WSP (Work Study Practices)

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 […]

Brian Stack / December 4, 2023

Preparing All NH Students for Success in an Interconnected and Complex World

New Hampshire’s Portrait of a Learner: Building Essential Skills for the Future The NH Portrait of a Learner (PoL) is pivotal in achieving a more comprehensive understanding of student success […]

Bari Boisvert and Ann Hadwen / September 12, 2023

CULTIVATING CLASSROOM SUCCESS

Five Ideas for the New School Year Each September brings the promise of creating positive student relationships and the excitement of engaging students in meaningful learning. Teachers cultivate success in […]

NHLI / May 23, 2022

Habits of Success: Helping Students Develop Essential Skills for Learning, Work, and Life – by Eliot Levine

NHLI / January 3, 2021

Investing in Teachers as Agents of Scale

As part of a William and Flora Hewlett Foundation funded research-practice partnership (RPP), JFF (Jobs for the Future) has been collecting data and insights on the scaling of WSPs (aka deeper learning competencies or essential skills) in New Hampshire.  From the start, the state’s PACE system was a key driver to scale, providing a critical backbone for assessing competency-based efforts. What has become clearer to the JFF research team is that investing in teacher capacity to instruct and assess WSPs has been a critical move to ensure that the practice change is deep, spreads, and is sustainable.  A key orientation has been a strong commitment to teacher ownership of the process.  The practice partner is this effort, the New Hampshire Learning Initiative (NHLI), has been critical to supporting and pushing this teacher-centered approach forward.

NHLI / January 3, 2021

Scaling Up Deeper Learning: Results From New Hampshire’s Statewide Efforts

Employers, colleges and families may not agree on much, but they tend to agree about this: our K-12 students need to develop essential skills like self-direction, collaboration, communication and creativity to successfully navigate college, career and community life. Trouble is, standardized tests and traditional assessments do not adequately capture whether students have developed these deeper learning skills. Too often, we test things we may not value and may not be all that important. Fortunately, leaders are working to change this, and the results are promising.

NHLI / December 20, 2020

Three Lessons From New Hampshire’s Effort to Expand Deeper Learning

In 2019, Aurora Institute released the new definition of competency-based learning. This seven-part definition was developed with extensive support from practitioners, researchers and leaders across the country.

This updated definition reflects a deeper understanding of key issues and developments in the field.

Ellen Hume-Howard / July 1, 2020

Together and Stronger in the 603

We heard from many educators that they also needed normal conversations, and to focus on ideas that went beyond the current reality and look to a future to when we are past this crisis. 

Jon Vander Els / April 13, 2020

Silver Linings: Observations of Self-Directed Behavior in an Online Environment

There has always been a clear recognition of the importance of the critical competencies of communication, collaboration, creativity, and self-direction for success in the “real world” by teachers, parents, community members, and local business leaders. The “why” has never really been a question. However, providing opportunities for application of these skills in real-world situations that can transfer outside the walls of the school has been a question that educators have been grappling with.