To Boost Learning Outcomes in Lagos Public Primary Schools, NGO Equips Teachers with 21st-century Skills

The Wonderland Gifted Girls Academy provides free education to girls in Oyo State, Nigeria, to increase educational opportunities for girls and give them a foundation to build their future on.

Benito Juarez Community Academy in Chicago was once reputed for gang violence, struggled to support its predominantly minority students, and was had been on academic probation for nearly two decades. A revolutionary approach to academics that uses a skills-based model tailored to the needs of each individual student and emphasizes true mastery of a skill rather than memorization and regurgitation has had remarkable success, bringing Juarez up to among the top 50 schools in the state for graduation rates and test scores and making it a destination school for students of color.

The ecosystem of D.C. charter schools that has evolved over the last two decades represents a cornucopia of creative and nontraditional approaches to education, in addition to fairly traditional college-prep schools, and is now producing some of the highest graduation rates, college acceptance rates, and average test scores in public schools in the nation.

For-profit companies are making good private schools available even to Africa’s poor. They can do it – and can do it on an enormous scale – by hiring neighborhood residents to teach, and scripting out every word of every lesson on an e-reader.

The Phoenix School of Discovery is an alternative school designed for students with learning and social challenges, with roughly half of students on an individualized education plan, or IEP. The school prioritizes hands-on learning, has multiple teachers in each classroom, and offers accommodations like sensory-friendly lighting and a space for “quiet lunch” for students who find the traditional cafeteria over-stimulating.

After budget cuts and limited resources put a strain on students’ academics, Lingelbach Elementary focused on building community while also training teachers in the science of reading and providing more one-on-one support for students. The percentage of third graders passing English exams has since risen from 26 percent to 71 percent.

Despite being a largely divided issue, studies show that students at schools that participate in lockdown drills and training report being less fearful of school shootings over time. Currently, 95% of kindergarten through 12th-grade schools across the country participate in some form of mandatory lockdown drill or training that is designed to teach students and staff what to do if there’s an active shooter in the building.

The Sow a Seed for a Girl Child Development Initiative raises funds to help girls in Jos Local Government Area enroll in school, many of whom have never attended or had to drop out due to financial constraints. In the fall of 2023, the organization was able to offer support to 27 girls, including through targeted lessons to help them prepare over the summer.

In Monte Vista, Colorado, an elementary and a high school are improving teacher retention by building an environment that makes them feel heard, appreciated, and supported. The administrators take time to build relationships with teachers and students, check in with teachers on a regular basis, allow teachers to have a say in decision-making, and create teacher revitalization rooms.

Theodore Roosevelt Highschool in Des Moines, Iowa, transitioned from employing armed school resource officers to a restorative practices team to prevent and mediate violence with proactive support instead of immediate punishment.