Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning

Steve Combs, our Director of Early College, recently joined education leaders at the Rural Schools Collaborative Summit to share how Early College and the Rural Early College Network (RECN) 2.0 are expanding opportunities for rural students.

By supporting schools as they implement high-quality Early College programs, RECN 2.0 is helping more students earn college credit, reduce the cost of higher education, and build stronger pathways to college and careers.

Thank you to the Rural Schools Collaborative for creating space to share ideas that strengthen opportunities for rural communities.

Earn a micro-credential in the science of learning in just 8 weeks through our online course.

Learn the science behind how students actually learn and how to make small shifts that lead to big impact in the classroom.

Program overview:
• 8 online, self-paced modules featuring international science of learning experts
• 4 virtual, expert-led evening sessions to take the content further and connect with peers

Through this course, you'll:
• Learn research-based strategies that improve retention and engagement
• Explore approaches like retrieval practice, spacing, and effective questioning
• Challenge common assumptions about learning with evidence-based practices
• Connect with educators and leaders facing similar classroom challenges
• Earn a micro-credential that demonstrates real expertise

Designed for busy educators, the program combines flexible, self-paced modules with live discussions every two weeks.

Don't wait - early bird pricing ends July 15!

Learn more and register: cell.uindy.edu/learningthatsticks

The CELL offices are closed today in celebration of Juneteenth.

Congratulations to Benny Clark, our 2026 Indiana Early College Summit AirPods giveaway winner!

We had a record number of people complete their vendor passport and loved seeing people make great connections. Thank you to everyone who joined in and to all of the vendors who supported the Summit!

Congratulations to the latest I-SEAL completers! These individuals completed funded graduate coursework to earn full licensure in special education.

Learn how I-SEAL can expand your school’s pipeline of qualified special education teachers: IndianaSEAL.org

DeKalb County Central United Schools
Fort Wayne Community Schools
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
Lafayette School Corporation
La Porte Community School Corporation
MSD of Lawrence Township
MSD of Martinsville
Northwest Allen County Schools
Silver Creek School Corporation
South Bend Community School Corporation

Congratulations to Bri Karazsia for being named the 2027 Indiana Farm Bureau Rural Teacher of the Year by the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association! The award honors educators who show leadership, exceptional service, and dedication to rural schools in Indiana.

Bri is part of the Early College school leadership team at Bloomfield Middle and High School, an endorsed Early College High School, where she teaches multiple dual credit courses in history, humanities, and English through Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana University.

She previously completed graduate coursework through CELL’s Teach Dual Credit Indiana initiative to meet dual credit requirements for English.

According to the ISRSA, Bri was recognized for her ability to build relationships with colleagues and students and to connect learning with real-world projects.

Bri moves on to the National Rural Education Association’s Rural Teacher of the Year competition, with the winner to be announced in October.

Congratulations, Bri! We wish you all the best in the national competition!

Bloomfield School District

📖🍕 Remember the days of reading books and earning free pizza? The Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Program is back this summer to inspire a love of reading in the next generation!

Families can sign up and log books toward free pizza: https://www.bookitprogram.com/

A consistent thread across each Cohort of the Indiana Literacy Cadre is the partnership approach to achieving results. Implementation data on participating and coaching activities from our impact reports demonstrate continued collaboration between school stakeholders.

Committed engagement is crucial to the Cadre’s success. Thank you to all the administrators, coaches, Literacy Training Support Specialists, experts, and teams for their continued investment in literacy for Hoosier students.

An IDOE grant is available to help more Indiana schools implement Cambridge courses.

Read more about the program and its benefits for students.

A little AP, a little IB: A new-to-Indiana advanced curriculum expands Grant funding could allow more high schools to offer Cambridge STEM courses, and in turn, give students another way to earn advanced diplomas.

Students forget more information, and more quickly, than many of us realize. Fortunately, research points to a strategy that can help: the Spacing Effect.

By revisiting information over time rather than concentrating all learning into a single session, educators can strengthen retention and support deeper learning.

In fact, spacing can improve test scores by up to 30% compared to cramming.

In our latest blog, explore three benefits of spacing and why it remains one of the most effective, research-backed learning strategies available.

Read more: https://cell.uindy.edu/news/2026/06/3-learning-benefits-of-spacing