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Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse Home Page
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona shares his vision for the U.S. Department of Education (Department) in 2024 to promote academic excellence, improve learning conditions, and prepare our students for a world where global engagement is critical to our nation’s standing. To operationalize this vision, the Secretary emphasizes work within each pillar of the Raise the Bar: Lead the World initiative:
We know that as States and districts pursue the strategies within each pillar, they seek opportunities to share with and learn from each other. The Best Practices Clearinghouse serves as one mechanism for them to do so. The Best Practices Clearinghouse remains focused on student well-being and now aligns that focus with the Raise the Bar pillars.
Over the next year, the Department will continue to provide tools, resources, and assistance to States, districts, and schools to advance the strategies in the Raise the Bar pillars. We invite you as well to submit your best practices related to the Raise the Bar pillars and visit the Best Practices Clearinghouse to find current resources and information on how other States and districts are Raising the Bar to advance educational equity and excellence for all students.
As we move this work forward together, the Department will engage directly with parents and families about what’s working, what’s not, and what they want to see for their children’s education, and we will work to help parents and families be true partners with their child’s school. There has never been a more important time for us to intentionally collaborate so that, together, we can prepare our students to truly thrive.
The U.S. Department of Education recently released this new, informational video about the Best Practices Clearinghouse. Take a look and share with other education practitioners.
Achieve Academic
Excellence
For students to thrive academically and be globally competitive, they require access to a broad and challenging education that provides opportunities to build deep knowledge and useful life skills across many disciplines. However, access to a comprehensive and rigorous education is not equitable across all students and all communities, which prevents our young people from realizing their potential and succeeding.
There are a variety of strategies and best practices to support a comprehensive and rigorous education for every student with high-quality instruction that prepares them to be active, engaged, and lifelong learners.
Boldly Improve
Learning Conditions
When students feel connected to school, their mental health and academic performance improve; however, the consequences of the pandemic—social isolation, illness, and family hardship among them—have led to decreased feelings of connectedness for students. For example, approximately 1 in 3 high school students have experienced poor mental health amid the pandemic, and rates of poor mental health have been higher for historically marginalized groups of students. For students to thrive in school, they need a strong foundation of overall wellness.
There are a variety of strategies and best practices to address student mental health needs.
Create Pathways
for Global Engagement
Let’s recognize that being multilingual is a superpower. Especially in today’s global society and economy, knowing more than one language from birth, acquiring a new language through school, or learning new languages later in life can provide tangible advantages. The ability to read and think in more than one language promotes higher levels of abstract thought, which is important in learning. And multilingual and multiliterate adults have wide job opportunities. Every student should have the opportunity to access multilingual education.
The Department is committed to working with leaders at the state and local levels to invest in, promote, and support evidence-based language practices and programs.
Spotlight: Focus on the Field: South Central Washington STEM Network - Washington STEM: Education, Innovation, and Research Grantee
Learn about the critical work in Yakima, Washington intended to open science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career pathways for students in the community. The regional STEM Networks bring educators, business leaders, STEM professionals, and community leaders together to build student success and connect them with STEM career opportunities in their communities.
Spotlight: Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest: Louisiana’s New Teacher Experience: Supporting Early Career Teachers
Without adequate induction supports and opportunities to build strong relationships with students, peers, and school leaders, new teachers can end up leaving the profession. This Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest video introduces Louisiana’s New Teacher Experience, an early-career teacher induction program. The video includes interviews with new teachers, professional learning coaches, and Louisiana Department of Education staff.
Spotlight: Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest: Blending Evidence-Based Literacy Practices With Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Practices
This video describes how educators can implement culturally responsive practices to teach literacy skills, including by affirming and building on students’ home languages.
Safe and Open Schools
Safe and Healthy Environments
Learn about school, early childhood program, and campus approaches to implementing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as other strategies for sustaining safe in-person operations with ARP funds. The recovery resources include all grades and ages. Teachers, early childhood providers, faculty, staff, schools, districts, early childhood programs, institutions of higher education, other educational institutions, and States can use these lessons learned, best practices, and Federal and State guidelines to plan and implement health and safety strategies with their local and State governments and community partners.
Student Supports
Providing Supports to Students, Young Children, and Families
Learn how communities and schools use ARP funds to support the social, emotional, mental health, academic, developmental, and basic needs of all learners. This includes providing access to food and other basic needs, with a specific focus on the most vulnerable learners and ensuring that resources provided by schools and campuses will be able to connect with and meet the needs of those disconnected from learning and those whose communities have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Educator Supports
Teacher, Early Childhood Provider, Faculty, and Staff Well-Being, Professional Development, and Supports
Learn how to better address the well-being and professional needs of teachers, early childhood providers, faculty, and staff, including strategies to address their social, emotional, health, and other needs, with ARP funds. Teachers, early childhood education providers, faculty, staff, schools, districts, institutions of higher education, other places of educational instruction, and States may use these lessons learned, best practices, and Federal resources to create plans of action.
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