LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

One of the biggest challenges in education is how to move beyond the century-old "factory model" which has dictated how most kids learn in middle and high schools -- too often with mixed results. Typically, instruction is broken into 45- or 50-minute instructional periods, five to seven times a day, five days a week. Decades of research tell us this is not the optimal way to effectively educate many, if not most, students. Across the country, efforts are gathering momentum to move beyond the bell schedule and to rethink how best to assess students' competencies. Barnett Berry, a senior research fellow at the Learning Policy Institute, has been at the forefront in examining and promoting those efforts. With Michael Matsuda and Michael Fullan, he recently took a deep dive into the Anaheim Union High School District near Disneyland, as described in their recently published book The Future of Public Schooling: One District's Journey to Transform Schools and Systems. Under Matsuda's leadership, the district is breaking the mold by getting kids out of the classroom for internships and other career-related activities, promoting collaboration among teachers, and engaging parents so they understand what is happening in their child's classroom. In this stimulating discussion with host Louis Freedberg, Berry shares crucial lessons for educators around the nation attempting similar reforms.

LISTEN IN YOUR FAVORITE APP