💬 Is mastering academic content enough anymore? 💬 What if well-being isn't separate from achievement, but one of the conditions that makes achievement possible? 💬 What becomes uniquely human in the age of AI? 💬 What does it really mean to prepare students for democracy as well as the workforce? As conversations about Portraits of a Graduate continue across the country, Developing Agency for Life and Work offers a research-backed framework for cultivating lifelong learning, adaptability, and purpose so every learner can contribute meaningfully to work, community, and civic life. ncee.org/blueprint/

This finding from PISA has our attention. Students who said someone in their family asks at least once a week about what they did in school scored significantly higher in science. At the same time, PISA found that family interest in learning has declined in many countries. The new results also raise questions about digital distraction, AI, and how we’re supporting teachers to navigate all of it. Taken together, this is a story about how we design ecosystems for learning. The strongest education systems recognize that learning happens everywhere. They work intentionally with families and communities and invest in highly capable educators. If schools can’t do this work alone, who else needs to be at the table? @AP 🔗 apnews.com/article/pisa-test…

Introducing Global Dispatch, a new monthly look at the ideas, research, and developments shaping education and economies around the world. Created for education leaders, policymakers, researchers, and others working to shape the future of education, Global Dispatch draws on evidence and experiences from education systems worldwide to explore what’s changing, what we’re learning, and what questions we should be asking next. Read it here and get the Global Dispatch delivered straight to your inbox. ncee.org/global-dispatch-sep…

From AI bans to managing new tools with intentionality, @drvickip reflects on how we can help young people use technology to think further, create more boldly, ask better questions, and solve problems that were previously beyond their reach. Watch the clip 👇and catch the full webinar Thriving in a Complex World when it works for your schedule. ncee.org/thriving-in-a-compl…

Superintendents and system leaders rarely get protected time to learn, yet they’re expected to navigate unprecedented complexity. A few moves that matter: 📚 Learning alongside peers, not alone 🧠 Grounding decisions in research, not just urgency 🔁 Building habits of reflection and systems thinking NISL NEXT for System Leaders creates space for leaders to strengthen their own leadership while simultaneously strengthening the systems they lead. See how NISL NEXT creates space to grow → ncee.org/nisl/

The most effective systems integrate education, health, housing, and workforce development so learners and families are supported. States can: ➕ Treat childcare as essential infrastructure ➕ Fund cross-sector partnerships with employers and community organizations ➕ Create regional hubs for career-connected learning ➕ Embed community-based learning into academic credit This approach distributes responsibility and expands opportunity. 📘 Forward this to a partner or board member who’s thinking about whole-child systems. → ncee.org/policy-levers/

🚀 How do we prepare young people for a changing workforce? 🏡 How do we strengthen belonging and connection to community? 💡 How do we give educators the space to lead and innovate? 🤝 How can schools and community partners accomplish more together? Rural Schools Collaborative and NCEE created Place, Purpose, and the Future of Learning to bring these local stories into a larger conversation about the future of education. Explore what rural educators are building and what their work might make possible elsewhere. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories… 📸 Bobbi Peterson Photography

"We cannot allow AI to become the newest version of an old divide, where some learners are invited to shape the future, while others are simply taught to function within it. The answer is not less AI. It is higher expectations for human beings." This week at #UNGA - @drvickip speaking at the Education Futures Forum As global education leaders gather this week, we're proud to be among those committed to advancing #SDG4 and reimagining what's possible for the future of learning. #GlobalGoals #FutureOfLearning #TogetherInEd #FutureOfEd

The start of the school year does not equal the end of our learning as educators. Instructional leadership teams across Fontana Unified School District are engaging in deep dives into learner-centered, future-ready systems anchored to the North Star of their newly designed Learner Profile. They're working together as leadership teams to activate their graduate portrait while the design work continues.

Imagine your next PLC meeting with one more participant. One that... 💡 knows your curriculum 💡 understands your goals 💡 remembers previous conversations 💡 brings research into the discussion 💡 summarizes key themes 💡 identifies next steps That's Teaching Partner. Powered by AI. Built specifically for educators. 📄 Download the overview to learn more. drive.google.com/file/d/1frV… 💡

When the social media manager asks the team for photos from the field. Beautiful composition. Perfect lighting. Zero #EdLeaders! Glad to know our team is eating well out there. 🤩 🤩

#EdLeaders in Rapid City Area Schools are creating space to learn from one another, wrestle with big ideas, and think together about what’s possible for their schools and students. We’re honored to be part of it.

"The destination is clear. The path forward is ours to create." Adele Thomas, Senior Director of Leadership Development and Program Support at Fontana Unified School District, shared this after a day with the district's Cohort 3 Instructional Leadership Teams. Fontana is translating their shared vision of a future-ready graduate into what teams actually do with time, instruction, and leadership. That translation work is often where graduate profiles stall. We're grateful to partner with Fontana in this work. 📸 Adele Thomas

#EdLeaders from 31 countries joined us live this week, spanning ministries of education, state agencies, districts, universities, research organizations, and philanthropy, to explore what the latest #PISA results mean for students, educators, and the future of learning. Thanks to everyone who joined the conversation. Missed the live session? Don’t miss the insights. Explore the key takeaways and watch the full recording: ncee.org/thriving-in-a-compl…

In Lodi, Wisconsin, educator Paula Tonn is helping students build a relationship with their local environment—and understand the responsibility that comes with caring for it. Her story is one example of how place-based learning can turn the assets already within a community into meaningful opportunities for learning, stewardship, and belonging. Watch Paula’s story, then explore Place, Purpose, and the Future of Learning, a collaboration from Rural Schools Collaborative and NCEE: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories…

Great teaching grows when educators have the knowledge, trust, and professional agency to investigate their practice, learn from one another, and continuously refine instruction based on evidence. If your PD isn’t changing classroom practice, take a closer look at TEL2.→ Let’s explore how this could work in your district. ncee.org/tel/

If you asked ten #EdLeaders what students should know before graduating, you might get ten different answers. 🎓 College readiness 💼 Career readiness 🧠 Critical thinking 🏛️ Citizenship 🌱 Well-being 🛠️ Agency The real question isn't which one matters most. It's whether our systems are designed to develop all of them. That's the conversation behind NCEE's framework, Developing Agency for Life and Work. bit.ly/4lIzcmo 👇 Which capability do you think schools overlook most?

Across the country, rural educators are designing learning experiences around the people, places, challenges, and possibilities of their communities. Their stories touch on questions much bigger than individual classroom projects: educator leadership, workforce preparation, belonging, civic participation, community sustainability, and what becomes possible when schools and local partners work together. Together, Rural Schools Collaborative and NCEE hope this work broadens the conversation about rural education—not only toward the challenges rural schools face, but toward the ideas and innovations they have to offer the rest of the field. Explore the stories. Share them with your community. And consider what future-ready learning could look like in your own context. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories…

Today, in The 74 Media, NCEE’s Vicki Phillips offers perspective on the latest #PISA results. Global Test Scores Hit New Lows — Just as AI Takes Hold in Schools 🖇️ the74million.org/article/glo…

More than 760,000 15-year-olds from over 90 countries and economies participated in PISA 2025, offering an unparalleled global view of what students know, how they learn, and how prepared they are for the challenges ahead. Join us on September 14 as we take a closer look at what the findings tell us about American education and where we go from here, with a special look at students' computational problem-solving, use of AI, and the mindsets that shape how young people learn, including curiosity, perseverance, and learner agency. Monday, September 14th at 11:00 AM ET Reserve your seat: bit.ly/4qSodcz