Conference to Restore Humanity! 2025: Quest for Connection

daily dose of research

Community in the Classroom: An Approach to Curriculum and Instruction as a Means for the Development of Student Cognitive, Social and Emotional Engagement in a High School Classroom

Jones

2012

A detailed analysis of how relationship building - specifically a focus on social and emotional engagement - led to drastically increased academic performance.

featured contributor

Tegan Morton A white woman with long brown hair and glasses.

Tegan is a science teacher and equity educator based in NYC. In addition to finding ways big and small to liberate education from oppressive systems.

An image of the lighthouse with the text Third Coast Learning Collaborative.

Reimagining public middle schools in Western Michigan.

Text displayed "100 Days of Conversations About School"

Listening and learning from 400+ young people & educators.

Showcase: Spotlight on Bismarck Public Schools' Empower[Ed]

166

April 5, 2025

Teachers and students from Bismarck Public Schools talk about their experience in the student-led, community focused Empower[Ed] program

This is the latest in our “spotlight series”, the first of 2025, where we reach out to schools who are engaged in awesome work, and talk to teachers, school leaders, and students about it to shine a light, inspire, and influence others to do the same. As with all learning, process is the point, not perfection, and there’s so much to learn from these schools as we reimagine education in our communities.

Guest

We're joined by two teachers, David and Tammy, and two students, Bree and Ethan, from Bismarck Public Schools' Empower[Ed] program. Empower[Ed] is a personalized, competency-based education program designed to give high school juniors and seniors control over their learning. We integrate core academic subjects with real-world, community-embedded projects and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. Students primarily work independently, demonstrating mastery through projects that align with their passions and career interests. Empower[Ed] fosters learner agency, helping students build critical skills like problem-solving, time management, and collaboration, while crafting personalized learning paths that prepare them for success beyond high school. It’s a flexible, self-directed learning experience aimed at making education more relevant and engaging.

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