Scaling best practices to enhance student learning

Innovation often begins with a bold idea, but it only succeeds with buy-in. Whether it’s a directive from the C-suite or an organization-wide initiative, lasting change simply isn’t possible without team support. When missing this crucial ingredient, Forbes cautions that strategies “may not get the traction [they need] to make a difference,” much less get off the ground.

Research reflects this reality. McKinsey & Company emphasizes that organizations seeking meaningful results must provide team members with opportunities for alignment, feedback and, most crucially, continued collaboration. It’s a lesson Forward Arkansas has embraced as we work to empower and equip teachers and school leaders across our state to reimagine student learning.

Like many industries, we recognize that professional learning in education can often default to rote experiences. These traditional, one-size-fits-all approaches check the box but are frequently less effective. Engagement is low, strategies go unused and momentum fades. According to a teacher survey published by Edutopia, professional learning is much more impactful when it is “meaningful” and provides avenues for educators to “talk and collaborate.”

That’s precisely what makes the LeARner Collective unique. Forward initially designed this first-of-its-kind initiative to engage school teams from the Delta and Northwest Arkansas in developing and implementing creative solutions to improve student outcomes. A select number of schools embarked on a transformation pathway, undergoing a community-wide visioning process to improve their structures, culture and practices.

Now, those schools are inviting others to see their best practices in action through authentic, hands-on professional development experiences. During these day-long site visits, attendees explore the process from every perspective—students, educators and community members—through engaging panel discussions, real-time classroom observations and candid conversations. Teams get to walk alongside fellow educators as they describe the challenges they faced, the roadmap they followed and the lessons learned along the way. They also gain insight into what comes next, including how host schools plan to sustain their transformations.

This unique approach was on full display during a recent site visit at Grimsley Junior High School in Bentonville, where teachers shared how differentiated instruction and a collective focus on student voice and leadership are increasing engagement and enhancing learning. Later, students celebrated having greater agency in their academic journeys—a shift that’s led to fewer behavioral referrals. By the end of the day, the energy was palpable. Attendees left not only with concrete plans of action but with connections and confidence needed to serve as change agents within their own school communities.

I recently heard a saying, “People don’t tear down what they helped build.” And, in education, that sentiment rings especially true. Yet far too many initiatives fail to invite those closest to the work—students, teachers, families and community leaders—into the process. At Forward, we’ve learned that sustainable transformation requires bringing everyone to the table—not just to learn and observe best practices, but to experience them together. Through shared learning and continued collaboration, we’ve seen how we can create and scale real change to improve all students’ outcomes.

Editor’s note: A former teacher and school administrator, Meghan Thompson Busbey is the director of programs for Forward Arkansas, a nonprofit organization that prepares students for success in the classroom, career and life. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

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