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What is a Springboard? 3 SPRINGBOARDS TO BEST PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Prior educational research and movements are converging: A challenge for every educator is staying current with the flood of research-shaping trends in the profes- sion and generating positive outcomes for learners. With journals stacking up, blogs unattended, webinars gulped, and promising ideas waiting for follow-through, school librarians could benefit from springboards to best professional practice. This book has a second dimension—a second and third skip across the pond for readers, like the flat stone tossed just right. A giant step to best practice is creating the bridge from read-aloud to inquiry. Launching from new evidence-based educational research, this book incorporates inquiry springboards for social-emotional learning, a growth mindset, decision making, how the brain learns, collaboration, resilience, diversity, future-ready jobs, poverty, civic action and leadership, goal setting, planning, and much more. Informed by major studies just published (and trends identified by ASCD, NSF, Stanford University, Harvard School of Education, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], and others), these springboards are built into our lessons. They are backed with evidence of improved student performance and stronger connections to meaningful learning. Positive outcomes also include positive influences on stress, self-management, motivation, and relationships. School librarians are in the best possible position to build a caring environment dedicated to optimal development and growth. School librarians are in the best possible place in the learning community to bring hope, inspiration, tools, and life skills to all learners—but especially to the one in four or five who has been impaired by trauma, stress, and adverse childhood experiences. Read-alouds can be springboards for personal efficacy, awareness, relationship building, and new perspectives. CURRENT EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AS A SPRINGBOARD Inquiry, Project Based Learning (PBL), and Authentic Learning—Inquiry itself is a springboard to improved student performance. Stanford University initiated a three-year study to determine the impact of project-based learning and performance assessments on learning. The American Federation of Teachers