Student work is the primary means of learning in most if not all classroom lessons and the primary source of evidence about that learning. Yet research shows that many educators look at student work more to ascertain its correctness rather than to delve into what it reveals about students' thought processes and understanding. "Are you picking…

Megan Kortlandt, Carly Stone, and Samantha Keesling have developed a flexible structure for collaborative professional learning that they call the "principal lab," in which K-12 principals learn with and from each other to become better instructional leaders. Each chapter walks through the foundational components of a successful…

Drawing on the science of reading and research on high-performing schools and effective leadership, authors Pati Montgomery and Angela Hanlin provide school and district leaders with the tools to systematically implement and create the necessary systems and structures for evidence-based literacy instruction. By focusing on the establishment of…

This EEF guidance report reviews the best available research to offer schools and teachers four recommendations to support parental engagement in children's learning. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children's learning, and levels of parental engagement are consistently associated with better academic outcomes. Evidence from our…

Quality online professional learning is sometimes tough to recognize, yet most district leaders find themselves tasked with making decisions about which potentially costly and resource-intensive learning options are worth investing in. The primary purpose of this quality checklist is to help busy district leaders, including central office staff,…

The "Practitioner Data Use in Schools: Workshop Toolkit" is designed to help practitioners systematically and accurately use data to inform their teaching practice. The toolkit includes an agenda, slide deck, participant workbook, and facilitator's guide and covers the following topics: developing data literacy, engaging in a cycle of…

The law requires that juvenile justice facilities must provide education to all school-age students, and these facilities often do so despite challenges that would baffle most high school administrators and teachers. This "Adolescent Literacy Guide" provides guidance to both administrators and teachers who want to increase opportunities…

Designed to be used by facilitators and participants in seminars, book study groups, or other professional development events, this book guides critical thinking, collaboration, and professional growth based on the concepts in Todd Whitaker's best-selling title, "What Great Principals Do Differently" (2nd edition). Each chapter includes: (1) Key…

Recognizing that a necessary and significant role change is underway in faculty development, this book calls for centers to merge their traditional responsibilities and services with a leadership role as organizational developers. Failing to define and outline the dimensions and expertise of this new role puts centers at risk of not only…

This two-volume work is intended to help readers develop powerful new ways of thinking about organizational principles, and apply them to policy-making and management in colleges and universities. The book is written with two audiences in mind: administrative and faculty leaders in institutions of higher learning, and students (both doctoral and…

More districts are turning to one-to-one computing, which puts a laptop in the hands of every student. This ambitious undertaking can bring challenges when it comes to training teachers how to use the technology--and how to teach students to use it. In 2005, Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Oregon, provided Apple laptops for 300 middle…

This paper discusses the principles of an effective faculty evaluation system that are repeatedly recommended in the literature. These principles include the following: (1) clarify institutional goals; (2) decide on the purposes of the data to be collected; (3) use pilot programs when appropriate; (4) significantly involve participants in the…

Describes a conceptual framework that integrates teacher cognitive, critical, and personal characteristics; the framework serves to guide the development of reflective decision making, showing teacher educators how to form effective teachers. The model's collegial environment encourages efficacy, flexibility, consciousness, and social…

This booklet describes one of the earliest staff development models to support school-based improvement, the RPTIM model. The letters "RPTIM" represent the five stages of the school-based approach to staff development--readiness, planning, training, implementation, and maintenance. The model is based on the belief that the school is the primary…

Influencing educational decision makers requires creating ongoing relationships, keeping everyone informed, and developing persuasive skills. Persuasion requires preparation, refinement, hard work, and a sound understanding of the people being lobbied. Lobbying must be factual and relevant to the audience. The article looks at influence from the…