Insights

Implementation is Key to Make Progress Monitoring Work for Students

By Stephanie Garfunkel | Jan 24, 2022

In the 2022 Legislative Session, stake lawmakers are considering a shift away from state assessments and toward a system of progress monitoring. In response, Impact Florida President Mandy Clark wrote a perspective piece about how implementation – and the Five Conditions that Support Great Teaching – can help ensure the system best serves students. The […]

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Impact Florida launches new Learning Cadre for teachers to pilot professional learning based on student feedback

By Stephanie Garfunkel | Nov 18, 2021

Impact Florida is proud to announce our first Learning Cadre for teachers, specifically designed to improve student experience in math, a critical pathway for college and career success. The Solving with Students Cadre will pilot an innovative approach to professional learning based on student feedback. Professional learning is one of Impact Florida’s Five Conditions that […]

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Virtual Coaching: How Taking Risks Helped My Students Succeed

By Guest Author | May 5, 2021

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!  At Impact Florida we believe a great way to honor Florida teachers is to share their voices. We are excited for you to hear from Kayla Fulghum, Collier County Public School (CCPS) teacher, in this week’s Insight post. Kayla was one of twelve Pre-Algebra/Algebra 1 teachers from CCPS that volunteered to […]

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Impact Florida Lunch and Learn Series

By Trey Csar | Apr 23, 2021

Impact Florida recently held two online Lunch-and-Learn sessions to share strategies two Florida districts are using to increase participation of students of color and low-income students in advanced mathematics courses, with a particular focus on increasing the number of students taking Algebra I in 8th grade. Both Pasco County Schools and the School District of […]

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6 Tips to Make the Most of Virtual Recruiting

By Guest Author | Apr 6, 2021

The uncertainty of virtual recruiting has teacher recruiters around the state and country crippled by the fear of losing the human element of face-to-face recruiting. While the pandemic has forced districts to adjust their recruiting strategies to a virtual platform, Polk County Public Schools had explored the world of virtual recruitment before the pandemic and made an exciting discovery: not only does it provide more stability for the recruiter herself, it also has allowed us to both personalize and expedite the recruitment experience for candidates as well. 

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Impact Florida kicks off fifth learning cadre supporting Florida school districts on second anniversary of organization’s launch

By Impact Florida | Mar 1, 2021

Impact Florida launched its fifth learning cadre today as part of its Districts for Impact initiative, focused on sharing and promoting promising practices across districts. Four Florida school districts will participate in the cadre, focused on strengthening professional learning practices: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Osceola, and Sarasota counties. “On the heels of the adoption of new instructional […]

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Shifting from Professional Development to Professional Learning

By Guest Author | Feb 12, 2021

The teaching and learning of our students and teachers didn’t stop when the doors to our schools closed on March 13, 2020. If anything, the need for professional learning accelerated out of necessity. As a school and district, we quickly pivoted, mostly focusing on scaling technological adaptation for our teachers and helping families learn how to use new platforms, including Google Meet, Google Classroom, and PearDeck. I think it’s fair to say that we managed to do the best we could in the attempt to minimize learning loss as much as possible.

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Student Insights: Future Teachers Reflect on 2020

By Kelly Zunkiewicz | Dec 18, 2020

It is never too early to spark students’ interest in becoming teachers so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to discuss the future of education with River Ridge High School’s New Teacher Academy in Pasco County. The New Teacher Academy is composed of sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in becoming teachers. As […]

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Virtual Listening Tour Underscores Need to Prioritize Professional Development, Especially During Pandemic

By Mandy Clark | Dec 7, 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the traditional educational experience and creating the most complicated learning environment of our time, the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning launched a virtual listening tour in May to learn more about the effects of the pandemic on teaching and learning. Impact Florida partnered with the Lastinger Center to […]

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4 Ways to Turn Curiosity into a Springboard for Civic Learning

By Guest Author | Oct 30, 2020

A child’s natural curiosity about how society works can serve as a powerful springboard for civic learning. As a parent and social sciences educator, I believe it’s our responsibility to help children develop an understanding of social issues along with the roles and responsibilities of being an active participant in our nation’s democracy. Equipping my […]

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Impact Florida partners with Harvard’s Proving Ground to support the most vulnerable students amid COVID-19

By Impact Florida | Sep 29, 2020

Impact Florida, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization, and Proving Ground, an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University, have launched a cadre of educators and researchers across four Florida districts to address the pressing challenges their most vulnerable students face as they return to school amid the coronavirus pandemic. Leaders […]

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Teachers Continue To Seek Out Opportunities To Learn From One Another

By Kelly Zunkiewicz | Aug 26, 2020

Professional learning has long been a pain point in education, typically characterized by teachers spending hours in sit-and-get sessions with no guarantee of lasting improvement to their teaching practice. Not to mention the time-consuming elements of traveling to a district location or the frustration teachers can face of being restricted to specific course offerings due […]

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Creativity: Weaving Learning into Projects at Home by Christie Bassett

By Guest Author | Jun 18, 2020

Throughout May and June you’ve been hearing from Florida teachers in a series of Insight posts with recommendations for summer learning focused on their area of expertise. With today’s Insight post, we wrap up this series but will continue to highlight and support Florida’s teachers. Stay tuned for a new series launching soon!    Creativity: […]

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