Education policy and practice grounded in the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) can help transform schools into responsive, supportive learning environments where all students can thrive.
On October 16, members of Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab), an initiative led by Bank Street Graduate School of Education and the Learning Policy Institute to strengthen teacher and leader preparation, gathered virtually at the 2024 Fall Forum to explore the SoLD framework and how these principles can inform educator preparation and classroom practices to advance deeper learning and equity in schools across the country.
The event, which included over 50 members of the EdPrepLab network representing teacher and leader preparation programs nationwide, provided space for attendees to share updates, exchange ideas, and collaborate on strategies for applying the SoLD framework in their programs, with a focus on equipping educators to meet the needs of today’s students. A growing body of research, SoLD is an interdisciplinary framework that combines knowledge from the fields of neuroscience, social-emotional learning, and other sciences focusing on how young people best learn and develop.
“At a high level, we see the SoLD principles as a means of building a shared language that highlights and makes explicit the valuable work happening in educator preparation programs,” said Jessica Charles, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation, Bank Street Graduate School of Education, and Director, EdPrepLab Practice Network. “By using the SoLD principles, we can effectively communicate and advocate for policy, as well as proactively shape the field of educator preparation and the classroom and school practices we aspire to see.”
To begin, attendees reflected on the SoLD principles and explored how they connect to their own work. Attendees participated in an interactive online activity to share examples from their teacher education or leadership programs that align with the principles. The SoLD principles for teacher preparation program design include a curriculum rooted in an understanding of learners, learning, and development; the development of skills, habits, and mindsets of an equitable educator; rich, experiential learning opportunities; pedagogical alignment and modeling; and supportive developmental relationships in communities of practice.
For example, a Bank Street faculty member highlighted a connection to the SoLD principle around supportive developmental relationships, sharing how the advisory program within the Graduate School of Education fosters communities of practice. These communities often extend beyond a graduate student’s time in the program and continue to offer students long-term support throughout their careers.
Next, Jessica Blum-DeStefano, Course Instructor and Supervised Fieldwork Advisor, Bank Street Graduate School of Education, and EdPrepLab Faculty Coordinator, introduced a selection of EdPrepLab’s seed grant projects aimed at supporting cross-institutional SoLD-aligned research.
“This year, EdPrepLab awarded one $5,000 grant and four $10,000 grants to help facilitate innovative, cross-institutional research aligned with the Science of Learning and Development,” said Blum-DeStefano. “We are proud to offer this opportunity for our members to examine critical topics in the field of educator preparation and create space for shared learning across institutions.”
Representatives from each seed grant project presented an overview of their work, including:
- A research initiative focused on social justice leadership across international contexts, led by the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles; Diego Portales University (Chile); and Alberto Hurtado University (Chile);
- A project aimed at strengthening equity in principal preparation programs aligned with SoLD principles, led by Montclair State University; the University of Illinois, Chicago; and the University of California, Los Angeles; and
- The Transforming Teacher Education initiative, which seeks to implement equity-focused practices across institutions, led by the University of Colorado Boulder; Bank Street Graduate School of Education; the University of Chicago; the University of Washington; the University of California, Davis; and the University of California, Berkeley.
To conclude the event, participants engaged in small-group discussions to discuss insights from the seed grant presentations and share ideas around leveraging SoLD as a tool to help address issues in the field. Conversations also focused on current educational challenges, such as natural disasters, inequities in teacher recruitment, and book bans, among other barriers impacting schools and students.
The Fall Forum ended with a whole-group discussion in which participants reflected on key takeaways from the day and explored strategies for applying the SoLD framework in their own institutions.
To learn more, visit EdPrepLab’s website