Summer 2019 (Digital Only)
High-Powered Teams
When teams of educators believe they can make a difference, schools can be transformed. This issue will examine the essentials of effective educator and school leadership teams. What characteristics do impactful school teams share? What drives their work and capability? What structural supports do teams need to lead their work with autonomy, transparency, and accountability? How do effective teams navigate complex team dynamics, common pitfalls, and organizational challenges? How are school leaders fostering a sense of "collective teacher efficacy," John Hattie's number one factor for influencing student achievement? The issue will also showcase examples of successful teams that changed schools' trajectories.
Submission Deadline: March 15, 2019
September 2019
What New Teachers Need
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.
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2019
October 2019
Making School a Safe Place
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?
Submission Deadline: May 1, 2019
November 2019
A Culture of Coaching
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?
Submission Deadline: June 3, 2019
December 2019/January 2020
Building Bridges for ELLs
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.
Submission Deadline: July 1, 2019
February 2020
Rooted in Reading
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?
Submission Deadline: September 3, 2019
March 2020
The Empowered Student
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.
Submission Deadline: October 1, 2019
April 2020
Deeper Discussions
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.
Submission Deadline: November 1, 2019
May 2020
Learning and the Brain
Research in neuroscience is shedding new light on how students learn and develop. How can educators make the most of this information—and how can they sort genuine scientific findings from myths and hearsay? This issue will offer a solution-oriented look at brain science and education, highlighting both groundbreaking findings and practical takeaways. Key questions to be examined include: How might recent findings in neuroscience inform instructional practices and lesson planning? What aspects of learning have schools conventionally overlooked or discounted? How can schools create the best conditions to support student learning, including in the case of students suffering from trauma or adverse experiences? And what does the latest research on the brain and learning really say—or not say?
Submission Deadline: December 2, 2019
Guidelines for authors and submission instructions are available at www.ascd.org/el. Please submit your manuscript via Submittable at https://elmagazine.submittable.com/submit
