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In many schools and districts, the local curriculum is a hodgepodge of individual initiatives knit together by collective good intentions. Succeeding with Standards: Linking Curriculum, Assessment, and Action Planning describes a practical, school-tested solution to the challenge of creating a curriculum. Building on their work in How to Use Standards in the Classroom, Judy F. Carr and Douglas E. Harris describe a comprehensive process by which schools and districts can turn piecemeal initiatives into a coherent plan. Carr and Harris draw on extensive experience with schools across the United States, and groundbreaking work in Vermont, to depict the standards-linking process. They describe h...
A guide to creating successful schools covers mentoring of new teachers, using study groups, and building a variety of learning communities.
In this era of accountability and high-stakes testing, school leaders must find more sophisticated ways to help all students succeed. But how can districts make adequate yearly progress without a coherent system for addressing state standards? In From Standards to Success, education professor Mark R. O'Shea introduces the Standards Achievement Planning Cycle (SAPC), a comprehensive protocol for meeting the standards. To illustrate his multi-layered approach, O'Shea takes readers to a fictional school as it prepares to install the SAPC. We meet the superintendent, who organizes the district for curriculum reform; the principal, who supervises standards-based instruction; and the teachers, who...
Here, the authors present 18 ideas (one for every two weeks of the typical school year) to extend teaching beyond required standards to be met in grades K-12. From their comprehensive experiences in public and private schools, the authors present working options for carrying out these Ideas either directly or as a merged part of a curriculum that concentrates on meeting standards. Written in an informal, conversational style, this book provides a practical approach with specific examples for new and experienced teachers. All ideas, options, and questions are: pertinent to a number of different grades and subject areas and can be used with most students, best implemented through the creative thinking and reflective action of the teacher. Teaching Beyond the Standards is a unique offering that meets the needs of teachers who wish to teach standards, but not be limited by them, as they work to bring about the intellectual, emotional, and social growth of their students. For pre-service undergraduates, graduate students in teacher education, and practicing teachers.
By integrating the best of current research and practice in curriculum planning this book presents that comprehensive topic in a manageable form. Examples throughout are representative of different grade levels and subjects areas. It should be understood at the outset that the content offered for curriculum planning is not a rigid prescriptive formula but a careful and purposeful thought process that must be considered to obtain optimal results. In addition to developing knowledge about curriculum and instructional planning (what teachers should know), this book offers an innovative method for translating that knowledge into performance (what teachers are able to do). Knowledge is implemented by the use of coaching rubrics, sets of criteria for developing performance. Though readers will receive a thorough background in the planning process just from the content itself, its potential will be fully realized when readers also use the coaching rubrics.
"Why do I lead?" With this deceptively simple question, best-selling author Baruti K. Kafele begins a powerful examination of what it takes to make a school community achieve the greatest success in the classroom and beyond. In The Principal 50: Critical Leadership Questions for Inspiring Schoolwide Excellence, Kafele, a veteran school administrator, guides motivated school leaders through 50 self-reflection exercises designed to yield a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the work that they do. Along with many other insights, this book shows how best to • Inspire and motivate students, teachers, and other school staff to approach their work with vigor and purpose; • Ensure that a...
Today's school principals face unprecedented challenges that can overwhelm even the most dedicated among them. What can they do when their initial enthusiasm for the job begins to deflate, when the demands of the job seem to outnumber the rewards? How can they regain the energy that propelled them early in their career? The Principal Reboot answers these questions with specific advice on how to reignite passion in addressing the many aspects of the principalship, including * Defining a school's values and mission through rebranding; * Strengthening relationships with staff, students, and community; * Leading renewed efforts to improve instruction; * Developing teacher leadership; * Using data effectively and innovatively; and * Improving operational procedures and processes. Sharing the wisdom gained from colleagues and her own experience as a principal, author Jen Schwanke offers an engaging, accessible account of the ups and downs of the job, along with helpful, step-by-step suggestions for how to reinvigorate a flagging career and restore the joy that comes with making a school the best that it can be.
Creating a peer literacy coaching program from scratch is no easy task. Making it focused, dynamic, and effective is even harder. In this inspiring and immensely readable book, veteran educators Amy Sandvold and Maelou Baxter present a blueprint for creating a successful coaching plan in districts and schools. Drawing both on their personal experiences and on conclusions from the research, the authors offer clear and candid advice on such issues as * Choosing appropriate coaches among teachers and training them to coach effectively. * Tailoring literacy coaching initiatives to particular schools or districts. * Creating balanced coaching schedules that take into account the needs of everyone involved. * Working harmoniously with fellow coaches and school staff. * Using assessment data to strengthen coaching practices. From establishing an initial coaching vision to ensuring its lasting legacy, all aspects of peer literacy coaching are covered in The Fundamentals of Literacy Coaching. Equally suitable for teachers and administrators, this book is an indispensable guide for those seeking to improve the quality of literacy education in their schools.
Contextual teaching and learning (CTL) is a system for teaching that is grounded in brain research. Brain research indicates that we learn best when we see meaning in new tasks and material, and we discover meaning when we are able to connect new information with our existing knowledge and experiences. Students learn best, according to neuroscience, when they can connect the content of academic lessons with the context of their own daily lives. Johnson discusses the elements of the brain-compatible contextual teaching and learning system: making meaningful connections; investing school work with significance; self-regulated learning; collaboration; critical and creating thinking; nurturing the individual; reaching high standards; and using authentic assessment. Drawing on the practices of teachers in kindergarten through university, Johnson provides numerous examples of how to use each part of the CTL system.