The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning works to raise student achievement in high-poverty schools in Kent County—in collaboration with educators, administrators, parents and non-profit leaders—by providing support and coaching to teachers and promoting collaborations among principals and teachers.
Kent Learning and Innovation Network
One of its first areas of work was to build the Kent Learning and Innovation Network. The Network leverages one of the K-12 education system’s most powerful assets – our best teachers – and empowers them to be the leaders of improvement in their schools. This approach follows the evidence-based practices from leading education states.
Early results show the approach is working.
PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WYOMING, MI (Photo: Rex Larsen)
Through the Network, CETL aims to:
- Improve academic outcomes for students in West Michigan’s highest-need communities and public schools, and close long-standing achievement gaps
- Create leadership opportunities for educators, improving both teacher retention and student achievement
- Innovate a model that builds educator capacity and leverages best practices from leading education states, tailored for Michigan’s unique needs and challenges
So far, CETL staff have worked directly with 28 teacher-leaders, and reached more than 50 other educators, providing access to:
- Peer-to-peer observation and coaching opportunities
- Participation-in-Action research cycles led by a CETL school coach
- Cross-county collaboration opportunities
- Teacher-led professional development and school improvement programming in their own schools