Strategy Lab Published Work
Resources, blogs, and other learnings from the Always Ready for Learning Strategy Lab.
Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Building Redesign Muscles for Durable, Equity-oriented Change
Ahead of the Heard Blog | Apr. 1, 2021
TLA CEO Beth Rabbitt and Bellwether COO Gwen Baker discuss the 3 big lessons learned from the Strategy Lab cohort.
Lucid Dreaming: Planning for a Better Future in a School Crisis
XQ | Dec. 9, 2020
Before the pandemic, the challenges of inequality, systemic racism, and antiquated learning models already plagued the American education system. The pandemic offers an opening for schools to both reimagine more than just high schools and re-engineer towards equity and resiliency: through “lucid dreaming.”
OPINION: Fires, storms and Covid: How some school districts focused on equity during decision time
Hechinger Report | Nov. 10, 2020
Learning from adversity featuring lessons from Strategy Lab Districts who planned for a year like no other while prioritizing equity.
Focusing on Academic Rigor in the Face of Disruption
Field Notes Blog | Dec. 14, 2020
High-quality instructional materials represent one of the few levers that school and system leaders have available to make their classrooms more resilient.
Phoenix Charter Academy on The Primary Person Advisory Model
Getting Smart Podcast | Feb. 19, 2021
Phoenix Charter’s unique model for individualized student support, known as the Primary Person Model, is a one-on-one advisory system that puts mental health and wellness at the forefront of student progress.
Teaching Through Change, Stories of Resilience: Austin ISD
Getting Smart | Oct. 26, 2020
Ms. Stacey Shapiro, a first-grade teacher in Austin Independent School District, is showing her students how to persevere through any adventure, by not only focusing on her relationships with students and peers but also taking time for self-care.
Strategy Lab Expert Talks
YouTube | Nov. 9, 2020
A playlist of expert talks organized by shared needs across Strategy Lab Districts who are navigating challenges of the COVID era.
A Reliable Hybrid Learning Model: Cedar Rapids Schools Respond to Setbacks
Getting Smart | Mar. 3, 2021
In response to the pandemic, Cedar Rapids established three models as options for families: in-person, hybrid, and all virtual.
Building the Car While We're Driving It: Lessons Learned and Back-to-School Priorities in Four Districts
Getting Smart | Sep. 12, 2020
At the beginning of the pandemic, Strategy Lab districts self-assessed themselves on their approaches to teaching and learning - both prior to and during the initial response to the pandemic.
TLA’s Real-Time Redesign Toolkit Helps Schools Make Practical and Positive Change
Getting Smart | Mar. 17, 2021
Background on the Real-Time Redesign toolkit, a design process born out of the Strategy Lab.
Real Changes Toward Equity & Resilience at Monterey Peninsula Public Schools
A.C.E.-Ed Podcast | Mar. 22, 2021
Podcast interview with Monterey Peninsula Associate Superintendents Cresta MacIntosh & Manny Nunez about the Strategy Lab experience.
How Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Reduced Their Failure Rate by over 60%
Getting Smart | Mar. 8, 2021
Failure rates across the country skyrocketed during the pandemic. Monterey Peninsula used simple, strategic, student-centered guidelines to successfully decrease the failure rate across their district.
A Reliable Hybrid Learning Model: Cedar Rapids Schools Respond to Setbacks
Getting Smart | Mar. 3, 2021
Cedar Rapids Community Schools in Iowa established virtual, hybrid, and in-person learning options for students during the pandemic.
Communicating Through Change: How a CA District Is Supporting Families in the Year Ahead
EdSurge | Oct. 2, 2020
In the midst of chaos, Monterey Peninsula USD prioritized communication with families in simple, respectful, and transparent ways.