Eskolta School Research and Design

New date announced! Join San Francisco Bay University in partnership with Eskolta School Research and Design Inc. on Saturday, June 1st, 10 am - 2 pm, for an opportunity to enjoy games, art activities, and a panel discussion around future career opportunities in the Tech space. This event is open to everyone and is an exciting opportunity for community members to provide input for the new SFBU Innovation Center. We will have refreshments, a DJ, and fun activities for all. We look forward to seeing you there!

This is event has been postponed. Details to be announced.

Join San Francisco Bay University in partnership with Eskolta School Research and Design Inc. on Saturday, April 13th, 10 am - 2 pm, for an opportunity to enjoy games, art activities, and a panel discussion around future career opportunities in the Tech space. This event is open to everyone and is an exciting opportunity for community members to provide input for the new SFBU Innovation Center. We will have refreshments, a DJ, and fun activities for all. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Eskolta Network Summit 2023: Reengaging Youth registration is now open! Come explore best practices, policy, and research around authentic youth reengagement.

Eskolta Network Summit 2023 Join us at the Eskolta Network Summit 2023, where you'll learn about the latest practices in reengaging youth.

"When a group of teachers have a strong belief that they can make a difference together in how their students learn, those teachers are more likely to develop strategies to meet that goal." This opinion piece reviews research done on best practices for engaging with school leadership teams and building collective leader efficacy. At Eskolta, we believe in using data to support critical self-reflection around leadership practices and this past year we worked with the NYCDOE Computer Science for All initiative to implement this.

What Are the Elements for a More Impactful, Focused School Leadership Team? (Opinion) Because of COVID-19, the stakes are even higher for schools this year. That means our school-based teams must develop their impact.

Critical education reform happen can't happen without clear processes for decision-making at the district level. This past year, Eskolta worked with the NYCDOE's leadership team to establish new team protocols as they work to expand access to computer science education to historically underserved students. Read more about our work:

Strengthening Team Dynamics with CS4All - Eskolta What We Do: Design Projects >> Data Guided Leadership Strengthening Team Dynamics with CS4All As demand for a technologically skilled workforce continues to increase, the ‘digital divide’ disproportionately affecting Black, Latinx, and female students who lack access to quality computer science ...

"Teachers have the power to shift their focus from what a student lacks to the vast array of experiences and diversity that such students bring." All students should feel like they are capable of doing well, but when schools treat differences in background and language as shortcomings, BIPOC students may learn to believe that their unique experiences and skills aren't relevant to their learning. This article discusses how approaches help avoid special education misclassifications and allow all students to flourish. https://www.edutopia.org/article/learning-recognize-and-celebrate-students-cultural-experiences

Learning to Recognize and Celebrate Students’ Cultural Experiences Children of color often come to school with differences in language and customs that some teachers see as deficits.

How is teaching a form of activism? This , check out this online event highlighting Native youth who are incorporating Indigenous voices in K–12 education and promoting inclusive conversations in our nation's classrooms. This event is part of the Smithsonian's Youth in Action: Conversations about Our Future series, which features young Native activists and change-makers from across the Western Hemisphere who are working towards equity and social justice for Indigenous peoples. https://www.si.edu/events/detail/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D161136539

Smithsonian Event | Smithsonian Institution Learn more about Smithsonian Event

In honor of , we want to share the story of Sylvia Mendez, who at the age of 8 was denied the right to attend a "whites only" school due to her Mexican heritage. The resulting 1946 case, Mendez v. Westminster, legally ended segregation in California and paved the way for other landmark civil rights cases such as Brown v. Board of Education. Check out this article to read more about the case and Mendez's adult activism.

Mendez vs. segregation: 70 years later, famed case 'isn't just about Mexicans. It's about everybody coming together' Local family's court fight not only led to equality in O.C. schools but also paved the way for change nationwide.

Get ready, Boston! 🎉 We're excited to be holding our first in-person kickoff for the Boston Eskolta Network in less than a week! It will be wonderful to see all of your faces in 3-D as we kick off another year of working towards equity, inclusion, and change in our schools.

We're looking for a Program Facilitator based in the Washington, D.C. area! Eskolta is seeking a dynamic facilitator to lead our work helping schools engage in continuous improvement practices using a liberatory design lens. Read more and apply today!

Program Facilitator- Washington DC - Eskolta WHO WE ARE. Founded in 2010, Eskolta School Research and Design is a collaborative, nonprofit educational consultancy that partners with educators and urban school districts to ensure that students...

"There is a lot of doubt that one single term can define and group all these populations together." As we celebrate Latinx History Month, it's important to think about the language we use when we talk about the contributions of Latinx, Hispanic and Latino-identified communities. This article covers some of the history behind the month and explains the differences between the terms "Hispanic," "Latino," and "Latinx." https://www.hrc.org/news/latinx-heritage-month-more-than-one-word-more-than-one-heritage

Latinx Heritage Month: More Than One Word, More Than One Heritage As we mark the start of Latinx Heritage Month, HRC is proud to celebrate the cultures, contributions and resilience of Latinx, Hispanic and Latino-identified communities around the world.

"Just one relationship with a caregiver throughout a lifespan can actually change the brain’s development, heal trauma, and promote learning." Check out this article to learn about ways teachers can deliberately cultivate connections with their students. Relationships between school staff and students are critical for students' success, and this belief underlies our work.

The ‘How’ of Building Deeper Relationships with Students When students feel safe and supported in school, they can learn better. Here’s how to start making those connections.

🚨New Study!🚨 Alternative schools graduate underserved students at higher rates. Want to know why? Just ask alumni. In a landmark study released today, we elevate the voices of NYC youth to understand the effectiveness of alternative transfer schools. Here’s what we found:
1️⃣ There are systemic barriers that students face prior to entering transfer schools; some of these barriers persist after high school.
2️⃣ Transfer schools are humanizing.
3️⃣ Transfer school experiences connect to postsecondary interests and opportunities.
4️⃣ Pathways to success are not necessarily linear nor traditional.
5️⃣ Underserved students are making progress at transfer schools in ways not captured by traditional accountability measures.

Read more: https://eskolta.org/alternative-schools-graduate-underserved-students-higher-rates-new-study-eskolta-examines/

Alternative Schools Graduate Underserved Students At Higher Rates; New Study from Eskolta Examines Why - Eskolta Alternative Schools Graduate Underserved Students At Higher Rates; New Study from Eskolta Examines Why by Eskolta News Team | Apr 8, 2022 | News For Immediate Release Contact: Celia Alicata | [email protected] How They Thrive: Lessons from Students in New York City’s Alternative Transfer High...

🚨News🚨 Eskolta is now operating in three cities—NYC, Boston, and DC. And we have added capacity with five leaders who take seriously their individual and collective roles in advancing culturally responsive sustaining education. Read more: https://eskolta.org/eskolta-poised-for-growth-new-leadership/

Eskolta Poised for Growth in Boston and Washington, DC and Adds New Leadership - Eskolta Eskolta Poised for Growth in Boston and Washington, DC and Adds New Leadership by Eskolta News Team | Jan 13, 2022 | News Organization Elevates its Capacity To Better Serve Schools, Systems, and Communities Media Inquiries: Celia Alicata | [email protected] (New York, NY — January 13, 2022) ....

Eskolta School Research and Design updated their address.

We're back at the 2021 RAPSA Forum! We are excited to share early findings from our research on how transfer school alumni describe success and the ways the environments & policies at their transfer schools supported their transitions to post-secondary life!
Join us online Thursday, Nov 18 from 1:15–2:15pm PDT. https://forum.rapsa.org/rapsa-forum-2021/

RAPSA Forum 2021 – RAPSA Forum This annual summit provides attendees with answers and inspiration to tell the true story of their school, staff, and students.

Have you heard the exciting news? Our new executive director, Dr. Nada Ahmed, starts in a few short weeks! Learn more about her here.
https://eskolta.org/welcoming-new-executive-director-dr-nada-ahmed/

Welcoming our New Executive Director Dr. Nada Ahmed - Eskolta Welcoming our New Executive Director Dr. Nada Ahmed by Eskolta News Team | Jun 21, 2021 | News Teacher. Researcher. Leadership coach. Racial justice facilitator. Dr. Nada Ahmed brings a wealth of experience to the education field as both a leader and partner. Now, she’s taking on a new exciting ro...

Eskolta is proud to stand with 250+ individuals and orgs across New York State calling on & the Board of Regents to make sure COVID-19 does not take away students’ chance to finish high school. Advocates for Children of New York Read the letter: https://advocatesforchildren.org/node/1732

Advocates for Children of New York | Over 100 Organizations Call on New York State to Allow All 12th Graders Who Age Out in 2021 to Return to School Next Year Advocates for Children of New York works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English Language Learner status, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justi...

This year, we're continuing to push for an accurate and ethical framework for alternative school accountability. Find an overview of our Dec 3 panel with The Graduate Center, CUNY researchers Dr. Michelle Fine, Mica Baum-Tucillo, as well as educators, students, and policymakers discussing participatory action research on the impact of in NYC.
https://buff.ly/3aE0ia1

Eskolta | A Conversation on Alternative Accountability A Conversation on Alternative Accountability by Savanna Honerkamp-Smith | Feb 4, 2021 | Viewpoints | “My last school, it was about 4,000 kids. I had no relationships with my teachers; matter of fact, the school was so big that when I was absent for so long no one even noticed,” recounted transfe...

Check out this great introductory video for teaching about Dr. Pauli Murray, one of the most influential legal scholars, activists, & non-binary, q***r, Black trailblazers of the 20th century, whose work helped lay the foundations for the Civil Rights movement and fight for gender equality: https://wvia.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/fp20-vid-pauli-murray/pauli-murray/?fbclid=IwAR2deuyHUwEO5l0SM5t-5QhRtUV6bkaeb8jtAWWjWyXynELG-wu0dFLzG2w #.YB14qJNKhpI

Pauli Murray | PBS LearningMedia Examine the life and legacy of one of America’s most influential equal rights leaders, Pauli Murray, in this video from First Person: Classroom. Using the video, discussion questions, teaching tips, and oral history activity, students learn about Pauli Murray and how her life intertwined with th...

We're ! Are you looking to lead a growing team working to confront the educational inequities driven by systems of racism and oppression to improve academic outcomes for students? Join Eskolta as Executive Director - apply today! http://ow.ly/YO9t50DlYsb

Join the Eskolta team as Executive Director to continuing leading work with schools in New York and Boston that connects educators in the shared challenge of transforming learning for all students. Apply today!

https://careers.positivelypartners.org/jobs/1056882-executive-director?promotion=203825-trackable-share-link-social-media-link

Accountability systems label many transfer schools as failing. But what are students actually experiencing in these schools? How can measures better capture the progress taking place?

Join us for a virtual panel moderated by Michelle Fine bringing together researchers, policymakers, and transfer school students, alumni, and staff to explore findings from And Still They Rise: Lessons from Students in New York City’s Alternative Transfer High Schools, a participatory action research study of student experiences at New York City’s alternative transfer high schools from the Public Science Project at The Graduate Center, CUNY.

When: Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 3:00pm–4:30pm
Where: Online

Register via Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-conversation-on-alternative-accountability-tickets-128634458127

A Conversation on Alternative Accountability Exploring research on New York City’s alternative transfer high schools to create more equitable education policy for all students

Please help spread the word! Due to COVID-19, NY State has changed the rules, allowing students who have turned 21 to attend school in the 2020-2021 year in order to complete their education and earn a diploma. More information from Advocates for Children of New York here: t.ly/zaqA

Attention friends! If you know a high school student who:

-- Turned 21 last school year, and
-- Needs to finish earning credits, OR
-- Has a disability and missed out on transition supports/services this spring,

Share this memo with their school and ask about returning this fall! We are urging districts across NY to follow New York State Education Department’s guidance and to reach out to 21-year-old students and their families right away to let them know they can return this fall. "It would be a cruel injustice to pull the rug out from under these young adults who have worked so hard for so long."

http://bit.ly/2NlcS2L

www.nysed.gov

Too Old for School? Some Seniors Could Age Out Without Graduating There's a call for those students to be allowed to return.

We’re thrilled to announce we have received a 5-year, $15 million grant from the Gates Foundation to increase graduation rates for underserved students and better understand how to support students and the educators who work with them!

“The model we’re using in the Eskolta Network taps into the expertise educators have accumulated through years of work,” notes Eskolta Executive Director Michael Rothman. “They know their students at an intimate level and our design process helps surface this knowledge and deepen it through inquiry, data collection, and rounds of testing. The teachers and counselors we work with really become our research partners. And because they are learning not just how to implement a particular practice but how to use design thinking in the classroom, it becomes an empowering experience that persists even after a project is finished.”

Eskolta Selected for $15 Million Grant to Establish the Eskolta Network - Eskolta Eskolta Selected for $15 Million Grant to Establish the Eskolta Network by Eskolta News Team | Dec 18, 2019 | News | “For years, Eskolta’s partnership with transfer schools has helped our school leaders, teachers, counselors, and students to engage overage, under-credited students. The Eskolta N...

Know someone who believes educators are the drivers of school improvement? Eskolta is hiring in NYC and Boston!
https://eskolta.org/who-we-are/career-opportunities/