As a child, Amin Robinson dreamed of becoming a firefighter, but his ambitions changed as he grew older. Today, this member of the Class of 2018 (pictured here in his high school graduation cap and gown) is an aspiring artist with an interest in increasing diversity and representation for people of color. His experiences as a student in the Visual Arts Academy Magnet Program (VAAMP) at Oakland High School in California offered Amin a unique opportunity to engage his passion for art both inside and outside the classroom, boosting his confidence in himself and his future.

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Imagine students maintaining a digital portfolio of their deeper learning skills, keeping track of projects and tasks that have involved critical thinking, collaboration, communication.

This week’s digest features “digital backpacks” full of deeper learning skills for Kentucky students. Also check out a major personalized learning initiative in Fresno, a new deeper learning model in Virginia, and highlights from a recent Hewlett Foundation Twitter Chat.

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Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was back on Capitol Hill last week defending her policies and proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Education. Also last week – there was movement on policy for undocumented students, homeless students, career and technical education, and the confirmation of an additional member of the Secretary’s team at the Department.

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This week we released a report that is the start of a major initiative for the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) to ensure that critical education decisions are driven by science. Working with colleagues, I authored Synapses, Students, and Synergies: Applying the Science of Adolescent Learning to Policy and Practice to point out the major opportunities that exist in the next few years and also urge new ways to work together to maximize impact.

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Twitter chat, much? That’s where all the deeper learning action is these days! From a Hewlett Foundation chat today at 1:30pm ET, to a chat solely focused on assessment for learning earlier this week, the Twittersphere is buzzing with talk of deeper learning.

In addition to info and highlights from these chats, this week’s digest highlights an important podcast episode by NPR’s Teaching Matters on assessments, equity, and the workforce, and the “perfect match” connection between project-based learning and social emotional learning.

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It was a busy week on Capitol Hill – Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testified in the House, but did one of her answers violate the Constitution? And could a $100 billion plan from congressional Democrats bring relief to striking teachers?

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Schools often consult outside experts to help them enhance their curriculum or improve student outcomes, using the latest and greatest assessment tools in hopes of seeing a difference in student outcomes. But there is an easily accessible support available to teachers that taps resources sitting right in their classrooms—their students.

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How does an individual’s decision to drop out of high school affect the rest of us? And, conversely, how does a student graduating from high school benefit all of us?

Those were the questions the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) sought to answer when it began working on an economic model that would demonstrate the economic impact of a 90 percent high school graduation rate.

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When we talk about deeper learning skills, we focus on critical thinking, problem solving, working collaboratively, communicating effectively, learning-to-learn, and academic mindsets, but there’s one piece we are leaving out.

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It was a difficult case, but one I am sure school district leaders across the country know all too well. Despite the best efforts of its staff, one specific demographically diverse middle school—full of bright, spirited adolescents—struggled to meet expectations on its state summative assessments. And I, a district instructional specialist, was tasked with turning this around.

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