"Comprehensive in scope, this book thoroughly lays out what a classroom teacher or curriculum developer needs to do to create an effective curriculum that can then be adapted into actual classroom instruction." -Stephen D. Shepperd, Principal Sunnyside Elementary School, Kellogg, ID Translate standards into classroom curriculum that fulfills accountability requirements and meets students' learning needs! Meeting the individual needs of students and the requirements of federal mandates is a challenge that educators face every day. This third edition of an award-winning book focuses on curriculum, content standards, teaching, and testing and provides teachers with solid guidelines for best practices. In this detailed, comprehensive guide, Pearl Gold Solomon discusses the bridge between the written and the taught curriculum and gives readers a big-picture overview of how the current political environment and public opinion affect standards and curriculum. The book offers: An up-to-date review of educational research, including how learning takes place Ways to connect curriculum and standards to best teaching practices Information on traditional, alternative, and high-stakes assessments Expanded coverage of how best to plan and implement professional development This information-rich resource is an indispensable tool for all educators who want to make informed and meaningful decisions to promote standards-based instruction, improve student outcomes, and create the best possible environments for learning.
A grab-and-go guide for busy principals While many books outline the attributes of successful school leaders, few describe how those traits manifest in daily practice. The Daily Practices of Successful Principals goes beyond the outward picture of excellence and provides a compendium of daily practices used by successful principals in various settings. Written by former administrators who have walked in your shoes, this handy guide's strategies are based on interviews with successful leaders and are applicable in multiple contexts. Inside you will find guidelines for: Examining your values, educational platform, and personal style Establishing learning as a common purpose Identifying and leading school change Effectively managing staff and student relationships Developing teacher leaders The authors understand that principals are expected to have the patience of Job, the tenacity of Atlas, the compassion of Mother Teresa, and a sense of humor. The recommended daily practices will help you stay focused on the most important things-leading effectively, promoting student achievement, and making a positive difference in students' lives.
The thought-provoking daily reflections in this guided journal are designed to strengthen the social and emotional skills of leaders and create a string social-emotional environment for leaders themselves, teachers and students.
A Data Coach's Guide to Improving Learning for All Students is an exceptional resource for anyone who wants to create and sustain significant change in schools. Designed for potential data coaches who will facilitate school-based data teams, this book includes a CD-ROM with templates, handouts, PowerPoint slides, resources, and sample goals and agendas. The text is also ideal for school and district administrators who can use the process and tools to enhance results for students and promote equity in schools. Guiding educational leaders in unleashing the power of a collaborative approach, the authors offer detailed and technical guidance to help educators move schools away from unproductive data practices and toward examining data as a catalyst for systematic and continuous improvement in instruction and student learning. Educators and data team facilitators will learn to apply the Using Data Process model which has proven successful in: Narrowing achievement gaps between students in all content areas and grade levels Achieving strong, continuous gains in local and state assessments in mathematics, science, and reading Demonstrating significant, steady gains in mathematics in elementary, middle, and high schools Increasing collaboration and reflection practices among teachers An excellent resource for educational improvement project staff, education service center staff, foundations concerned with education, department of education personnel, parent and community organizations, and others who are concerned about building capacity and systems for sustaining improvement in student learning.
"Collect multiple forms of data and connect data to improved student achievement! " Are you looking for new ways to use data in the decision-making process? Are you seeking tools that provide better flow-through from data to improved student achievement? Have you ever considered including students in the data-to-improvement cycle? Schools recognize that data is an essential decision-making tool, but it requires teamwork and reflection to reap the maximum benefits. This guidebook offers practical collection and analysis methods and templates as well as tips for building trust and working together. "The Data Guidebook for Teachers and Leaders" accentuates the importance of data collection of multiple types, not just from standardized tests, and analysis within any educational setting.In addition to addressing the practical aspects of data usage, the author presents innovative ideas for * Introducing students to the data analysis cycle * Helping students learn how data impacts student achievement * Sharing day-to-day data within departments and schools to improve weekly test scores * Making data and results accessible to all team members Data becomes a dynamic tool for change when you learn how to incorporate it into your continuous improvement process.
"Collect multiple forms of data and connect data to improved student achievement! " Are you looking for new ways to use data in the decision-making process? Are you seeking tools that provide better flow-through from data to improved student achievement? Have you ever considered including students in the data-to-improvement cycle? Schools recognize that data is an essential decision-making tool, but it requires teamwork and reflection to reap the maximum benefits. This guidebook offers practical collection and analysis methods and templates as well as tips for building trust and working together. "The Data Guidebook for Teachers and Leaders" accentuates the importance of data collection of multiple types, not just from standardized tests, and analysis within any educational setting.In addition to addressing the practical aspects of data usage, the author presents innovative ideas for * Introducing students to the data analysis cycle * Helping students learn how data impacts student achievement * Sharing day-to-day data within departments and schools to improve weekly test scores * Making data and results accessible to all team members Data becomes a dynamic tool for change when you learn how to incorporate it into your continuous improvement process.
How to accelerate analysis into action Using data for school improvement is a key goal of Race to the Top, and now is the time to make data-driven school improvement a priority. However, many educators are drowning in data. Boost your professional learning community's ability to translate data into action with this new book from Pam Robbins and Robert T. Hess. The Data Toolkit provides ten easy-to-use tools that don't require statistical expertise, can be implemented in a timely manner, and facilitate problem-solving at the classroom, school, and district levels. These proven methods help educators: Frame the questions Drive the conversation Engage in productive reflection Uncover understandings Create a data-driven plan Achieve and monitor results Written in an educator-friendly format each chapter contains instructions on using the tool, a sample scenario, and examples-practical resources that will help your PLC be the best it can be. Also included are case studies that show how data teams, PLCs, and individual teachers have used the book's methods in their own settings. The culminating school improvement mapping tool guides the team through designing an action plan focused on increasing student learning and achievement outcomes.
"This tool shows how classrooms can differentiate instruction, spend time on what really matters, and make sure that all children are making progress. I love the practical applications for each age level and what teachers can do to support optimal learning in their classrooms. Fantastic!" -Stephanie Malin, Elementary Instructional Coach Beaverton School District, OR "The author has managed to untangle a very complex topic and make it applicable to everyday learning and teaching. The continuous application of research to learning is a strength of the book. A true gift to a broad band of educators." -Laura Linde, Literacy Coach Hoover Elementary School, North Mankato, MN Finally, a book for early childhood educators that combines child development and brain research! How can early childhood teachers, administrators, and parents translate discoveries on early brain development into strategies that nurture cognitive growth? Synthesizing information from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and child development, The Developing Brain offers brain-compatible teaching practices that are linked to NAEYC principles for working with young children. Best-selling author Marilee Sprenger covers the basic structure, vocabulary, and current research on the brain from an early childhood educator's point of view and provides an abundance of illustrations and descriptions. This user-friendly guide includes: Background information on brain development from birth through age two Scenarios and snapshots of each year from age three through eight Reproducible developmental checklists Over 100 brain-based activities for classroom or child care settings Through an understanding of the phases of language, motor, and social development at each age level, educators can create enriching educational experiences that enhance children's growth and foster an enduring love of learning.
"This tool shows how classrooms can differentiate instruction, spend time on what really matters, and make sure that all children are making progress. I love the practical applications for each age level and what teachers can do to support optimal learning in their classrooms. Fantastic!" -Stephanie Malin, Elementary Instructional Coach Beaverton School District, OR "The author has managed to untangle a very complex topic and make it applicable to everyday learning and teaching. The continuous application of research to learning is a strength of the book. A true gift to a broad band of educators." -Laura Linde, Literacy Coach Hoover Elementary School, North Mankato, MN Finally, a book for early childhood educators that combines child development and brain research! How can early childhood teachers, administrators, and parents translate discoveries on early brain development into strategies that nurture cognitive growth? Synthesizing information from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and child development, The Developing Brain offers brain-compatible teaching practices that are linked to NAEYC principles for working with young children. Best-selling author Marilee Sprenger covers the basic structure, vocabulary, and current research on the brain from an early childhood educator's point of view and provides an abundance of illustrations and descriptions. This user-friendly guide includes: Background information on brain development from birth through age two Scenarios and snapshots of each year from age three through eight Reproducible developmental checklists Over 100 brain-based activities for classroom or child care settings Through an understanding of the phases of language, motor, and social development at each age level, educators can create enriching educational experiences that enhance children's growth and foster an enduring love of learning.
