Preparing all students for success requires a renewed emphasis on supporting high-quality teaching, on using data to inform decision-making, and on creating a culture of high expectations. To support the shift toward college and career readiness, more than 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).…

When low test scores demanded a hard look at the curriculum, literacy became a focus for improvement at Brockton (MA) High School. Schoolwide training for teachers and a rolling implementation model ensured consistency and reinforcement of the skills. Results came in improved scores and national recognitions, including selection as a National…

The Kent School District in Kent, Washington, adopted the use of video study groups (VSGs) during the 2008-09 school year to help teachers apply research-based strategies to support struggling math students. This form of embedded professional development has been around since the 1960s but is getting renewed attention because video equipment is…

Successful advisory programs have a number of things in common across a wide variety of schools. They all divide the student body into small groups, usually of 20 or fewer students, that meet regularly with an adult in the school community. In addition to this basic element, successful advisory programs have five other elements in common: (1) They…

For educationally sound reasons (providing time to unwind, use the media center, or collaborate on projects), a 1,000-student high school successfully converted three short lunch periods to a 50-minute one. Since only upperclassmen could use the cafeteria for the first 10 minutes, impromptu eating areas developed. (MLH)

When a survey of students at Eisenhower Middle School in Everett, Washington indicated that they spent a good part of the school day feeling tired and hungry, that they felt unsafe in some areas of the school, and that worn-down facilities left many of them feeling depressed, the author and his staff concluded that, in order to improve the…

A Minnesota high school used a consultant to evaluate operations in the principal's office, guidance office, media center, and technology services department. Staff will focus on recommendations concerning communications, process improvement and evaluation, technology implementation, performance and behavior coaching, active listening, customer…

A Maryland middle school helps students navigate passage to high school with 10 crossings: parent engagement, mentoring transitional opportunities program, a middle-school exit form, a special assembly, a closing ceremony, a unification process, departmental articulation, a roundtable involving middle- and high-school principals, and a high-school…

A Number of good ideas can help improve the achievement of low-performing students and close the achievement gap, including determining the placement of veteran teachers, purchasing new curricula, and providing after-school tutoring. However, it is the teacher--and what the teacher does in the classroom--that makes the most difference for…

Following the legislature's passage of the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act, the statewide Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership was established. The 700 graduates form a small cadre of activists who are informed about standards-based reforms and how to make them work for their children. (MLH)

Using traditional Native research methods (talking circles and vision quests), a teacher at Edmonton (Alberta) Public Schools discovered why Canadian Native students' dropout rate was so high. Kids' complaints about poor relationships with teachers, racism, peer pressure, and poor family support were heeded, and successful interventions were…

In the Philadelphia Public Schools, a computer system called Data to Success has been created to assess student progress prior to end-of-year testing. The five-stage system allows a school to influence teacher decisions, identify student warning signs, and monitor important trend and analysis information throughout the school year. (MLH)

Mentoring programs that pair experienced and first-time teachers are gaining prominence in supporting, developing, and retaining new teachers. The successful Beginning Teacher Assistance program at University of Wisconsin-River Falls was designed to give new K-12 teachers the opportunity for yearlong, structured support from mentor teachers. (MLH)

Step Nine focuses on establishing and maintaining a safe, secure, learning environment. The classroom focus arrests early unacceptable behaviors, identifies habitual rule-breakers, and preserves environmental integrity for self-disciplined learners. Chief elements are simplicity, consistency, communication, parental involvement, and progressive…

Success in today's K-12 environment often hinges on improved test scores. But success should be defined more broadly to recognize the overall learning environment that is created by students, teachers, staff members, administrators, and parents. As a middle level principal, the author has learned that to create long-lasting change and to foster a…