Identifying a special education teacher's primary role has been complicated by competing legislative demands emphasizing every student's academic achievement in the general education curriculum versus some students' needs for individualized instruction that addresses their noteworthy academic achievement deficits. One result is that school…

Improving the quality of teaching and instruction takes time and planning and may be costly and require intensive work. This is particularly true when trying to make improvements among multiple preschool sites, because preschool systems often lack a cohesive infrastructure for supporting high-quality implementation of curricula and teacher…

Teachers in most American schools work in isolation, separated from other teachers, making it difficult to benefit from their colleagues' expertise or to share their expertise with others about how to help more students learn. However, a growing body of research shows that when teachers work more collaboratively, student outcomes can improve,…

Educators understand that an academic divide endures between groups of students, and schools often perpetuate inequities that result in unequal lives. There are effective strategies that any principal, in any setting, might consider implementing as a means to overcome the challenges faced by educators who aim to improve student learning in their…

Heterotopias are complex spaces characterized by the collision of the real (i.e., physical realm--who and what materials are present) and unreal (i.e., abstract realm--socially created meanings and understandings of the "real"; Foucault, 1986; Topinka, 2010). The early childhood classroom is a heterotopia in that it is a knowledge…

This toolkit was developed to assist principals in structuring their thinking about the return to school, in whatever form it takes. It offers tools and tip sheets, the context for using them, and suggestions for actions principals might consider. The toolkit is organized around four sections: (1) Change (staying current in understanding changes…

This authoritative text and practitioner resource has now been extensively revised and expanded with 70% new material covering new topics and standards in literacy leadership. Prominent experts present research-based methods for improving instruction, assessment, and professional learning experiences in PreK-12. The distinct roles of teachers,…

The ultimate outcome of this work is to support students, families, and educators (includes all school members who collectively support students) during the transitions back to school during and following the global pandemic in a manner that prioritizes their health and safety, social and emotional needs, and behavioral and academic growth. This…

An administrator, broadly conceived, is a person who has authority to lead and manage people, practices, materials, and policies in an educational unit. Dan Tannacito shows teachers the pathway to becoming English language program administrators (ELPAs) and the myriad benefits they can derive. Most may be surprised to see that they are already on…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop, illustrate, and apply the concept of choice architecture to schools. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is a synthesis of concepts from the social science research that nudge people toward positive actions. Findings: A dozen concepts are identified, defined, and illustrated as a set of…

"Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning" presents a clear and carefully tested blueprint for school leaders. It shows how examining test scores and other classroom data can become a catalyst for important schoolwide conversations that will enhance schools' abilities to capture…

School accountability reports reveal that wide achievement gaps exist among different subgroups of students in PK-12 schools. Research findings reveal that general and special education teachers improve their classroom practices when working in professional learning communities (PLCs). In addition, research shows that special education teachers…

A growing body of evidence suggests that family engagement matters for student success. Research shows that family engagement improves school readiness, student achievement, and social skills. Furthermore, an increasing number of innovative approaches to education leverage and connect the many settings and times in which children learn and grow to…

At last, a guide that focuses on the real crux of teacher supervision: how learners are learning. Using the six-part Teaching Schema for Master Learners introduced in the ASCD best-seller "Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time", Jane E. Pollock and Sharon M. Ford show you how to help teachers make the right adjustments in the areas that…

As shown by MetLife's 2010 "Survey of the American Teacher," America's educators strongly believe that all students should graduate from high school ready for college and a career (85 percent). Additionally, according to MetLife's 2009 survey, 86 percent of teachers believe that setting high expectations for students will improve student…