. One or more high-need LEAs or a SEA on behalf of one or more high-need LEAs; and
2. One or more eligible IHEs, as well as provide opportunities for postsecondary education graduate students in school-based mental health fields to be placed into high-need schools served by the participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, credit hours, internships, or related training, as applicable, for their degree or credential program.
In addition, grantees may develop mental health career pathways as early as secondary school, through career and technical education opportunities, or through paraprofessional support degree programs at local community or technical colleges.
> Project types: Grant awards under this program can be for up to $1.2 million over five years.
> Applications are due Jan. 27, 2023.
> Learn more here |
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School-Based Interventions to Promote Equity and Improve Health, Academic Achievement, and Well-Being of Students
> Agency: Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
> Program goal: This cooperative agreement program aims to protect and improve the health and well-being of school-age children in underserved and disproportionately affected communities.
> The ask: Funded recipients are expected to use the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model to establish key partnerships to support school health programs; promote dissemination and implementation of CDC school health guidelines, tools, and resources through professional development and technical assistance; and use action planning to implement physical activity, school nutrition, and evidence-based school health services policies, practices, and programs within SEAs and LEAs, schools, and out-of-school time settings. Expected outcomes to be achieved include:
1. Increased numbers of schools with an action plan based on the completion of CDC’s School Health Index;
2. Increased implementation of Comprehensive School Health Activity Programs;
3. Increased school nutrition and security policies and practices;
4. Increased school-based health services that support students with chronic health conditions; and
5. Increased physical activity, healthy dietary behaviors, and self-management of chronic conditions among students.
> Project types: Awards are anticipated to be made to 16 recipients for up to $2.1 million over five years (max $425,000 per year).
> Applications are due Feb. 11, 2023
> Learn more here |
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Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT)
> Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
> Program goal: Fund cross-sectoral partnerships in providing inclusive experiential science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities that are designed to provide cohorts of diverse learners with the crucial skills needed to succeed in emerging technology fields and prepare them to enter the workforce ready to solve our nation’s most pressing scientific and societal challenges.
> The ask: Experiential learning activities can range from fully immersive experiences, such as internships, to extensive course-based activities that are constructed by (or driven by) workplace partner input to approximate real-world, “learning-by-doing” experiences. Furthermore, the program will directly support NSF’s priority to build a diverse workforce in emerging technologies, accelerate the nation’s innovation capacity, and assure the nation’s competitiveness in STEM.
> Project types: The program supports three application tracks for approximately $1 million across three years:
1. Pivots
2. Beginnings
3. Explorations
> Applications for the Pivots and Beginnings tracks are due March 2, 2023; applications for all three tracks are due Sept. 14, 2023.
> Learn more here |
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| We’re expanding our team of educators, researchers, project managers, and communicators to provide supports and services to more schools, districts, and education agencies. Interested in joining our team? Check out our current openings on the McREL careers page:
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Learn more about how our coaching, professional learning, and analysis services can help your school or system reach its goals.
Contact us today to start a conversation with our development team.
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