The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) were released almost two years ago. Work tied to the NGSS, their adoption, and implementation continues to move forward around the country. Stephen L. Pruitt, senior vice president, science, at Achieve, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization that was a lead…

In this paper, Leading Educators and the Aspen Institute propose a roadmap to empower teachers to lead from the front of the classroom. This paper outlines key phases that system administrators will need to consider as they build teacher leadership systems that address their highest priorities. For each phase, the Aspen Institute offers a…

This article provides suggestions for teachers and practitioners on vocabulary activities that can help kindergarteners attain the vocabulary standards proposed by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The activities and examples included in the paper stem from an efficacy study I recently conducted with Dr. Michael Coyne and colleagues with…

This module examines Focus and Coherence, two of the three shifts required for implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Focus and Coherence are the two major design principles of the math standards. The module assumes prior knowledge of the information presented in Module 1. Course Objectives: By the end of the…

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards calls upon social studies teachers to enhance the rigor of civics, economics, geography, history and the other social studies disciplines while building the critical thinking, problem solving, and participatory skills of students to help them become actively…

Finding time for job-embedded professional learning is one of the most frequently cited challenges with implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). With "Establishing Time for Professional Learning," practitioners and education leaders use tools to identify current allocations of time for professional learning, analyze how that…

In the summer of 2012, thousands of teachers across the United States attended several days of professional development workshops. The workshops, which focused on the Common Core State Standards, were part of a Tennessee Department of Education initiative in teacher leadership. The department recruited and trained 200 highly-effective teachers to…

When schools and teachers adopt core reading programs they can use them with fidelity or make intelligent decisions about the texts, lessons and components they select to use. The evidence suggests that these programs are not research-based documents, but rather compromises between what the research suggests about effective reading instruction and…

The goal of the "Closing the Achievement Gap for 21st Century Learners in West Virginia (CAG)" report, 3rd edition, is to update West Virginia educators to the status and improvement of student achievement in West Virginia which may then be utilized as a basis for determining future educational decisions. In order to enhance the quality…

This technical guide to the South Dakota Mathematics Standards serves as a critical model for educators and school districts in effectively implementing the standards. This guide features the goals, indicators, benchmarks, and grade level standards for South Dakota. It is organized by grade level clusters according to benchmark levels K-2, 3-5,…

This paper lists the standards for a course in driver education approved for Texas schools. The guidelines cover administration and supervision; teacher certification; teaching assistants; course requirements; scheduling; instructor hours, class size, and age level; driver education course records; signatures; control of standards; and procedures…

An overview of the foreign language requirements in the new Part 100 of the New York State Commissioner's regulations for public schools is presented to aid local school personnel in designing foreign language programs and advising students regarding the new statewide requirements. The summary first defines the terms used, and then outlines: the…

At its November 2004 meeting, the North Carolina State Board of Education approved standards for developing and implementing honors courses in that state. These standards in curriculum, instruction, and assessment are designed to provide a consistent framework to guide teachers and principals as they develop and evaluate local courses that are…

This guide, which is intended for teachers interested in starting a workplace mentoring program, presents information about mentors and mentoring that can be used to match students with the right mentors in the workplace and help prepare and support students and mentors in enhancing the student-mentor match. The guide begins with background…

This guide is designed for use in developing and implementing a competency-based program in practical nursing, especially in Virginia. It is organized in three main sections. Section 1 contains descriptions of the program and courses and a master task list. Sample teaching sequences, illustrating two possible sequences of teaching the tasks in the…