August 25, 2015
National brand extends reach of innovation
Since 2003, NC New Schools has grown into a leading professional services agency dedicated to building the knowledge, skills and capabilities of educators to transform public schools and school districts. Today, we are proud to announce our next chapter: Breakthrough Learning, the national brand of NC New Schools. 

 Breakthrough Learning will extend the work of NC New Schools on a national level. This new entity reflects our growth and relationships that extend to clients and partners beyond North Carolina's borders and reflects our core professional learning and research and development services as they evolve over time.

This year, we will partner with communities in Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi and South Carolina to transform classrooms into student-centered, personalized learning environments that align with the skills required for success in the global economy. We also launch our latest strategic plan, Vision 2018 - Excellence by Design, which emphasizes improving all aspects of our approach including the establishment of a deeper investment in research and development.

"Breakthrough Learning will take what we've learned from more than a dozen years of experience in transforming public education and bring those opportunities to more communities across the country," President Tony Habit said. "Our drive to improve access and outcomes for all students remains our primary focus." 
Teachers become students for the summer
This summer, earth science and engineering teacher Bill Burgess (shown here) left the comfort of his Wake County classroom and stepped into a new world at the LORD Corporation structural adhesives lab in Cary, N.C. 

Burgess was one of 16 teachers from the NC New Schools/ Breakthrough Learning network participating in a paid externship this summer. Other externs worked at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), Syngenta Crop Protection, Duke Energy and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). 

These 3-6 week work-based learning opportunities provide teachers direct experience in an industry or higher education work environment. By exposing teachers to the real-life applications of what they teach, the externship enables them to develop curriculum suited for project-based learning and that reflects the world of work in the classroom. Ultimately, students benefit through powerful learning activities that prepare them for success in the modern workplace.

"This whole process of testing formulations, data analysis and drawing conclusions opened my eyes to how the engineering design process and scientific method are used in the 'real world.' I learned new methods of data analysis and will use this in the upcoming school year," Burgess said.
National teacher training expert joins team
After a national search, NC New Schools/Breakthrough Learning is pleased to introduce Monisha Karnani as senior director of professional learning. She leads the Professional Learning team in the design, implementation and evaluation of professional development offerings customized to meet our clients' needs.

In her role as head of Professional Learning, Karnani will focus on differentiating services for long-term clients to further their professional growth and leading the team to develop virtual models for professional learning. As our network has expanded over the past decade, the need to offer more options and customization for those districts and schools has grown. 

Read more about Karnani's career in teaching and transformative teacher training...
U.S. high schoolers report feeling unprepared
Only 44.8 percent of American high school students feel ready for college and career, according to new data from YouthTruth. This figure is in stark contrast to the 86.9 percent of students who want to earn a college degree. 

The student survey findings also highlight the gap in the necessary support offered by public high schools to prepare students for the workforce. Fewer than half of students surveyed, 45.7 percent, said that their school has helped them figure out which careers match their skills and abilities, while 48.7 percent said they received support navigating the steps needed to pursue their desired careers. 

Students feel more prepared for college than they do for careers. Among the 165,000 students surveyed, 59.6 percent feel equipped to enroll in college-level classes. Similarly, 55.5 percent of students are receiving the help needed to apply for college. On the other hand, only 23 percent of students were receiving counseling about how to pay for college. 
Performance task emphasizes relevance
Performance Task
Students have asked teachers the same question for decades, maybe even centuries: Why do we need to know this?

Teachers in NC New Schools/Breakthrough Learning network schools know the key to answering that question is to connect classroom learning with real-world problems so that students see the relevance of their work. 

Last month, approximately 30 network teachers participated in a unique professional development workshop called the Performance Task Academy to help them make those connections. The Academy was organized by NC New Schools and CAE, a leading education agency that has created a critical thinking assessment known as the College and Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA+). 

In a performance task like the CWRA+ test, students start with a scenario that includes documents and graphs to read and interpret. Students must then extract critical information, form an opinion and write a short recommendation using the facts that are provided. Performance-based tasks challenge students to demonstrate skills, analyze and evaluate information, solve problems and communicate effectively. 
Coaching approach redesigned for educators
Over the past year, NC New Schools/ Breakthrough Learning has used client feedback, research and data to redesign its professional learning offerings. The result is an updated approach that includes close to 30 new sessions for educators as part of an on-site professional learning program that can be tailored by instructional coaches to match the context in each school community.

Through interactive sessions, teachers in our network are empowered to create and re-create powerful learning experiences for every student. The professional learning model provides:
  • Concrete tools and supports that create powerful learning in all content areas
  • Anchor sessions that align a school's professional learning throughout the year
  • Learner-centered strategies that focus on questioning, discussion, reading, writing, feedback and collaboration
  • Theme strands that schools can choose to focus their work
  • Redefined Professionalism sessions that emphasize collegial conversations and reflection
  • Design Workshops that support teachers in planning and implementing strategies
Watch this short video for more about our approach:
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