CMU Expands Outreach to PK-12 Schools with Feasibility Study

At St Vincent's School research is not something that happens to us. It happens with us — and often because of us. As a specialist setting for children and young people with vision impairment, we recognise that generic educational research rarely captures the lived, sensory, and embodied experiences of our pupils. That is why we have committed to a model of school-based, co-produced research that positions children, staff, families and practitioners as active knowledge-makers. From our work exploring inclusion in specialist provision, to projects examining sport and physical activity access for pupils with vision impairment, to the development of CVI Soundscapes — immersive, child-led sensory research — we are building evidence from the ground up. This approach reflects a wider shift in educational research towards co-production and experiential knowledge. Rather than viewing research as something abstract or externally imposed, we position it as relational and practical. Our pupils are not subjects of study — they are contributors. Their voices, movements, adaptations, frustrations and innovations shape the questions we ask and the frameworks we challenge. As a non-maintained independent special school, St Vincent’s School occupies a unique position within the national landscape. We are able to bridge practice and scholarship — drawing on partnerships with universities, contributing to peer-reviewed publications, and ensuring that emerging theory is tested against the everyday realities of classrooms, habilitation routes, swimming pools and sports halls. School-based research matters in the VI sector. It sharpens pedagogy. It strengthens advocacy. It challenges ableist assumptions embedded in systems. And, crucially, it ensures that policy conversations are informed by the lived experience of children and young people.

Student Veterans in Higher Education: What the Research Shows What does the data actually tell us about student veteran success? Research across multiple national studies reveals a clear pattern: • Roughly 1 in 5 post-9/11 veterans experience symptoms of PTSD or depression. (RAND) • Many veterans do not seek treatment, even when services are available. • Feeling understood by faculty significantly improves academic persistence. (Student Veterans of America) • Peer connection and campus belonging matter. • GI Bill processing challenges and administrative delays increase financial stress. (GAO) Individually, these issues may seem separate. Together, they reveal something larger: Mental health challenges campus climate gaps administrative complexity = increased risk to persistence. Student veteran success is not just about resilience. It is about institutional design. Sources: RAND Corporation – Invisible Wounds of War https://lnkd.in/g5Z4CsVD Student Veterans of America – Campus Climate Report https://lnkd.in/gvtdJgJc U.S. Government Accountability Office – VA Education Benefits Reports https://lnkd.in/gvbswMMT #StudentVeterans #HigherEducation #VeteranSupport #CampusClimate #EducationPolicy

At a moment when #schools across the nation are navigating educator shortages and growing complexity, we must invest where it matters most: at the foundation of the profession. Education Week highlights our bold proposal calling for a $2.5 billion federal investment to rebuild and strengthen teacher preparation. This is not a short-term fix. It is a long-term strategy to stabilize and sustain the educator workforce for generations to come. Our Call to Action reflects months of collaboration and shared resolve. 14 national organizations have endorsed this agenda! A powerful demonstration that collective action is not just possible, it is necessary. When we strengthen educator preparation: • Students gain access to well-prepared, confident teachers. • Communities gain stability and continuity in their schools. • The profession gains sustainability and renewed strength. This is about more than funding. It is about belief in #educators. Belief in preparation. Belief in the power of collective action to shape a stronger future. AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) #EdPrepMatters https://lnkd.in/eS9QB4H2

By any measure, the Schools White Paper included the most comprehensive review of SEND in many years, with the government pledging new money and resources for a more inclusive mainstream system. But one sector that does not feature in the Department for Education's proposals, and whose offer was apparently not taken into consideration, was that of online and hybrid schools - despite this being the biggest and fastest education growth area in the UK at this time. In a comment piece published today Hugh Viney, founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA), makes the case for online and hybrid schools, outlining the role they are playing in supporting children with SEND, how they improve attendance among even the most persistent absentees, and their collaborations with 'physical' mainstream schools. Read his article here: https://lnkd.in/e-iDWvVH Steve Spriggs School Management Plus Hugh Viney Suzanne Lindley Ian Hopkinson Michelle Skinner

Via Erin Higgins in the San José Spotlight: San Jose Unified School District’s “Schools of Tomorrow” initiative proposes closing up to nine elementary schools that act as community hubs for generations of San Jose residents. As a district parent, I am following the initiative with concern and frustration. It is framed as a process to create ideal schools to develop “the thinkers, leaders, and creators of tomorrow,” but the link between the proposed school closures and this vision has not been communicated clearly nor substantiated by the district…. …. The district needs to conduct a systematic review of research on school characteristics that impact students’ achievement, well-being, mental health and safety. This synthesis could be used to build a framework that identifies characteristics most likely to lead to improved student outcomes. For instance, a quick review of research on school size calls into question the district’s preference to consolidate campuses and substantially increase the size of its elementary schools. Researchers have found that smaller elementary school class sizes and overall school sizes were positively correlated with student learning in literacy and mathematics and teachers’ belief in their ability to influence students’ learning outcomes. In a longitudinal study of high schools, researchers at MDRC observed that students enrolled in small schools in New York City experienced higher rates of postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment…. https://lnkd.in/es7VCji2

A consistent theme across governors’ 2026 State of the State addresses: literacy is foundational to improving student achievement. The FutureEd analysis highlights growing bipartisan attention to early reading proficiency, evidence based instruction, and targeted academic supports. It is encouraging to see literacy continuing to rise as a national priority. Strong reading skills open doors across every subject and are deeply connected to education equity and long term opportunity for students. Curious to hear others’ reactions: Where do you see the biggest opportunities to move the needle on literacy? https://lnkd.in/e_SWAg6H

Thank you, Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy and AACTE, for advancing this proposal. This is the investment our field needs. Across preparation pathways, university-based, residency, grow-your-own, and alternative prep programs, the field is working to ensure that more aspiring educators enter, complete, and successfully transition into classrooms with strong clinical preparation and support, even as policy shifts and funding instability strain the system. The work is real. So is the urgency. One of the key insights from our Beyond100K Dream to Teach Brain Trust was this: innovation across preparation pathways is well underway, but without sustained, structural investment at multiple levels, progress remains fragile. And in the face of America’s persistent teacher shortage, fragility is not something we can afford. This proposal would strengthen that foundation — through expanded scholarships and service-based supports, stronger federal coordination of educator workforce policy, and improved national data to better align supply and demand. A long-term federal commitment like this would provide the stability needed to scale what’s working and build a more robust educator workforce. If we are serious about ending America’s teacher shortage, we must treat educator preparation as the critical infrastructure it is. Strong teachers are what our students deserve. The future of our communities depends on the strength, stability, and diversity of the educator workforce we cultivate today. #EdPrepMatters #TeacherWorkforce #dreamtoteach #STEMEducation #Belonging

I’m grateful to The 74 Media for publishing my latest op-ed on the future of education reform in New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has spoken powerfully about equity in our schools. But vision must be matched with structure. As I write in the piece: “Progressive intent is not the same as progressive design or progressive results.” If we want lasting change for Black and brown students, reforms must be co-designed with communities and supported by the operational capacity to deliver. Sharing the article here!

If you don’t know about Communities In Schools of Central Texas and the leadership of their rockstar CEO Sharon Vigil, you’re about to have your mind blown. 99.99% of the at-risk students in their programs stayed in school and 99.3% graduated or were promoted to next grade level. I’m so proud to be working on a special project with them. Per a new article in The Atlantic: “A new study demonstrates that such efforts have long-term effects. Benjamin Goldman, an assistant professor of economics at Cornell University, and Jamie Gracie, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, evaluated data on more than 16 million Texas students over two decades, examining data from the Census Bureau and IRS, as well as state records on academic outcomes. They found that the introduction of CIS led to higher test scores, lower truancy rates, and fewer suspensions in Texas schools. The program bumped up high-school graduation rates by 5.2 percent and matriculation rates at two-year colleges by 9.1 percent. ‘Between kindergarten and 12th grade, kids spend only 20 percent of their time’ in a classroom, Rob Watson, the executive director of the The EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, told me. If America wants kids to thrive, he said, it has to consider the 80 percent.” — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic https://lnkd.in/gK8nuNUc

A thought-provoking piece in The The Chronicle of Higher Education on how #public colleges are beginning to rediscover the value of true #SystemThinking. Public institutions that share the same public funding and taxpayer ownership should arguably be managed as #IntegratedSystems, not as isolated competitors. For too long, many campuses have pursued #LocalOptima: duplicating programs, competing for the same students, or creating artificial differentiation simply to stand apart. The result has often been #Inefficiency and #fragmentation. A more strategic approach could emphasize #Complementarity, #Specialization, and #Coordination across institutions, allowingl public systems to operate more effectively and sustainably while preserving access. As #DemographicDecline and financial pressures intensify, the conversation about how to optimize the #HigherEducation ecosystem, rather than individual campuses, is likely to become increasingly important. Thought-provoking ideas worth reflecting on. #HigherEd #PublicUniversities #SystemThinking #HigherEducationLeadership