What We Do

CES National's current initiatives and ongoing resources include:

CES National Affiliation and the CES Network Schools, organizations and individuals that join the CES Network by affiliating with CES National lend their voices to the effort to create an educational system that promotes personalization, equity, and academic challenge for all students. Benefits of affiliation also include Fall Forum discounts, and more. Visit here for more on CES affiliation opportunities.

Fall Forum Each year, we convene over 1,000 teachers, administrators, parents, students, and leading thinkers in education to exchange ideas, ask questions, and share insights and effective practices from schools around the country.

Advocacy CES National works with the national media and other educational organizations to promote the creation of an environment in which schools designed according to the CES Common Principles can thrive. Among our advocacy efforts is Horace on the Hill, a two-day event in Washington, D.C. aimed at training educators to speak with legislators about the successes and challenges of their schools and the meet with members of Congress to advocate for effective policies.

Resources CES offer resources to support student-centered, equity-driven learning and accompanying school transformation. These resources include

• research that demonstrates the effectiveness of the CES approach.
• our quarterly journal Horace, which provides "hands-on" resources and engages readers in examples of best practices from around the country.  
• CES EssentialVisions, a three-part DVD series that uses video to capture the Common Principles in action.
• books such as Choosing Small: The Essential Guide to Successful High School Conversion and Small Schools, Big Ideas: The Essential Guide to Successful School Transformation.
• the CES ChangeLab website provides “behind the scenes” access to CES mentor schools.
• the CES Benchmarks, a set of 14 qualities of Essential schools that describe those practices that are aligned with the CES principles, the CES Benchmarks are designed to help educators understand and implement the critical elements of high achieving and equitable CES schools. 

CES Affiliate Centers Our 26 Affiliate Centers provide technical assistance to schools that have embraced the Common Principles. Each CES center is an independent organization with the autonomy to create services appropriate for the schools it serves. Directors and staff from CES centers meet regularly to exchange ideas and share resources.