Core Practices: A Vision for Improving Schools

After two years of research and revision informed by EL Education partners, staff, and leaders, we have released a new edition of the Core Practices. This edition, like the two previous editions (2003, 2011), provides a comprehensive overview of the EL Education model, which can be used as a planning and implementation guide for partners implementing all or part of the EL Education model (including literacy partners).

The revisions in this edition amplify and clarify the best practices in EL Education schools around the country, which are enabling more than 4,000 teachers and 50,000 students to achieve more than they thought possible. This revision retains from the previous edition the overall structure of five domains of school life, spanning 37 core practices. Each of those core practices has been updated to reflect new learning (e.g., about literacy) and new research grounded in our Dimensions of Student Achievement: mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality student work.

This book represents 25 years of collaboration with our school partners to describe the ideal school environment. It does not belong on a shelf. It belongs on your desk, marked up with ideas, questions, and aspirations. Copy pages and post them. Read excerpts aloud in meetings. Customize the structures here to fit your classroom and school. Use EL Education's Core Practices to create school-specific tools for observation, reflection, and learning.