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JHU's Berner: Curriculum and Culture Are Still Core to Grow

Scott Barron
School Culture, Strategy

What are educational leaders learning during 2020 that will produce positive, long-lasting impact on schools? School Leaders are making substantial changes to their strategic plans based on their experiences so far this year.

Dr. Ashley Berner shares valuable insights about what they've learned at the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Education Policy, including why curriculum and culture remain the foundations to achieve sustainable school growth.

Last week I spoke with Dr. Berner about what they have been working at JHU and what important lessons are being learned. She shared some insights that could be valuable for your School Growth Plan.

You can view the video of the interview below, and I've included notes and links for some of the key points. 

  • JHU's Institute for Education Policy offers a school culture survey that is profound in the data delivered and the insights produced.

    CLICK HERE to Learn More

  • The Return: How Should Education Leaders Prepare for Reentry and Beyond?


    The Return is a free report produced by Chiefs for Change and the Institute for Education Policy at Johns Hopkins University. It provides specific guidance on how courageous school leaders can leverage the disruptions of 2020 to start a new season of growth. 

  • Educators are gifted differently, so why not structure the learning domain based on teacher strengths?


    Some teachers are masters of their subject matter and are great communicators, while others are extremely good at building deep relationships and nurturing community among students. The instructional experience can be designed based on the strengths of teachers, while also improving organizational efficiencies.

  • Two things schools must do to enable students to achieve academic and civic success:


    1. Utilize a high quality, liberal arts, content-rich curriculum
    2. Develop a strong school culture 

    Those are the fundamentals on which successful schools are built.

  • Florida Succeeded with the new B.E.S.T. Standards

    The countries producing the best learning results start with the end in mind intellectually, which is what the State of Florida did with their B.E.S.T. standards. They produced one of the top educational roadmaps in the country. 

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