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ASCD Express is the association's free e-newsletter. Published two to three times a month, this resource seeks to give educators practical, actionable strategies and information from the most reputable sources—the colleagues and experts working in the education field. ASCD Express content is developed and curated for brevity and relevance to the real experiences of working educators.
ASCD Express seeks brief, practical content. Article submissions typically range from 600 to 1,000 words, and multimedia submissions should be no longer than 10 minutes. Please include a brief professional bio and send submissions to express@ascd.org.
We welcome research-based submissions as well as your own examples from the classroom and advice about how to adapt successful strategies or overcome challenges, whether as a teacher, administrator, or specialist.
Read our list of upcoming themes, and consider publishing in ASCD Express. When submitting articles, please write the issue theme in the subject line of your e-mail to express@ascd.org.
The #MeToo movement has shed new light on the prevalence of gender-based harassment and violence, particularly in the workplace. As national conversations about power, patriarchy, and oppression continue to expand, there has been acknowledgement on a smaller scale (including through #MeTooK12) that schools and students are not immune to these issues. But conversations about healthy relationships and dating, gender equality, sexism, and harassment are not easy, which has led to a longstanding culture of silence. How are you and your colleagues grappling with and leading appropriate student and staff discussions about these issues? How has the #MeToo movement affected your school? How can instruction, curricula, and the broader education community pave the way for a healthier climate?
Submissions due: April 1, 2019
Are the robots really coming for students' jobs? The role of schools has long been to prepare students for life after graduation, but experts have conflicting views about the best path for schools as students face an unknown job market. Whether it's calls for specialized and cross-disciplinary skills, creative thinking, or STEM training, employers and educators are wrestling with complicated questions about career readiness. How can we make sure students live up to their full potential in the age of artificial intelligence, automation, and globalization? How must schools adjust to teach students the skills they need to develop? How can career technical education and out-of-school industry partnerships foster pathways to employment? What do you predict the future of work will look like, and how does that influence your teaching and leadership today?
Submissions due: April 15, 2019
What role should grades play in student assessment? An increasing number of educators are trying out a no-grades classroom, replacing a traditional A–F system with methods that encourage students to take charge of their learning progress. What is your preferred approach to alternative assessment? How can we fairly and accurately gauge and report students' learning without traditional grades? What are the benefits and challenges to alternative measures and reporting methods?
Submissions due: May 1, 2019
In the age of information, school libraries are central areas of learning and collaboration. But classroom libraries play an equally important role in nurturing students' love of reading, building comprehension, supporting daily instruction, and making sure students have access to diverse books. When building a personal library, where should classroom teachers across the content areas start? What are the necessary components to make sure your print and digital resources represent a range of backgrounds, interests, reading levels, and genres? What resources can educators turn to for guidance as they create and manage their own collection of books, magazines, and references? How do you design curriculum and learning experiences with your class library in mind?
Submissions due: May 15, 2019
We won't mince words: It's a tough time to enter the teaching profession. In the majority of states, more than 10 percent of teachers are in their first or second year in the classroom. They join the ranks of a profession experiencing rampant wage stagnation and pressures to meet academic benchmarks and raise standardized test scores. Support for those just starting out is more important than ever: According to the U.S. Department of Education, 17 percent of new teachers leave the classroom within five years, which takes a big toll on instruction quality and student learning. So, what are leaders doing to support the new teachers in their building? Which school-level factors help retain new teachers of color and those in specialized subjects, who leave the profession at higher rates? How can individual schools make new teachers feel valued and best identify their needs?
Submissions due: June 1, 2019
How students learn is an ever-expanding area of research and discovery. From neuroscience to social science, educators need practical examples and guidance on applying research-based practices in the classroom. What are some ways research informs your teaching or leading? How can educators and researchers form better partnerships? How can teachers leverage their own research within their school or the broader education community? In classrooms with a mix of abilities, cultures, and languages, how can research findings help teachers effectively adapt the learning environment and instruction, so that every student has the opportunity to learn? How can educators identify trustworthy and relevant research?
Submissions due: June 15, 2019
The students we teach have diverse experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. And despite political challenges to globalism, the problems and possibilities future generations face will depend on their abilities to engage productively in an increasingly interdependent world. That’s why, no matter where you live or who you teach, an integral part of a whole child approach to education involves instilling with the mindsets, knowledge, and skills to live and work as citizens of a global society. What does globally competent education look like in practice? How are you transforming curricula by applying a global lens? Which resources, from community partnerships to emerging technologies, help bring the world and global citizenship to your classroom?
Submissions due: July 1, 2019
Many new teachers quickly discover that they aren't fully prepared for the practical realities of running a classroom. So what should they know? This issue will take a close look at the craft of teaching, with an emphasis on providing strategic advice (and moral support) to new teachers and those who support them. What really works when it comes to planning and delivering a lesson or unit, or interacting with and engaging students? What traits and skills do high-performing teachers share, and how are they exemplified in the classroom? How can new teachers get there? Topics to be addressed include classroom management, lesson design and execution, educator confidence and efficacy, confronting biases, subject-area best practices, support networks and resources, and self-care. The issue will also highlight effective mentoring programs and other new-teacher support models.
Submissions due: July 15, 2019
Young people are no strangers to the online world. Many students spend much of their personal lives using digital platforms—such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram—to connect with one another, access information, and share thoughts and opinions. Educators, in turn, also harness social media platforms for teaching and learning. As these technologies become increasingly commonplace in the classroom, how can educators make sure students are using them safely, appropriately, and for deeper learning? How can we help students develop a professional and personal online presence? How has the power of social media changed your teaching?
Submissions due: August 1, 2019
Findings from neuroscience and teachers' lived experiences show that it's hard for students to do most things involved in learning if they don't feel safe, known, and cared for within schools. This issue will look at how schools can cultivate a greater sense of overall safety—in both physical and emotional terms. How can school leaders ensure that students and teachers feel protected and free to learn and teach? How can they skillfully address incidents of violence, whether active or potential? How can schools be more responsive to the needs of students suffering from trauma and those whose differences may make them vulnerable to harassment or bullying? How can schools monitor how all students are faring (in terms of both health and school engagement), and what role do behavioral and mental health services play in helping schools create a deeper support system for students?
Submissions due: August 15, 2019
Every picture tells a story. However, the educator Jay McTighe writes, no single photo can provide a complete portrayal of a situation. It's the same with assessment, he argues. Teachers and students need multiple measures appropriately aligned to different types of learning outcomes that matter. A holistic approach to assessment, led by teachers, can drive both teaching and learning toward worthy goals and a fuller picture of what's important to know and be able to do. What are your essential strategies for assessing with integrity? How do you and your students set meaningful learning objectives? How do you use assessments to communicate student growth and drive goal-setting? How do you use a range of assessments to inform future instruction?
Submissions due: September 1, 2019
Instructional coaching isn't simply a box that needs to be checked: It's an opportunity for even the most effective educators to grow and learn from one another. This issue will explore how schools are creating cultures of coaching, so that all faculty see the practice as an essential and ongoing lever for instructional improvement. What are the key ingredients of successful coaching relationships? What coaching models have the biggest impact on individuals and teams? How are video and other technology tools being used to transform coaching? How can school leaders best support coaching and root it in instructional culture? How can school leaders, mentors, and others more skillfully incorporate coaching strategies into their work?
Submissions due: September 15, 2019
Metacognition, or thinking about one's thinking with the goal of enhancing learning, is the core literacy of lifelong learners. When students have the skills to process and refine how they are learning, judiciously applying strategies and learning from mistakes, they have the keys to self-directed learning and growth. How do you help students build metacognitive muscle? What are the strategies and routines that help students practice thinking about their thinking? How do you build expectations for reflection and visible thinking into assignments? How can metacognition help students take ownership for their learning?
Submissions due: October 1, 2019
Our editors select the most popular and thought-provoking articles from the past year.
Submissions Closed
School culture and climate, instructional leadership, teacher retention and development—school principals oversee it all. High turnover rates for principals (the national average tenure for a principal is 4 years; even shorter at high-poverty schools) reflect the effects of increasing demands on school leaders. What are your keys to success when managing principal pressures like keeping your school safe, providing services for underserved students, dealing with difficult employees, retaining great teachers, and managing your time and workload? How do you set and maintain priorities? What advice would you give to new leaders? How do you keep your joy and sense of purpose in a tough job?
Submissions due: November 1, 2019
English language learners (ELLs) are the fastest-growing student population group in the United States. Yet most teachers are not trained to work with these learners. This issue will look at the structures and strategies that schools can use to improve instruction for ELLs and maximize their learning opportunities. Articles will explore specific challenges these students face today, both in the classroom and in society. How can schools create supportive spaces for these students, tapping into their strengths and not allowing language differences to be a barrier to learning? What supports work best to drive learning for ELLs in different subject areas? The issue will also address how schools can include ELLs in all aspects of schooling—both general education classes and school activities—and create culturally responsive learning environments that help ELLs thrive. Initiatives to connect with parents and communities will also be highlighted.
Submissions due: November 15, 2019
Researchers point to a hidden curriculum of white, middle class values that underpins the culture of U.S. schools. Students who don't fit this mold may feel a disconnect between their lives and the experience and content of school. Not surprising, this can lead to disengagement and limited opportunities for students of color and those experiencing poverty. What happens when schools reframe cultural differences as strengths and intentionally embed them in all aspects of learning? How does a culturally responsive approach guide your school? We are seeking articles from educators who are applying culturally responsive approaches to a range of areas within education, including but not limited to: curriculum and instruction, classroom management and discipline, parent engagement and support, school leadership, and ongoing professional development.
Submissions due: December 1, 2019
Developing strong, enthusiastic readers is one of the central objectives of schools, and yet reading instruction is often beset by complex structural challenges, shifting resources, and competing priorities. This issue will look at effective practices for teaching reading and supporting student engagement in reading at all grade levels. What should school leaders and teachers know about the latest research on reading instruction and literacy development—and how does it translate into the classroom? What works for struggling readers? How can schools create and support stronger cultures of reading? How has literacy changed in the 21st century, and what challenges and opportunities do those changes present? At the secondary level, what works in fostering critical literacy and close-reading skills—and inspiring a passion for reading? How can school leaders prioritize immersive reading skills as a key element of whole child education?
Submissions due: December 15, 2019
Nearly half of all teachers say they experience a high level of stress, every day. Stress leads to high levels of teacher turnover (44 percent of new teachers leave their jobs in the first five years), particularly in low income schools, and has an overall depressive effect on school culture and climate. What can educators do to make teaching a more sustaining rather than draining career choice? This issue will discuss schoolwide approaches to fostering work / life balance, including how educators and leaders build networks of support, create daily routines to mitigate stress, watch for the warning signs of burnout, strategize task management, and cope with a unique set of stressors.
Submissions due: January 1, 2020
Giving students more say and control over their own education—as well as creating climates that foster student expression—has become a growing priority in K–12 education, intersecting with personalized and student-centered learning movements. But what does this look like in practice? How can educators create lessons and school environments that effectively leverage student voice and agency? What advantages does this create—and what challenges? How might this emphasis transform traditional curriculum and instructional frameworks and develop students as leaders and innovators? Topics to be addressed include the role of technology in shifting instructional paradigms, student activism, problem-solving skills, and student choice within the curriculum.
Submissions due: January 15, 2020
Childhood trauma is one of the most extensive and invisible factors affecting students and their learning, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, not only cause health problems and toxic stress but also create serious roadblocks for students' academic and emotional well-being. A trauma-sensitive learning environment, in which educators are attuned to students' life experiences and work to support their self-regulation and coping skills, has positive implications for all students' success. What are the most important components of a trauma-informed approach for teachers and leaders? What strategies and curricula are most effective? How can teachers infuse a trauma-informed lens into all aspects of their work?
Submissions due: February 1, 2020
Long considered ancillary to other academic priorities, oral communication skills are now increasingly seen as central to student growth and success. This issue will consider ways to go beyond traditional formats for classroom exchanges to discussions that promote higher-order thinking, effective communication, and social-emotional learning skills. What discussion strategies actively engage all students—not just outspoken students, but also introverted ones, students with learning disabilities, and English language learners? How can teachers facilitate nuanced discussions on tough topics, developing students' ability to consider other perspectives and exchange differing opinions? The issue will also look at how discussion skills contribute to whole child learning and development and how educators can foster more effective discussions among themselves.
Submissions due: February 15, 2020
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