Throughout Washington, administrators have rolled out new preschool teacher evaluation methodology. Called "CLASS", instructors are observed at length and judged on their interactions in categories including emotional, social, and intellectual growth. The model, which moves away from principal evaluation, has been shown to improve both teaching and student performance. Now the state is piloting similar programs in K-12 classes. One researcher writes of the importance of the right assessment tool, “People say that teaching isn’t rocket science and I would argue that it's actually more complicated..."
Read MorePeerForward, a youth leadership development organization, taps into the power of peer networks to increase the number of students in low-income schools applying to college and submitting FAFSA forms. Working with teachers, elected students develop their own custom action plans to achieve PeerForward's common goals. For instance, at some schools, student leaders required a completed FAFSA for admission to a dance.
Read MoreGoverning Hope, an anti-racism organization, is combating racism in Portland by asking white people to pay reparations. The organization created an event called “Reparations Power Hour,” which invites people of color for a discussion and food. They also receive $10 for showing up. The money is donated primarily by white people. “ We call on folks to imagine what reparations in their own communities could look like.”
Read MoreThe Coalition of Immokalee Workers developed a framework called the worker-driven social responsibility paradigm, which is designed to help protect migrant employees who often don't have the right to unionize but are vulnerable to workplace manipulation and abuse due to their immigration status. The paradigm targets the supply chain, using legal agreements to require that migrant workers have a direct say in designing and enforcing workplace protections, and the model has been implemented in initiatives such as the Fair Food Program and the Milk With Dignity Program.
Read MoreA new urban planning tool called Urban Footprint is helping governments to map out their most vulnerable neighborhoods and populations. Originally designed in 2018 to help city planners make sense of large data sets and understand the implication of potential policies on traffic, energy use, or multiple other factors, Urban Footprint was easily adapted to pull in data from the CDC and other inputs for COVID-19 considerations.
Read MoreAlthought the coronavirus pandemic thwarted the planned efforts originally intended to increase census participation in the city of Goleta, California, county census workers have found ways to still successfully reach community members. From door-to-door visits and car parades to lawn signs and educational campaigns, the city's efforts have "resulted in the highest local self-response so far."
Read MoreThe Student View is a program helping youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to learn more about misinformation and navigating the media landscape. The program has been able to expand to 20 cities in the United Kingdom to provide 72 pop-up school newsrooms.
Read MoreUrban planning algorithms have contributed to the racial wealth gap by prioritizing funding for communities that don’t need extra funding, but which would create a higher return on investment. The algorithm bias negatively impacts neighborhoods that are typically Black and poor. Detroit’s water and sewage utilities were disconnected as a result of an algorithm, highlighting the “fundamental pitfall of algorithms, as well as the risks that they can be misused or produce unintended consequences.”
Read MoreIn response to a lack of action from local government, individuals are turning to digital platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook groups to avoid scammers and price gouging in the rental industry. These groups have thousands of members and allow landlords and tenants to interact directly without middlemen interfering and charging unnecessary fees.
Read MoreSouth Dallas’s GoLink pilot program allows residents to book door-to-door transportation within a designated zone at much lower rates than traditional rideshare programs like Uber. The neighborhood now has the third-highest ridership in the metro area and sees roughly 220 riders per day.
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