Since the release of "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" in 2012, there has been a significant shift toward the use of science and engineering practices that mirror the way scientists do their work (NRC 2012). The "Framework" states, "A focus on practices (in the plural) avoids the mistaken impression that there is…

Research on teacher professional learning has shown that formative assessment can improve student learning more than most instructional practices. Empirical evidence indicates that thoughtfully implemented formative assessment practices improve students' learning, increase students' scores, and narrow achievement gaps between low-achieving…

This article presents the Center for Pedagogical Measurements' experience of assessment procedures transformative challenge when the COVID-19 was unfolding across the world and when there was no ready scenario that could guide online instruction and assessment as well. The authors of the article have provided the cases of adaptive responses and…

What does "rigor," a word that frequently pops up in conversations about education, really mean? More specifically, what does it mean for "literacy" instruction, and how does it relate to challenging standards-based assessments? In this informative and practical guide, literacy expert Nancy Boyles uses the framework from Webb's…

This article provides a description of three seventh grade English teachers' attempt to augment creativity, reading, and deep understanding, and the standards they used to come up with five essential questions surrounding an eight-week unit on poetry. Each of these questions helps to address the school standards and the Common Core State Standards…

Continual assessment of student understanding is a crucial aspect of teaching. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) represents raised expectations for the level and depth of mathematical understanding that is expected of our students. But new standards also mean new tests. What those tests will be like is of…

This article focuses on the grade-level outcomes to be assessed on middle school (grades 6-8) physical education. Specifically, the article describes how to teach basic tactics and strategies while applying fundamental movement patterns to the various game and movement categories (invasion, net/wall, target, fielding/striking, dance/rhythms, &…

Much research has been done on the development of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS), and small empirical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of ITS at promoting student learning. However, large-scale implementation of ITS in school settings has not been researched thoroughly. In this paper, we describe an ongoing randomized controlled…

This protocol guides the review of research that informs the recommendations contained in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide, "Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively." The review-specific protocol is used in conjunction with the "WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook (version 3.0)." The practice guide…

Visual formative assessments (VFAs) allow more free more time for direct instruction. VFA's guide students in using simple images to demonstrate the essential learnings within a unit to themselves and the teacher. VFAs are powerful because they engage students to coalesce their understanding into a concise visual image. (Contains 2 figures.)

"Reasoning and sense making should occur in every classroom every day," states "Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making" (NCTM 2009, p. 5). As this book suggests, reasoning can take many forms, including explorations and conjectures as well as explanations and justifications of student thinking. Sense making, on the other…

This article features Smokey Road Middle School, a Title I school serving 850 middle level students in grades 6-8. The school is located on the outskirts of Newnan, Georgia, a historic city of approximately 27,000 residents. The growth and development of the Coweta County School District is largely attributed to its close proximity to Atlanta. In…

After accepting the principal position at Farmersville (TX) Junior High, the author decided to increase instructional rigor through question mapping because of the success he saw using this instructional practice at his prior campus. Teachers are the number one influence on student achievement (Marzano, 2003), so question mapping provides a…

This technical report describes the development of progress monitoring measures in the area of Reading Comprehension. Measures were developed for grades 6 through 8. Twenty alternate forms of each measure were created. Passages were written by graduate students and reviewed by the lead author, as well as teachers and panels of graduate students.…

This article discusses the "BASICS" or "Building Accuracy and Speed In Core Skills" Mathematics Intervention Program which has been designed to enable students who are either low-achievers or have some form of learning disability, to attain real improvement and make the successful transition to core mathematics. The "BASICS" Intervention Program…