Education Briefs

“The Opportunity to Dream”: How an Early Learning Network Implemented the Liberatory Design Process

Through case study methodology that incorporated focus group interviews, one-on-one interviews and artifact analysis, the researchers found that notions of accountability and intentionality, the awareness of self and others, and the development of community partnerships were impactful for districts conducting this equity work.

Arlington Public Schools Digital Learning Device Project: Digital Devices Enhance Learning But Require Adequate Technical Support and Planning Time for Teachers

In order to better understand the current state of the Arlington Public Schools’ 1:1 program transition, the district partnered with the Friday Institute Research and Evaluation (FIRE) team at North Carolina State University to conduct a small-scale study. The purpose of the study was to identify implementation successes and challenges and to signal opportunities for program growth moving forward.

Cardinal Gibbons Case Study

This brief highlights the learner agency pilot project at Cardinal Gibbons High School, which led to insights and suggestions for successfully implementing this type of professional development program in a school.

ASSISTments Use During In-Person and Remote Instruction

Using surveys and interviews, researchers at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation conducted a case study of teachers’ use of ASSISTments in in-person instruction and in remote instruction, both during the NC ASSISTments Replication Study and outside of the study.

Cultivating Effective Teacher-Game Partnerships in Science Classrooms

Teachers play a critical role in student success with digital game-based learning in the classroom. That is a key finding from a study the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s STEM Cyberlearning team recently conducted to investigate how teachers utilized a digital genetics game to meet students’ learning needs.

Engaging in Global Inquiry: Teachers and Students as Agents of Change

Project-Based Inquiry (PBI) Global is a collaborative, global inquiry-to-action process through which schools can prepare students to be globally competent; STEM and STEAM knowledgeable; creative problem solvers and critical thinkers; and effective communicators and collaborators in today’s continuously changing global context. This brief contains practical suggestions for teachers wishing to engage in PBI Global with their students.

Improving Professional Learning Opportunities in Rural Schools

Due to high rates of poverty, low levels of educational attainment and unemployment, many rural school districts face significantly different challenges in educating students than their suburban and urban counterparts. The Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative at the Friday Institute has worked with and across rural communities to address the needs of schools and districts. In this brief, the authors share practical suggestions for improving professional learning opportunities at a school.

Lab Coats Help Students See Themselves as Future Scientists

In order to encourage more of the nation’s young people to pursue careers in science, it pays to help them dress the part. That is the key finding of a study our researchers conducted to determine what kind of effect a simple article of clothing – in this case white lab coats – have on students’ confidence in their ability to do science.

Meeting the Moment: Strategic Recommendations for Literacy & Equity in North Carolina Policy Brief Highlights

Published in spring 2022, Meeting the Moment: Strategic Recommendations for Literacy & Equity in North Carolina centers educator voices toward providing insights into the Literacy Learning Ecosystem in North Carolina.

Middle School Girls and STEM: Using Digital Tools to Close the Gender Gap

Although female and male students perform equally well on standardized math and science tests, the middle school years prove to be a pivotal time when girls lose confidence and interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Nevertheless, these challenges present middle schools with an opportunity to intentionally change the tide and promote STEM to middle school girls in newfound ways.

MMTIC® at Combs Elementary l Lessons Learned

This brief highlights lessons learned from the MMTIC® Initiative at Combs during the 2020-21 school year, based on the information found in the MMTIC® at Combs Elementary Year 3 Summative Brief.

Nine Key Lessons from the Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School Learning Differences Program

In analyzing the data, the Friday Institute found nine key lessons from CCMMS Learning Differences program implementation that may help future schools and districts as they design their implementation strategies.

Online Teacher Professional Learning: An Approach to Foster Personalized Pathways

In this brief research report, the authors aim to share how they have designed supports for teachers to personalize their professional learning and results from a collective case study of 37 participants engaged in a field test of the InSTEP platform in fall 2022.

Seven Key Lessons from the Manning Elementary School Learning Differences Program

Through the various data collected, the Friday Institute identified the following seven key lessons learned that may assist future schools and districts seeking to implement the Learning Differences program.

Teaching for the Long Haul: Professionalizing Career Pathways for North Carolina Teachers

In 2016, the North Carolina General Assembly provided support for school districts across North Carolina to propose and implement pilot advanced teaching roles programs that would allow highly effective classroom teachers to take on leadership roles in their schools and reach more students. Six districts were chosen to develop pilot programs attuned to their local needs. The Friday Institute conducted a formal three-year evaluation of these six pilots to answer several “whether” questions (for example, whether the pilot programs helped improve student outcomes). In addition, with the support of The Belk Foundation, the Friday Institute completed “deep dive” closer-look investigations with three of the pilots.

The North Carolina Digital Learning Plan: Policy Recommendations and Action Steps -June 2021

In this Friday Institute Education Brief, the authors break down current recommendations and distinct action steps to continue work on the six key areas of the North Carolina Digital Learning Plan.

The Power of Youth Voices: Bringing a Publishing Curriculum to Your Classroom

The Literacy and Community Initiative (LCI) curriculum, framed around critical perspectives, encourages students to write about societal issues that mean the most to them and their community members, offering a safe space where youth can feel interconnected with their communities. Based on their research findings, this brief shares practical suggestions for middle and high school teachers, pre-service teachers and school leaders for implementing a writing curriculum that focuses on youth advocacy and community engagement.

The Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Internship Program for Undergraduate Students: A Friday Institute Equity-Mindedness Initiative Pilot Year Brief

This brief summarizes the pilot year evaluation report that details the implementation and impact of the Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) internship program for undergraduate students. Findings suggest that the program was successful in accomplishing its three goals.