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Kathy White

Director of Deeper Learning

Kathy White is the Director of Deeper Learning Projects at the New Hampshire Learning Initiative (NHLI), drawing on over 30 years of experience in educational leadership, instructional design, and organizational systems. She directs the BEST (Building Essential Skills Today) project, leading the development of research-backed rubrics and classroom toolkits for durable competencies, and co-leads the NH PLACE performance assessment initiative. Kathy holds a B.S. in Business, an MBA, and a CAGS from Rivier University, specializing in competency-based education, balanced assessment design, and professional learning networks.

Kathy White / October 21, 2026

From Aspiration to Evidence: Helping Students Develop the Skills That Matter

Portraits of a Graduate identify essential skills like collaboration, communication, creativity, and self-direction. Discover how the updated NHLI BEST site bridges the gap between community aspirations and daily classroom practice with research-backed learning progressions, and tools.

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Kathy White / June 13, 2024

The Gifts of PLACE: An Invitation for Teachers

Unlock the Benefits of Collaboration, Creativity, and Innovation in Teaching with PLACE Discover the impact of PLACE on student engagement and teacher professional growth. Established by NHLI in 2022, PLACE […]

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Kathy White / January 22, 2024

Beyond Compliance: Unlocking the Power of Self-Direction

Discovering the Dimensions of Self-Direction for Student Engagement Self-direction is often considered compliance-oriented behavior such as attending class on time and bringing a charged device. However, those practices do not […]

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Kathy White / February 19, 2021

Student and Teacher Agency in Action: the Self-Direction Toolkit Development Process

Researchers tell us and employers confirm that individuals who demonstrate the 21st-century skills of self-direction, communication, creativity and collaboration excel in post-secondary and career experiences.

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