Future Forward Education is a revolutionary organization founded and led by Mike Ross and it is transforming the educational landscape with one change at a time. Ross aims to better the field of education with innovative approaches and impact driven solutions. Student-centered learning, community engagement and equity are some of the core ideals of Future Forward Education. The ultimate aim of this organization is to inspire students and empower educators resulting in a more effective education system. Through its many strategies and futuristic policies, Future Forward Education seeks to build a bright future for the entire realm of education.

The Birth of Future Forward Education

Mike Ross, Founder and Executive Director of Future Forward Education, grew up in New England and spent his entire childhood there. He attended a Center for Technology at his high school and spent his junior and senior years being exposed to hands-on learning and to the technologies that he’s passionate about to this very day.

He eventually moved out west to California in 2010 to pursue his interest in the creative industry. After settling out west, Ross spent the first couple of years in college continuing to study and would enter the workforce putting his craft into practice. His creative interests never faded, and he became interested in education the more time he spent in Los Angeles. He was no longer seeing the typical venues such as the Santa Monica Pier, the Hollywood Strip, or other famous landmarks. Ross started seeing other sides of the community that he never saw growing up; communities with adversity, poverty, crime, and other challenges, which upset him.

Continuously reflecting on this new reality Ross was exposed to, he couldn’t let go of it and felt immense angst trying to digest the fact that there are so many without the resources they need. So, Ross wanted to work on solutions to try and improve the system of education and course-correct on the issues that are faced every day in that landscape.

Future Forward Education’s Innovative Approach

The name of Future Forward Education was chosen to convey the concept of forward-thinking approaches and the development of something new. Mike Ross notes that part of the system of education has remained stagnant for a long time, and due to persisting challenges, he wanted the organization to become comfortable with out-of-the-box concepts.

Future Forward Education harnesses the concept of longevity and is interested in building future-proof models that become scalable; models that can be adopted seamlessly without revisiting the drawing board. The organization is results-first, implementing efforts to improve academic outcomes as the primary return-on-investment, rather than producing products for a fee.

Ross is a firm believer in data being a key component to tracking progress and solving more problems. He feels that to best understand customers, Future Forward Education must be with them in the system rather than remain an external entity. This mindset has allowed Ross to develop what he calls a “three-decade lens,” envisioning what products, services, or ideas may look like three decades from now to remain mission-aligned and on track to creating something that can be adopted and scaled over time.

Elevating Education through Strategic Planning

Mike Ross, Founder and Executive Director of Future Forward Education, emphasizes a data-driven approach to promoting the quality of education. Ross is extremely data-obsessed in that he doesn’t want to green-light any effort unless he has secured a means of collecting data and measuring progress. He conducts “Needs Assessments” before planning for implementations so that he can validate the need with the customer(s). Then, Ross wants to secure the continued collection and analysis of data throughout the course of the implementation so they can look back later and determine progression trajectories.

As an extension of that concept, the programs and curricula Ross would like to implement would have to go through review phases to determine they adhere to multiple metrics such as real-world relevance, how well they align to curriculum state standards and that they invoke core functions of the organization. One being Creativity as an example. So, the effort would have to enable the function of creativity among the student(s). To be accountable for data analysis and review, Ross plans on building platforms and databases that allow them to maintain and query datasets on-the-fly so they can get as close to real-time tracking as possible.

Implementing Relevant Content in the Classroom

One of the most rewarding achievements of Future Forward Education has been the successful implementation of a full lesson plan during normal school hours across the span of ten weeks. This experience marked a key milestone in the organization’s efforts to place more relevant content in front of students, bringing them closer to achieving this goal on a regular basis. Given the complexity and bureaucratic layers of the public system, working on the inside and achieving this outcome is a significant success for the organization.

Future Forward Education’s Long-Term Approach

In the broader education landscape, Future Forward Education is still in the early stages of making an impact. According to Mike Ross, the organization has focused on research and understanding the issues faced in the system before delivering efforts to students, educators, and their families. Given its operational youth, determining the effectiveness of its programs can take years, especially for initiatives like financial literacy. To measure progress, Future Forward Education tracks metrics such as self-efficacy, but acknowledges that a large data set is required to make profound assessments. The organization will continue collecting and tracking data, with the intention of looking back at potential progress made down the road.

Complexity, Relevance, and Well-being

The education landscape is extremely complex. Initially, Future Forward Education is focusing primarily on the public sector, making the schools they engage with part of that public realm. This sector is highly governed and too large for its own good. So, being cognizant of this overreaching governance, they want to work with it the best they can while conceptualizing working outside of these bounds.

In terms of content, there is not enough world-aligned curriculum that prepares students for the real world and the workforce. Some of this is due to state standards frameworks that prohibit creativity in content development and in teaching. Schools are seen as places of instruction rather than places where students go to prepare for life.

Outside of the academic components, there is a mental health crisis and many students are experiencing mental health issues. This is a problem in its own right, but one must first be mentally well as a prerequisite to being ready to learn. In addition to this, due to largely populated districts, the student-to-support ratio has a stark contrast, so there is not enough mental health support to cater to the needs of students.

Harnessing Technology for Innovative Education

Mike Ross has developed a skill set that enables him to design, develop, and engineer applications and systems that can be launched onto a shared platform. In education, he applies this skill set to develop learning-based solutions. Ross believes that learning should be a lifelong process, and having channels to access learning outside of the classroom is crucial.

As someone who is extremely data-obsessed, he thinks that technology can be used to collect and analyze data in real-time, allowing for regular assessment and scaling of efforts to be more responsive to results. Measuring progress is a core function of any learning environment, and refining this process is essential. By leveraging technology, Ross aims to enhance the learning experience and make data-driven decisions to drive progress.

The NAEP Report Card: A Tool for Assessing Educational Progress

The NAEP Report Card is a large-scale assessment mandated and administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) that tracks progress in various subject areas. This reporting tracks progress over many years, providing data on student performance based on factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, public or nonpublic school, teacher experience, and hundreds of other variables. The information collected is used solely to track progress in education, and referring to data spanning a decade or more can reveal patterns of growth or stagnation. By analyzing this data, educators and policymakers can identify areas of positive or negative progression in academics and respond accordingly to inform decision-making and drive improvement.

Content Implementation and Teacher Empowerment

Future Forward Education has several projects lined up, including donations for schools and classrooms. However, the most exciting and mission-aligned effort is content implementation, which involves developing and placing relevant curriculum and learning materials in front of students. One notable project is a financial literacy program for middle school students, set for implementation after summer.

Additionally, the organization is developing the Teacher Empowerment Circle, an initiative that leverages the expertise of educators to provide insights into what’s happening in the classroom. This group will serve as a go-to source of information, helping Future Forward Education remain closely connected to the inside of the system and informed about the needs of students and educators.

A Word of Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Educators

For those passionate about creating change or contributing to a cause in education, Mike Ross advises them to zoom out a little bit. What he means by that is to take the one thing that grabs their attention or that they want to analyze a bit more, then take a step back and look at the bigger picture and strive to determine the system that supports that one thing. Then, study that system to gain understanding of the root problems and make that the focal point for positive change.

For education, Ross encourages people not to be too afraid to sound abstract. He thinks that pushing up against boundaries and trying new things is necessary. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable doing so since that implies necessary digging is being done. Just be sure that whatever effort is pursued, do due diligence and evaluate the effectiveness of the effort, ensuring outcomes are positive and there is no academic harm.

The Ultimate Goal of Future Forward Education

The ultimate goal of Future Forward Education is to improve the education experience for students and their families through analysis and reform. This will be achieved by creating solutions that increase access to resources, build partnerships, and monitor student progress. By maximizing the whole-family approach to the system, the organization aims to enable youth to harness their growth potential for an ever-changing tomorrow. With a forward-thinking and innovative lens, Future Forward Education seeks to implement not just efforts, but scalable models that can endure over time, driving long-term positive change in the education landscape.

Future Growth and Development of Future Forward Education

Over the next five to ten years, Future Forward Education aims to expand its engagement with more schools and establish key partnerships with local universities. These partnerships will provide access to essential resources, including staffing, educators, and students, facilitating the development of a “privatized” academic entity.

Although the concept is still evolving, the goal is to create a highly detailed and defined project that will allow for further solution-building and logistical planning. By looking beyond the current system, Future Forward Education seeks to define what a new system could look like – one that enables the implementation of innovative pedagogical practices with more freedom, detached from the heavily governed existing school system. This vision for the future will guide the organization’s growth and development, driving its mission to create positive change in education.

Partners and Stakeholders in Education

The journey of Future Forward Education has primarily involved research on education, pedagogy, academics, and stakeholders. Relationship building, including with other organizations, is a modern function of the organization. However, the schools they engage with are considered their number one stakeholders.

As they continue to develop these relationships, they plan to invite external partnerships to amplify their work. By collaborating with various stakeholders, Future Forward Education aims to leverage collective expertise and resources to drive meaningful change in the education sector. These partnerships will be crucial in helping the organization achieve its vision for education and create a more effective and sustainable system.

Mike Ross’ Leadership Vision For Education

As Founder and Executive Director of Future Forward Education, Mike Ross has had multiple inspirations throughout his life, and much of that is due to his own family and friends. They have always been supportive of his interests and enabled him to unlock and be comfortable with venturing onto new goals and projects. He also capitalizes on mentorship and utilizes mentors to help guide him through some things he may be naive about. Ross is always moved by the people around him that remain focused on particular tasks even if odds are stacked against them.

He is a firm believer in developing the growth mindset and pushing through something that seems immovable. He has developed this mindset himself and uses it every day for any task. His ultimate goals are to create businesses that produce products and services that help people in the form of social impact-driven solutions.

Also, in general, the more aware he is of the realities of the world around him, especially when reflecting on his “luxurious” upbringing, the more upset he becomes. He worries about where we are going as a species and feels we are regressing as a society. He wants to reach a point where we can make the shift and start seeing positive change in our communities. We can start with small steps. He thinks that if we can get into motion more solutions that focus on our core functions of society and rejuvenate our building blocks, then maybe we can see change. The sense of “responsibility” comes from the thought of all of us being one big family and taking this journey together rather than from the perspective of what we deliver as an individual.

Company Name: Future Forward Education
Founder & Executive Director: Mike Ross
Website: www.futureforwardeducation.org