Reward your best teachers for the great work they do! Is your school system considering teacher merit pay? Now is the time to understand the potential benefits and pitfalls of performance-based teacher pay, as well as how today's most successful programs were developed. Drawing on substantial research with school districts, Gary Ritter and Joshua Barnett provide a step-by-step approach to setting up a merit pay system in your school district. Readers will find An overview of existing merit pay programs and their strengths and weaknesses A review of the 12 most common myths about merit pay, and how school leaders can respond Six guiding principles for designing a merit pay program, along with how-to's and timelines for every phase Guidance on creating balanced assessments based on multiple measures of teacher effectiveness, and developed in collaboration with teachers Ensure that your district's merit pay program supports teachers' professional growth, schoolwide progress, and student achievement. "Ritter and Barnett bring much-needed researched clarity to this complex issue. For school administrators, education policy makers, legislators, and others interested in school reform, this book is a must-read." -Rod Paige, Former U.S. Secretary of Education "This guide is a useful resource for undertaking merit pay, preventing pitfalls, and most importantly, offering solid recommendations for creating well-designed implementations." -Gary Stark, President and CEO National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
This volume continues the ongoing discussion on higher education funding in the United States. Critical issues addressed include: sources and levels of funding; performance-based accountability standards; the decentralization of control; diminished resources; retirement and benefits; increased use of business and private sectors in underwriting development; and alternate revenue sources.
Real change comes from teachers and administrators working together It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a community of educators to improve a school-a community that includes administrators and teachers in different, but equally important, roles. A district's changes can only show results once their improvements reach the classroom. At the same time, teachers need support from their districts to make their own changes have lasting impact. In this brief companion book to Getting Serious About the System: A Fieldbook for District and School Leaders, you will get the background and see exactly where you as a teacher or other stakeholder fit in the process of implementing solutions system-wide. You'll also learn about The research behind the Working Systematically approach, which focuses on healthy organizational cultures, professional development, innovation, and accountability The goals of the approach, which include addressing components and competencies at all levels A five-phase process for implementing a systemic improvement plan at the district, school, and classroom levels Teachers don't need another "quick fix" that gives a temporary boost to school performance-they need comprehensive guidance for making meaningful change that will last. Getting Serious About the System enables educators at all levels to work together, share leadership, and create a culture that values collaboration, continuous learning, and professional respect and trust.
Understanding, Navigating, and Leading the Process
"Coping with change is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of life and certainly critical for successful teaching. This book provides an essential guide to how teachers might successfully address the ongoing and expected change associated with effective teaching." -Sharon Vaughn, H. E. Hartfelder/Southland Corp Regents Chair University of Texas "Perhaps no other job in our society today experiences as much change as classroom teaching. Stivers and Cramer are two experts with tremendous insight and experience in both the theoretical and practical dimensions of personal, organizational, and systemwide change. Heartwarming, insightful stories explore how dozens of teachers overcome the challenges of living and leading through change every day, blended with rock-solid theory and extensive research on how to live through change successfully." -Chris Edgelow, Founder and President Sundance Consulting Inc. Energize your learning community by transforming change into opportunity! Throughout their careers, teachers will face a myriad of inevitable changes, both inside and outside the classroom. Ideal for use both in professional development settings and as a personal resource, A Teacher's Guide to Change engages K-12 teachers in the process of anticipating and responding to change. Through a step-by-step approach, teachers can learn to prepare for change, which enhances their career satisfaction and effectiveness as professionals. Emphasizing that change is something teachers can understand, manage, become invested in, and even champion, the authors provide practical skills for facing and adjusting to change, whether it is mandated or chosen. Offering a wealth of conceptual, reflective, interpersonal, and strategic tools, this guide also includes: Survey results from more than 100 teachers who share not only their experiences with change but also advice and encouragement, inviting educators to learn from each other Reflective exercises to help teachers understand and approach change A five-step process for initiating and implementing plans for change Systematic strategies for leading change, both in smaller and larger spheres of influence Vivid school-based examples that can be directly applied to personal experience This accessible resource is invaluable for all teachers. Whether or not change is voluntary, opportunities for professional growth are abundant, leading to improved student learning and greater teacher retention.
Understanding, Navigating, and Leading the Process
"Coping with change is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of life and certainly critical for successful teaching. This book provides an essential guide to how teachers might successfully address the ongoing and expected change associated with effective teaching." -Sharon Vaughn, H. E. Hartfelder/Southland Corp Regents Chair University of Texas "Perhaps no other job in our society today experiences as much change as classroom teaching. Stivers and Cramer are two experts with tremendous insight and experience in both the theoretical and practical dimensions of personal, organizational, and systemwide change. Heartwarming, insightful stories explore how dozens of teachers overcome the challenges of living and leading through change every day, blended with rock-solid theory and extensive research on how to live through change successfully." -Chris Edgelow, Founder and President Sundance Consulting Inc. Energize your learning community by transforming change into opportunity! Throughout their careers, teachers will face a myriad of inevitable changes, both inside and outside the classroom. Ideal for use both in professional development settings and as a personal resource, A Teacher's Guide to Change engages K-12 teachers in the process of anticipating and responding to change. Through a step-by-step approach, teachers can learn to prepare for change, which enhances their career satisfaction and effectiveness as professionals. Emphasizing that change is something teachers can understand, manage, become invested in, and even champion, the authors provide practical skills for facing and adjusting to change, whether it is mandated or chosen. Offering a wealth of conceptual, reflective, interpersonal, and strategic tools, this guide also includes: Survey results from more than 100 teachers who share not only their experiences with change but also advice and encouragement, inviting educators to learn from each other Reflective exercises to help teachers understand and approach change A five-step process for initiating and implementing plans for change Systematic strategies for leading change, both in smaller and larger spheres of influence Vivid school-based examples that can be directly applied to personal experience This accessible resource is invaluable for all teachers. Whether or not change is voluntary, opportunities for professional growth are abundant, leading to improved student learning and greater teacher retention.
Behaviour, and how to deal with it, is a concern for trainee, new and experienced teachers. Alphabetical entries cover things like ADHD, low level behaviour and mood hoovers, and contain case studies from Primary and Secondary schools. Strategies and advice on how to deal with common issues are presented in bite-size chunks, so this book allows teachers to find what they need quickly. Links throughout show readers who to follow on Twitter for further advice, support and collaboration.
Behaviour, and how to deal with it, is a concern for trainee, new and experienced teachers. Alphabetical entries cover things like ADHD, low level behaviour and mood hoovers, and contain case studies from Primary and Secondary schools. Strategies and advice on how to deal with common issues are presented in bite-size chunks, so this book allows teachers to find what they need quickly. Links throughout show readers who to follow on Twitter for further advice, support and collaboration.
"The book makes an excellent case for competitions as a means to meet the educational needs of gifted students at a time when funding has significantly decreased." -Joan Smutny, Gifted Specialist, National-Louis University Author of Acceleration for Gifted Learners, K-5 "The authors are knowledgeable and respected experts in the field of gifted education. I believe there is no other book that provides this valuable information to teachers, parents, and coordinators of gifted programs." -Barbara Polnick, Assistant Professor Sam Houston State University Everything you need to know about academic competitions! This handy reference serves as a guide for using academic competitions as part of K-12 students' total educational experience. Covering 170 competitions in several content areas, this handbook offers a brief description of each event plus contact and participation information. The authors list criteria for selecting events that match students' strengths and weaknesses and also discuss: The impact of competitions on the lives of students Ways to anticipate and avoid potential problems Strategies for maximizing the benefits of competitions Access to international and national academic competitions This second edition offers twice as many competitions as the first, provides indexes by title and by subject area and level, and lists Web sites for finding additional competitions.
"A useful resource for all educational teams who plan for students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. Downing summarizes current, key research and offers practical applications from her wealth of experience in schools. Readers who are new to planning for students with severe disabilities will find excellent coverage of the basics like systematic instruction, positive behavior support, and collaboration. Professionals with extensive experience will benefit from the new ideas for planning, including specific examples of adapting academic content, considering both family goals and state standards in planning, and using universal design for learning." -Diane M. Browder, Snyder Distinguished Professor of Special Education University of North Carolina at Charlotte Help students with significant disabilities succeed in the general education classroom! While most resources for inclusive education focus on teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities, teachers of students with more severe disabilities need specific methods to provide the individualized and systematic instruction necessary to support students in inclusive environments. This unique book meets that need with approaches, information, and ideas for teachers of students with moderate to severe disabilities in general education classrooms. June E. Downing draws from a strong research base to provide practical instructional strategies, plus suggestions based on personal experience. Featuring tables and figures, chapter summaries, photographs, multiple examples, and strategies that address the how-to of instruction, this resource helps general and special education teachers: Adapt their curriculum to meet both individual student needs and state standards for core curriculum Work collaboratively with other teachers Develop assessments that accurately determine student needs Keep track of student progress through data collection Essential for today's inclusive classrooms, this guide covers everything teachers need to know to provide individualized instruction and assessment for their students with significant intellectual disabilities.
