This publication is intended to support improvement in learner participation in self-evaluation and school improvement. The resource is in two parts. It is important that schools engage with both parts. Part one is about establishing the right culture to support effective learner participation. Part two is about children and young people getting…

In the contemporary context, demands for rapid school turnaround meet the reality of increased principal turnover. Therefore, it is crucial to help aspiring school leaders hone their problem-solving skills. This case provides readers with an opportunity to diagnose issues of concern at a struggling school, and then prescribe several initial…

The attainment gap in science may not be as well-documented as the gap in English and maths, but it is just as pervasive. Our research has shown that disadvantaged pupils start to fall behind in science in Key Stage 1; the gap only gets wider throughout primary and secondary school and on to A-level. Helping schools to use evidence and to…

Sustainability practices that lead to greener schools are often overlooked in leadership preparation programs and in school improvement efforts. An urban middle school principal recognizes the potential to build community, foster a healthy learning environment, and redefine her school through focusing on sustainability practices in a collaborative…

Leaders must know how to use evidence to inform district decisions, particularly as decisions related to learning become standard practice, and provide professional development that builds the organizational capacity needed to support continuous and sustainable district improvement. Collaboration and implementation of a shared vision and mission…

Nationally known literacy expert Socorro Herrera provides a practical guide for teachers serving culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations. Teachers will learn how to plan and implement more successful culturally responsive instruction using student biographies as the point of departure. The author provides tools for tapping into the…

Walk into any school in America and you will see adults who care deeply about their students and are doing the best they can every day to help students learn. But you will also see a high degree of variability among classrooms--much higher than in most other industrialized countries. Today we are asking schools to do something they have never done…

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"…

The "Value-Added School Review (VSR)" is an analytical model designed to assist schools in identifying and addressing opportunities for school improvement. The model works best when it is focused purposefully on students and the student learning outcomes as defined in the "Guide to Education". It complements the processes…

This book poses more than 100 questions that new and experienced K-6 teachers often ask themselves and provides in-depth answers to these questions on the following topics: (1) "Preparing for a Successful Year"; (2) "Planning Effective Math Instruction"; (3) "Leading Class Discussions"; (4) "Number Sense and the Basics"; (5) "Using Manipulative…

The mission of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, iNACOL, is to ensure all students have access to a world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success. This document, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning's (iNACOL) "National Standards for Quality…

Few teaching techniques encourage excellence in music education more effectively than recognition through membership in the Tri-M International Music Honor Society. Examined are how Tri-M promotes excellence, rewards achievement, and benefits both school and student. Membership requirements are also discussed. (RM)

Describes Ellen Norman Melamed's Playwriting Project, a 15-session classroom program that requires each participating student to write and design a play, to do at least one revision of each stage of his/her work, and to submit a critical assessment of the experience at the end of the term. (PRA)

Outlines are presented of the basic curriculum mandated for grades K-12 in the Georgia public schools. Concepts to be mastered at each level are listed for: (1) mathematics; (2) language arts (written and oral communication); (3) science; (4) social studies; (5) art; (6) music; (7) health and safety; and (8) physical education. At the secondary…

The Learning Environmental Inventory is promoted as a tool that has been used extensively to ascertain differences in class environment and how student environment perceptions relate to achievement and attitude. It's felt that teachers can improve their classrooms through careful use of the instrument and application of knowledge gained. (MP)