Giving Compass' Take:

• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced the first group of investments in the Networks for School Improvement Initiative which will help middle and high schools thrive. The initiative aims to connect schools to each other and share the best-tailored approaches for educational advancement. 

• How will enhancing educational networks help not only students but educators share the best practices for classroom instruction? 

• Read the review of Tom Vander Ark's book that focuses on how to leverage school networks for personalized learning.

At the foundation, our K-12 strategy is focused on identifying approaches that are particularly successful in schools serving Black, Latino, and low-income students.

We are excited to announce our first cohort of investments in Networks for School Improvement (NSI). The cohort includes 19 organizations in 12 states, which will serve as supporting organizations for networks of middle and high schools. These networks will work together to solve common problems using approaches that best fit their needs, learning what works as they go and refining their approaches.

We believe that the information gathered from the schools’ use of data-driven continuous improvement will allow more schools to act on what we learn and open the door for effective approaches to take root in other schools.

We’ve developed a fact sheet with more information on the foundation’s investments in networks. And in this animated video, we also outline and how the supporting organizations will help to connect middle and high schools across their networks to work together to improve student outcomes.

Read the full article about networks for school improvement by Olita Terry at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation