Foster Confidence and Ownership in Every Math Student When it comes to math, does it feel like some students embrace problem-solving with agency and ownership while others are confused-or simply along for the ride? How do educators bridge that divide to develop competence, confidence, and ownership in every student? The answers lie in establishing clear and effective measures for success. Steeped in the principles of success criteria, Whose Math Is It? provides educators with everything they need to create a classroom environment where students feel empowered to step up and take the lead. Divided into two parts, this must-read guide first defines what success looks like for math students, then provides the research-based best practices teachers can use to help students take control of their learning. Learn how to: Define and establish effective success criteria in a mathematics classroom Implement a variety of strategies to support student ownership and success Develop class-wide social norms specific to math Promote metacognition through self-regulated learning, self-assessment, and feedback Reinforce student ownership through structured peer interactions and collaboration Whose Math Is It? is an essential resource for K-12 math teachers who want to empower their students to actively own their mathematics learning. By emphasizing the importance of success criteria, promoting self-regulated learning, and developing math-specific social norms, this book provides practical strategies for creating an environment where when asked, "Whose math is it?" every student can emphatically respond: My math!
Using examples from real classrooms, the book shows teachers how to connect inquiry to required content while still moving students toward more control of their own learning. Teachers can learn to help all students, including those with special needs, to reform their initial playful, tangential, or shallow questions to deeper questions about content that will help them develop the thinking skills that they will continue to use throughout school and into adulthood.
Designing High-Quality Professional Development for Standards-Based Schools
This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Why Can't We Get It Right? includes more tools, a stronger focus on implementation strategies, key points and open-ended scenarios for reflection. Speck and Knipe explain how school leaders can plan collaborative professional development that is standards based. This book will deepen teachers' collective understanding about how to create professional development opportunities and practices. Well-designed professional development programs foster a learner-centered environment, and research has shown that improving teachers' knowledge and skills is a prerequisite to raising student performance. Speck and Knipe provide professional development designs and practices that make a difference for teachers and students, resulting in dramatically improved schools. In order for our schools to leave no child behind, teachers need access to the most current information, strategies, research, and professional learning opportunities. This unique and indispensable guide links professional development tightly to academic standards to raise student achievement. Each chapter contains: brief scenario to ground readers essential questions to provoke deeper thought about each topic tables, figures, and other visuals to illustrate key concepts, surveys, teacher professional development plans, planning worksheets, standards-based adaptable frameworks, evaluation guides, and other tools to help readers try out ideas.
Designing High-Quality Professional Development for Standards-Based Schools
This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Why Can't We Get It Right? includes more tools, a stronger focus on implementation strategies, key points and open-ended scenarios for reflection. Speck and Knipe explain how school leaders can plan collaborative professional development that is standards based. This book will deepen teachers' collective understanding about how to create professional development opportunities and practices. Well-designed professional development programs foster a learner-centered environment, and research has shown that improving teachers' knowledge and skills is a prerequisite to raising student performance. Speck and Knipe provide professional development designs and practices that make a difference for teachers and students, resulting in dramatically improved schools. In order for our schools to leave no child behind, teachers need access to the most current information, strategies, research, and professional learning opportunities. This unique and indispensable guide links professional development tightly to academic standards to raise student achievement. Each chapter contains: brief scenario to ground readers essential questions to provoke deeper thought about each topic tables, figures, and other visuals to illustrate key concepts, surveys, teacher professional development plans, planning worksheets, standards-based adaptable frameworks, evaluation guides, and other tools to help readers try out ideas.
Distinguishing Language Acquisition From Learning Disabilities
Make the right instructional and eligibility decisions to help your English Learners! Do your students' reading difficulties reflect language acquisition issues or a learning disability? Now in an updated second edition, this essential guide helps educators make informed, accurate choices about strategies and services to support English Learners. Developed for general and special education teachers and service providers, this trusted resource offers a variety of research-based best practices, and includes Nine common misconceptions that can lead to wrongful placement of students in special education Theories of second language acquisition Select evidence-based methods for teaching reading to students learning English Issues to consider and techniques to use when assessing students for special education and making data-based decisions Role of cultural influences in reading instruction Expanded coverage of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) Readers will find helpful vignettes, checklists, and suggestions that support outstanding teaching practices and appropriate, effective use of assessment and referrals. "This book provides a wealth of information on ELs within the RTI process. The authors provide a number of practical checklists that can be used by any school district. Very few books address the topic as well as this one does." Jennifer Urbach, Associate Professor University of Northern Colorado
Low pay, increased responsibilities and high-stakes standardized testing - these are just some of the reasons why more talented teachers are leaving the profession than ever before. Drawing on in-depth interviews with teachers all over the country, Katy Farber presents an in-the-trenches view of the classroom exodus and uncovers ways that schools can turn the tide. Farber's findings paint a sometimes shocking picture of life in today's schools, taking a frank look at: - Challenges to teacher endurance, including tight budgets, difficult parents, standardized testing, unsafe schools, inadequate pay, and lack of respect - Strategies veteran teachers use to make sure the joys of teaching outweigh the frustrations - Success stories from individual schools and districts that have found solutions to these challenges - Recommendations for creating a school environment that fosters teacher retention Featuring clear analysis and concrete suggestions for administrators and policy makers, Why Great Teachers Quit takes you to the front lines of the fight to keep great teachers where they belong: in the classroom.
The crucial role assessments play in education is addressed in this book. The authors describe the purposes and types of assessment and discuss how assessment can best be implemented to address the concerns of parents, teachers, school administrators and the public. Detailed descriptions of norm-referenced tests, criterion-referenced tests and alternative assessment strategies are provided together with advice on their application. Issues in reducing bias and dealing with special populations are also discussed.
This will be a valuable resource for teachers, as technology plays an increasingly prominent role in education. The book explores, in depth, the issues raised by current efforts to infuse technology into education systems.
Collective Bargaining in an Age of Public Discontent
This book helps school administrators see the many contradictions between the underlying concepts of traditional collective bargaining and the important goals that many school districts seek today, especially decision making based on the informed opinions of all stakeholders in the school.