The NAEP results released this week may feel deeply discouraging—if not surprising—to weary educators. But Opportunity Culture research points to sustainable, scalable ways to improve student learning—and at Public Impact, we see ways to improve learning well beyond those initial research findings. This is the moment for Opportunity Culture schools and districts—and those considering using Opportunity Culture models—to rapidly reach as many students as possible and maximize the innovative staffing of Opportunity Culture teams to dramatically boost student results.
Public Impact
New Opportunity Culture® Videos: Teacher Residencies; Collaborative Spaces
Check out our latest short videos, showing how Opportunity Culture residencies help schools create teacher pipelines and increase student support, and how one school’s building design enhances team collaboration.
Resources to Hear, Watch, Read: September Opportunity Culture® Newsletter
The September newsletter includes new Opportunity Culture audio and video posts, tools and resources, a video playlist, Opportunity Culture news, and more.
New Opportunity Culture® Audio: Becoming a Committed Opportunity Culture® School
In the annual, anonymous survey given to Opportunity Culture educators, Ross Elementary in Ector County, Texas, received high ratings despite the stress of another Covid year. Susan Hendricks, an Opportunity Culture Fellow who was the school’s principal until she became the district’s director of leadership in August, describes the communication needed to become a committed Opportunity Culture school in the latest Opportunity Culture audio piece.
Kicking Off the New School Year: August Opportunity Culture® Newsletter
Welcome to all the new sites and schools beginning to implement their Opportunity Culture designs this fall! Educators at 116 more schools—in both new and established Opportunity Culture sites—are about to see their plans in action. It takes a lot of hard work, deep thinking, and extensive communication to bring these plans to life, and we at Public Impact wish all of you the best! Read the full newsletter here.
How Opportunity Culture® Redesigns Help Address Teacher Shortages
By Public Impact, April 7, 2022
What if you could improve student outcomes even in a time of rising teacher shortages?
Many schools and districts report feeling stuck on the hamster wheel of trying to fill all their open positions. This struggle has been worsening for years. According to one report, the share of schools that tried to fill a vacancy but couldn’t tripled from 2011 to 2016, from 3.1 percent to 9.4 percent, and the share of schools that reported that it was “very difficult” to fill a vacancy nearly doubled, from 19.7 percent to 36.2 percent. Those vacancies directly harm students’ learning.
What could take weary principals out of chronic emergency hiring mode? A chance to rethink staffing to give students excellent instruction using the number of adults a school has. Read More…
Teacher-Assistant Partnership Helps Students Grow
By Sharon Kebschull Barrett, March 28, 2022
In August 2021, Angela Caldwell, an Opportunity Culture expanded-impact kindergarten teacher at Montlieu Academy of Technology in Guilford County, North Carolina, found herself unexpectedly on her own with a classroom of 22 students, after her teaching assistant left just as the school year began.
So she felt relief that fall when interviewing Lora Terry, who had worked for many years in day care settings. The two clicked, Caldwell said, with Terry making it very clear what she would need to do the job of an assistant well—clear expectations, communication, and clarification. Read More…
Hear Opportunity Culture® Principals Reflect: February Opportunity Culture® Newsletter
Public Impact, February 28, 2022
The February newsletter includes audio reflections from former principal and Opportunity Culture Fellow, Jenny O’Meara, profiles of two Opportunity Culture educators named regional Principals of the Year, and much more:
Connect with Your OC Community and Share Strategies! January Opportunity Culture® Newsletter
By Public Impact, January 27, 2022
The January newsletter includes opportunities for community, a reflection from educators on continued pandemic challenges, tools and videos for educators, Opportunity Culture news, and more.
Harness the Power of Small-Group Tutoring with Opportunity Culture® Staffing
By Public Impact, January 27, 2022
We, like Opportunity Culture educators, believe that students can make dramatically more learning growth than they typically do—with the right instructional approaches and adult support. So we continuously look for new, research-based ways to achieve this vision.