Curriculum, Instructional Tools, and Assessment – Digital Promise

Curriculum, Instructional Tools, and Assessment

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About the Priority Challenge

Districts commonly use assessments—typically district and state tests—to determine whether they are meeting student achievement goals. The results often influence decisions about student advancement, instructional program quality, and funding.

While standardized testing generally dominates the conversation, many districts are now shifting their focus toward assessments that align with goals of increasing student engagement and fostering 21st-century skills. At the classroom level, teachers are rethinking grading practices and incorporating formative assessments, portfolios, and other tools to help students set and monitor their own learning goals. However, ensuring the validity and reliability of these innovative practices remains a challenge.

Challenge Statistics

One change that can be made is to not give so many exams that students ultimately fear, but rather check for understanding in a collaborative manner.

—Student

I would love for us to move past standardized tests as high-stakes assessments (i.e., tied to teacher evaluations, program placements, etc.) and look at how we can value a variety of ways of showing mastery of learning. Not all students are able to test well for a variety of reasons (i.e., anxiety, cultural biases, etc.) so we need to move toward allowing for multiple ways of showing mastery and understanding.

—Educator

I want our kids to be learning from a curriculum that encourages critical thinking, empathy, skill-building, and knowledge that prepares them for their futures.

—Community Member

What School Communities Say They Need

Below we highlight perspectives of educators and school staff regarding priorities for curriculum and assessment redesign efforts.

Digital Promise Projects and Resources

Explore the tiles below to learn more about projects and resources that aim to support the redesign and development of curricular resources, instructional tools, and assessments.

Shifting Education with Learning Pathways

This paper examines the Portrait of a Graduate, particularly how to redesign skills-based learning trajectories.

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Learner Variability Project

The Learner Variability Project seeks to build on learning sciences research to better understand and address the needs of the whole learner, from PreK to adulthood, to personalize instruction.

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Challenge Based Science Learning Toolkit

The Challenge Based Science Learning Toolkit guides educators in developing science units that build on student interest, lead to deeper learning, and engage students in using science to solve problems in their community.

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Global Competence Professional Development

Explore the variety of free and fee-based resources that Digital Promise offers to help CTE educators boost their knowledge and skills around global competence and to encourage students to do the same—from sample project plans that are geared toward integrating global content into courses to self-paced, online training modules for educators and students.

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Resources to Support Learner Variability

Resource Description
Learner Variability Navigator

The Learner Variability Navigator helps educators find research-based strategies to personalize learning experiences in order to understand and address the whole learner.

The IEP Project

Learn about Digital Promise’s IEP Project and access additional resources to write and implement individualized education plans (IEPs) grounded in whole-child, strength-based approaches.

The IEP Project: A Strength-based, Whole Learner Teacher Guide

This teacher co-designed guidebook provides teachers with reflective questions, a sample response bank, strategies from the research-based Learner Variability Navigator, and other resources to write strength-based whole-child IEPs.

Shifting Mindsets: Designing Lessons for Learner Variability

A look at how the Learner Variability Navigator tool and resources has led to increased student engagement, content knowledge, and confidence in their learning.

Edcamp: Design for Learning

Edcamp: Design for Learning was a series of four Edcamps centered on Transcend’s Designing for Learning principles: Individual Variability, Cognition, Motivation, and Identity.

Resource
Learner Variability Navigator
Description

The Learner Variability Navigator helps educators find research-based strategies to personalize learning experiences in order to understand and address the whole learner.

Resource
The IEP Project
Description

Learn about Digital Promise’s IEP Project and access additional resources to write and implement individualized education plans (IEPs) grounded in whole-child, strength-based approaches.

Resource
The IEP Project: A Strength-based, Whole Learner Teacher Guide
Description

This teacher co-designed guidebook provides teachers with reflective questions, a sample response bank, strategies from the research-based Learner Variability Navigator, and other resources to write strength-based whole-child IEPs.

Resource
Shifting Mindsets: Designing Lessons for Learner Variability
Description

A look at how the Learner Variability Navigator tool and resources has led to increased student engagement, content knowledge, and confidence in their learning.

Resource
Edcamp: Design for Learning
Description

Edcamp: Design for Learning was a series of four Edcamps centered on Transcend’s Designing for Learning principles: Individual Variability, Cognition, Motivation, and Identity.

Resources to Support Global Skills and Computational Thinking

Resource Description
Incorporating Global Skills

Curated by Digital Promise, these professional development and free resources to assist CTE educators with incorporating global skills into their courses.

Transformative Education Solutions for Global Education Leaders

Digital Promise offers an array of opportunities for global education leaders and organizations to partner with us to develop relevant, transformative education solutions.

Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead, Quick Start and Discussion Guide

This quick start and discussion guide helps educators learn about and build capacity to engage students in computational thinking.

Computational Thinking Pathways

This resource empowers all levels of educators to learn about and strengthen their capacity to engage students in computational thinking.

Center for Integrative Research in Computing and Learning Sciences (CIRCLS)

CIRCLS was a community-based hub of researchers who explored and investigated innovative technologies that will be more broadly available to learners in 5-10 years.

Edcamp: Emerging Technology in the Classroom

Edcamps centered on understanding the adoption and use of new technologies in the classroom and how practitioners can influence the researchers and developers of those technologies.

Maker Learning Edcamp Resources

Edcamp: Maker Learning brought educators together to share strategies for creating engaging, hands-on learning activities.

Resource
Incorporating Global Skills
Description

Curated by Digital Promise, these professional development and free resources to assist CTE educators with incorporating global skills into their courses.

Resource
Transformative Education Solutions for Global Education Leaders
Description

Digital Promise offers an array of opportunities for global education leaders and organizations to partner with us to develop relevant, transformative education solutions.

Resource
Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead, Quick Start and Discussion Guide
Description

This quick start and discussion guide helps educators learn about and build capacity to engage students in computational thinking.

Resource
Computational Thinking Pathways
Description

This resource empowers all levels of educators to learn about and strengthen their capacity to engage students in computational thinking.

Resource
Center for Integrative Research in Computing and Learning Sciences (CIRCLS)
Description

CIRCLS was a community-based hub of researchers who explored and investigated innovative technologies that will be more broadly available to learners in 5-10 years.

Resource
Edcamp: Emerging Technology in the Classroom
Description

Edcamps centered on understanding the adoption and use of new technologies in the classroom and how practitioners can influence the researchers and developers of those technologies.

Resource
Maker Learning Edcamp Resources
Description

Edcamp: Maker Learning brought educators together to share strategies for creating engaging, hands-on learning activities.

Resources to Support Argumentative Writing and Deeper Discussions with Students

Resource Description
Project Topeka Argumentative Writing Resources for Students and Teachers

Project Topeka brought together cutting-edge tools and high-quality instructional resources from industry leaders to support educators teaching argumentative writing.

Lessons from Project Topeka: Research and Perspectives

Research-based perspectives offer lessons for writing instruction and teacher professional learning.

Deeper Discussion in World History

The project is designing open-access curricular supports to deepen discussions in world history. Curricular materials will be available summer 2026.

Resource
Project Topeka Argumentative Writing Resources for Students and Teachers
Description

Project Topeka brought together cutting-edge tools and high-quality instructional resources from industry leaders to support educators teaching argumentative writing.

Resource
Lessons from Project Topeka: Research and Perspectives
Description

Research-based perspectives offer lessons for writing instruction and teacher professional learning.

Resource
Deeper Discussion in World History
Description

The project is designing open-access curricular supports to deepen discussions in world history. Curricular materials will be available summer 2026.

Resources to Support Learning in Remote Communities

Resource Description
Powerful Blended Learning in Low-tech Settings: 5 Lessons from Guinea

Digital Promise gathered insights on how educators can leverage digital tools low-tech settings to deliver powerful learning.

Strategies for Teaching and Learning in Remote and Hybrid Learning Environments

The Education Development Center’s Haiti Pilot report shares strategies for teaching and learning in remote and hybrid learning environments.

Rural (Appalachian) Ingenuity Story 2-Pagers Connecting CT/STEAM and Local Innovation

These two-pagers show how local ingenuity and computational thinking connect. Use them as inspiration and templates to discover and showcase local ingenuity in your community.

Resource
Powerful Blended Learning in Low-tech Settings: 5 Lessons from Guinea
Description

Digital Promise gathered insights on how educators can leverage digital tools low-tech settings to deliver powerful learning.

Resource
Strategies for Teaching and Learning in Remote and Hybrid Learning Environments
Description

The Education Development Center’s Haiti Pilot report shares strategies for teaching and learning in remote and hybrid learning environments.

Resource
Rural (Appalachian) Ingenuity Story 2-Pagers Connecting CT/STEAM and Local Innovation
Description

These two-pagers show how local ingenuity and computational thinking connect. Use them as inspiration and templates to discover and showcase local ingenuity in your community.

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