Pitt’s Institute for Learning earned a $1M Hewlett Foundation grant

The Institute for Learning (IFL) at the University of Pittsburgh’s Learning Research and Development Center has secured a $1 million grant from the Hewlett Foundation to spearhead a transformative initiative in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools and the York City School District.

This 18-month planning grant, in collaboration with nonprofit collaborator TNTP, formerly The New Teacher Project, will focus on strengthening English Language Arts (ELA) instruction in middle schools by integrating student-centered, research-based practices.

IFL fellows will work on-site and online to conduct seminars on learning and professional development, provide tools for analyzing classroom practice and run programs for school principals learning to function as instructional leaders. The initiative will establish and pilot cross-school networks to facilitate sharing best practices and resources related to student-centered ELA and civics instruction and help teachers and principals adapt high-quality instructional materials.

The study team is led by Angela Allie, IFL executive director; Anthony Petrosky, co-director and professor in Pitt’s School of Education and Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences; and Sara DeMartino, an IFL ELA fellow. They will use student-centered practices to pilot test networks in the districts, then develop district-specific playbooks to use across school networks.

IFL is the Learning Research and Development Center’s practice arm, bridging the historical gap between research and practice. Since its creation in 1995, the institute has worked in more than 100 urban districts across the country.