Learning Forward

LEARNING FORWARD IS DEVOTED TO EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WE BUILD THE CAPACITY OF EDUCATION LEADERS TOENSURE THAT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EQUITABLY SERVES ALL STUDENTS. OUR VISION: EVERY EDUCATOR ENGAGES IN EXEMPLARY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SO EVERY STUDENT EXCELS.

CONFERENCES, NETWORKS AND ONLINE/VIRTUAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES -, INSTITUTES, AND WEBINARS SUPPORT MEMBERS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, EDUCATOR COMPETENCY, AND STUDENT SUCCESS. LEARNING FORWARD'S 2021 ANNUAL CONFERENCE ATTRACTED 2,116 EDUCATORS WHO, OVER THE 3 DAYS OF THE CONFERENCE, ATTENDED 98 VIRTUAL SESSIONS, GAINED NEW KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, ENGAGED IN MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS, NETWORKING, AND ACQUIRING RESOURCES AND TOOLS TO HELP THEM IN THEIR ORGANIZATION AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT WORK.ACADEMY - SINCE 1991 THERE HAVE BEEN 39 ACADEMY CLASSES WITH MORE THAN 1700 ACADEMY GRADUATE MEMBERS. EACH CLASS HAS HELD 12-FACE TO FACE SESSIONS TOTALING 96 HOURS PER CLASS EQUALING 3,648 HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITHIN THE ACADEMY PROGRAM. EACH YEAR A NEW ACADEMY CLASS GRADUATES.

PUBLICATIONS: PUBLICATIONS INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE OF EDUCATORS ON ISSUES RELEVANT TO IMPROVING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, ACCELERATING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT, AND ELEVATING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. LEARNING FORWARD PUBLISHES THE LEARNING PROFESSIONAL, THE LEARNING FORWARD JOURNAL, SIX TIMES EACH YEAR BOTH IN PRINT AND ONLINE.MEMBERSHIP - MEMBERSHIP IN LEARNING FORWARD PROVIDES SUPPORT, NETWORKING, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND PUBLICATIONS, FOR ALL INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING TEACHERS, BUILDING AND SYSTEM-LEVEL LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND THE PUBLIC. LEARNING FORWARD'S VALUE AS A LEADER IN IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT HAS ALLOWED IT TO MAINTAIN A GROWING NUMBER OF PAID MEMBERSHIPS THAT NOW EXCEEDS 12,000 MEMBERS.

GRANT-FUNDED PROJECTS - GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS TARGET PARTICULAR INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON DVANCING THE FIELD OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, IMPROVING ORGANIZATION AND INDIVIDUAL EFFECTIVENESS AND PRODUCING HIGHER LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE FOR BOTH EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS. IN FY 2022, LEARNING FORWARD RECEIVED GRANT FUNDS OF $1,626,349 EARNED GRANT FUNDS OF $1,635,992 AND HAS UNEARNED GRANT FUNDS OF $928,465 AS OF JUNE 30, 2022. A. THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION OF NEW YORK, THE CHARLES & LYNN SCHUSTERMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION AND THE WILLIAM & FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION ALL PROVIDED GRANTS TO DEVELOP THE REVISED STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH ASSOCIATED TOOLS AND RESOURCES. THIS IS A REVISION TO THE WIDELY ADOPTED 2011 STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. B. THE CHARLES & LYNN SCHUSTERMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION PROVIDED A GRANT FOR FEDERAL POLICY AND ADVOCACY AND AN ADDITIONAL GRANT TO SUPPORT LEARNING FORWARD'S "PIVOT" TO CURRICLUM-GROUNDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.C. THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION PROVIDED GRANTS TO IMPLEMENT A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT FRAMEWORK ACROSS A NETWORK OF 10 NORTH TEXAS MIDDLE SCHOOLS. D. THE WALLACE FOUNDATION PROVIDED A GRANT TO LEARNING FORWARD TO COVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD AND TO HELP DISSEMINATE WALLACE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES THROUGH PUBLICATIONS AND THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THESE RESOURCES WILL BE USED TO HELP SCHOOLS, DISTRICTS, AND STATES IMPROVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. E. THE WALLACE FOUNDATION ALSO PROVIDED A GRANT TO LEARNING FORWARD TO MANAGE THE EQUITY-CENTERED PIPELINE INITIATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY. LEARNING FORWARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING AND EVALUATING THREE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CONVENINGS FOR THE EIGHT PARTICIPATING DISTRICTS DURING EACH YEAR OF THE GRANT. F. ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION (CENTERPOINT) PROVIDED FUNDING FOR WORK TO DEVELOP A REPLICABLE, SUSTAINABLE DISTRICT-LEVEL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING MODEL, SUPPLEMENTED BY EDUCATOR PROTOCOLS AND TOOLS, THAT SUPPORTS TRANSITION FROM TRADITIONAL METHODS OF TEACHING LITERACY TO BLENDED LITERACY INSTRUCTION.G. AIR - TWO GRANTS UNDER THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONS EIR PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO AIR IN TWO SUBGRANTS- FIRST, TESTING AND VALIDATION OF THE MY TEACHING PARTNERS COACHING APPROACH TO EDUCATORS FOR IMPROVED CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE AND IN THE SECOND ONE, THE STUDY OF THE IMPROVING INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH IMPACT PROGRAM. A THIRD GRANT ON COACHING WAS AWARDED TO AIR AND LEARNING FORWARD BUT NOT STARTED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. NO FUNDS WERE DISBURSED TO LEARNING FORWARD.

LEARNING FORWARD CONSULTANTS SPENT 561 DAYS IN FY22, SUPPORTING 62 CLIENTS THAT INCLUDED 4 STATE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION, 5 STATE OR REGIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONS, 9 EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, AND 46 UNIQUE SCHOOL SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, LEARNING FORWARD ASSISTED 15 SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND REGIONAL EDUCATION CENTERS IN EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING BY ADMINISTERING THE STANDARDS ASSESSMENT INVENTORY IN 394 SCHOOLS.