If we are to maintain our status as one of the world's leading economies and secure our economic futures, and if we want our students to thrive in the impossibly complex, unpredictable world of the 21st century, we must concentrate on increasing educational achievement by increasing the quality of the teachers in our schools. The author faces this challenge head-on by making a case for the important role of formative assessment in increasing teacher quality and student learning. Formative assessment plays an important role in increasing teacher quality and student learning when it's viewed as a process rather than a tool. Emphasizing the instructional side of formative assessment, this book explores in-depth the use of classroom questioning, learning intentions and success criteria, feedback, collaborative and cooperative learning, and self-regulated learning to engineer effective learning environments for students. Benefits * Presents five key strategies with research evidence to show the impact of each * Includes over 50 practical techniques for classroom formative assessmentContents Introduction Chapter 1: Why Educational Achievement Matters Chapter 2: The Case for Formative Assessment Chapter 3: Clarifying, Sharing, and Understanding Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Chapter 4: Eliciting Evidence of Learners Achievement Chapter 5: Providing Feedback That Moves Learning Forward Chapter 6: Activating Students as Instructional Resources for One Another Chapter 7: Activating Students as Owners of Their Own Learning Epilogue References and Resources

Embedded Formative Assessment

Dylan Wiliam

Solution Tree Press

Winner: Association of Educational Publishers 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award Finalist: Association of Educational Publishers 2009 Golden Lamp Award Are there students in your classroom who have hit the reading wall? Studies indicate comprehension regresses in many students once they reach middle school. Teachers need the right resources in their classrooms for engaging students in reading. This book is a veritable encyclopedia of literacy strategies secondary teachers can apply to all content areas immediately. It integrates key strategies, research from top literacy experts, and proven intervention practices. Benefits: 
<ul>
<li>Gain access to the most relevant research on literacy and its application in the classroom.</li> <li>Employ powerful tools to aid reflection and the implementation of new strategies.</li> <li>Discover over 50 strategies for engaging adolescent learners, empowering strategic learning, building comprehension, developing vocabulary, and writing to learn.</li> <li>Access over two dozen reproducibles for teachers and students.</li>
</ul>
Contents: Introduction: Using Power Tools to Improve Adolescent Literacy Chapter 1: Engaging the Adolescent Learner Chapter 2: Empowering Strategic Learning Chapter 3: Building Comprehension Chapter 4: Developing Vocabulary Chapter 5: Writing to Learn

Power Tools for Adolescent Literacy: Strategies for Learning (Activities and Games for the Classroom)

Education & Teaching

Jan Rozzelle

Carol Scearce

Schools & Teaching

Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap is a sequel to Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don t Learn (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, &amp; Karhanek, 2004). In Whatever It Takes, the authors addressed the question of what happens when students don't learn. In this sequel, the authors reiterate, reinforce, and expand upon the ideas in Whatever It Takes by exploring the following questions: 1. Is the PLC improvement process sustainable? The authors return to two of the schools featured in the Whatever it Takes case study to examine once again the intervention and enrichment processes they put in place and to consider how those processes have impacted student achievement in the years since Whatever It Takes. 2. Is this improvement process transferable? To answer this question, the authors explore the practices of schools at different grade levels, from different parts of the country, serving very different student populations to consider how they have transferred the research base on best practice and the experiences of other schools to become some of the best schools in America. 3. What is the role of the central office in promoting the professional learning communities concept throughout a district? The authors devote three chapters to case studies that examine how three different school districts have created the expectation that all of the schools in their districts would operate as professional learning communities. 4. How should we enrich and extend the learning of students who are proficient? In Whatever It Takes, the authors focused intensively on students who experienced academic difficulty. In this book, the authors address enrichment for proficient students by illustrating how the effective implementation of the PLC concept not only closes the gap for students who have historically struggled in schools but also raises the achievement bar for all students. 5. What prerequisite framework must be put in place in order for schools to create effective systems of intervention and enrichment? Creating an effective system of interventions and enrichment must be part of a larger cultural transformation of a school; however, educators often fail to fully appreciate the comprehensive change that must occur. In this book, the authors are explicit about the prerequisite work a school must address and the structures that must be in place as part of the process of creating powerful intervention and enrichment. 6. How have the changes in national educational policy impacted the premise that schools should have a systematic plan for responding to the learning needs of students? The authors address the future of No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) legislation of 2004 as it relates to the professional learning community concept. They also explore the connection between Response to Intervention (RTI) and the PLC concept.

Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap Whatever It Takes

Richard DuFour

Robert Eaker

Rebecca DuFour

Gayle Karhnek

With Foreword by William M. FerriterPersonal investment in learning is critical for every student. This practical resource introduces the key concepts of personalized learning and breaks down what personalized learning looks, sounds, and feels like in the classroom. The authors reveal structures that empower student voice and choice across a school and lead to increased motivation for students. They also share stories about real students who have had the life-changing opportunity to design their own learning experiences.Increase student engagement in the classroom using personalized learning techniques:Receive inspiration that will help you change the culture of learning for students and increase student motivation.Learn the roles of students, teachers, school site administrators, and district administrators in this culture change.Explore readiness tiers, indicators, student supports, and student engagement strategies, including personal learning plans.Uncover right-now ideas for engaging students in important curricular decisions.Discover ways to amplify student voices within school as a whole.Contents:Foreword by William M. FerriterIntroduction: Defining Moments and Defining TermsChapter 1: Empowering Learner VoiceChapter 2: Empowering Learner ChoiceChapter 3: Empowering Learner Voice and Choice at ScaleEpilogue: The Personalized Approach

Personalizing Learning Through Voice and Choice (Increasing Student Engagement in the Classroom) (Solutions for Creating the Learning Spaces Students Deserve)

Adam Garry

Amos Fodchuk

Lauren Hobbs

Leaders of Learning: How District, School, and Classroom Leaders Improve Student Achievement

Robert J. Marzano

2015 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist in Education Discover how to enhance teaching and learning using the seven essential elements of the Unstoppable Learning model: (1) planning, (2) launching, (3) consolidating, (4) assessing, (5) adapting, (6) managing, and (7) leading. Examine how to use systems thinking to create a network of interactions that promote best practices in teaching and enhance student learning schoolwide. Every classroom has a network of relationships among schools, families, and communities that impacts the classroom. This book will help you cultivate teaching practices that create optimal learning and working environments. You'll gain a variety of proven strategies and tools for creating learning outcomes, preparing effective lessons, adapting learning in response to students' individual needs, and more. After reading this book, you should be able to: 
<ul>
<li>Distinguish patterns and consider short- and long-term consequences in the classroom.</li> <li>Use the seven elements of the Unstoppable Learning model to better understand the big picture of education and the intricate relationships that impact classrooms and school leadership.</li> <li>Prompt discussion and reflection using the driving questions and chapter takeaways to foster school improvement.</li> <li>Identify strategies and tools to create clear learning targets, prepare effective lessons, and successfully assess instruction.</li> <li>Gather helpful sample surveys, unit plans, analysis forms, rubrics, templates, and pull-out questions to reach selected learning outcomes. </li>
</ul>
Contents: Introduction: The Business of Learning Chapter 1: Planning Learning Chapter 2: Launching Learning Chapter 3: Consolidating Learning Chapter 4: Assessing Learning Chapter 5: Adapting Learning Chapter 6: Managing Learning Chapter 7: Leading Learning Appendix: Driving Questions

Unstoppable Learning: Seven Essential Elements to Unleash Student Potential (Using Systems Thinking to Improve Teaching Practices and Learning Outcomes)

douglas-fisher

NANCY, FREY

Differentiation and the Brain

David A. Sousa

Through engaging stories and studies, the author shows you how to leverage the most provocative neuroscience research to increase your productivity, expand your creative vision, and become a stronger leader. By dispelling brain myths and applying an understanding of how the brain perceives, plans, and influences behavior, you'll transform your leadership, organizational management, and impact. 
The neuroscience and leadership topics addressed in this book will help you: Deal with information overload and ignore irrelevant information to improve your decision-making process Cultivate and develop creativity and solve problems by thinking differently Increase your emotional intelligence to work and build relationships with colleagues effectively Control stress in the workplace and manage the emotions of a crisis Nurture a healthy brain by understanding the impact of diet, exercise, and sleep on your mental wellness\nContents: 
Introduction 
Chapter 1: The Curse of Too Much Information 
Chapter 2: The Myth of Multitasking 
Chapter 3: Respecting the Emotional Brain 
Chapter 4: Improving Your Thinking 
Chapter 5: Leading by Dissent 
Chapter 6: Moral and Ethical Leadership 
Chapter 7: Taking Care of Your Brain 
Notes 
Bibliography 
Index

Brainwork: The Neuroscience Behind How We Lead Others (Understanding and Applying Neuroleadership, the Neuroscience of Leadership)

Business & Money

Management & Leadership

Improve core instruction to ensure learning for all. Created specifically for grades 6-12, this book provides proven response to intervention strategies to differentiate instruction, engage students, increase success, and avoid additional interventions. Discover how to identify essential power standards to include in Tier 1 instruction, create a brain-friendly learning environment, shift instructional processes to support collaboration, and more. Understand the power of RTI to enhance core instruction and provide timely, targeted, and systematic interventions for students in need: <ul>
<li>Gain effective strategies to differentiate learning, and understand the variety of ways students learn.</li> <li>Incorporate the four Cs -- communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking -- into curriculum design.</li> <li>Shift from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction to enhance learning.</li> <li>Use formative assessment and preassessment to plan for instruction and extend learning tasks when necessary.</li> <li>Raise the bar for all learners by enhancing rigor and providing learners opportunities to grow.</li> </ul>
Contents: About the Authors Introduction Chapter 1: Shifting to Collaborative Core Instruction Chapter 2: Creating Brain-Friendly Learning Environments Chapter 3: Finding Each Student's Learning Sweet Spot Chapter 4: Developing a Powerful Core Curriculum Chapter 5: Differentiating Instruction Through Pluralized Teaching Strategies Chapter 6: Using Data to Inform Instruction Chapter 7: Building Cognitive Rigor, Depth, and Complexity Epilogue: Embracing the Journey References and Resources

Best Practices at Tier 1: Daily Differentiation for Effective Instruction, Secondary (RTI at Work: Collaborative, Multi-Modal Core Instruction Addressing Student Learning Preferences)

Martha Kaufeldt

Mike Mattos

Gayle Gregory

Daily observation of classroom teaching can significantly impact the quality of teaching and learning. Organized into 21 chapters designed to be read over a period of 21 school days, Now We're Talking! presents a results-driven approach that far surpasses traditional walkthrough models of feedback for teachers. School leaders will complete two cycles of teacher evaluations while reading the book and establish the necessary foundation for subsequent visits. This plan will help you incorporate daily classroom walkthroughs to improve teaching and learning: 
<ul>
<li>Understand how daily classroom observation can help you make informed decisions that foster rich relationships with teachers, improve professional practices, reduce stress, and increase student learning.</li> <li>Discover how to conduct teacher evaluations and classroom walkthroughs to improve teaching and learning, fostering high-performance results and high-quality instructional leadership.</li> <li>Make performing teacher observations and giving feedback to teachers a daily practice.</li> <li>Learn supervision and instructional leadership skills that establish effective communication in schools.</li> <li>Gain time-management tips for streamlining your inboxes, staying organized, and prioritizing work so you have time for daily classroom visits and classroom observation feedback.</li>
</ul>
 Contents: Week 1: High-Performance Instructional Leadership Fundamentals Chapter 1: Understanding Why Instructional Leaders Belong in Classrooms Chapter 2: Following the High-Performance Instructional Leadership Model Chapter 3: Acknowledging Related Instructional Leadership, Supervision, and Walkthrough Models Chapter 4: Conducting Your First Two Cycles of Visits Chapter 5: Thinking Ahead to Your Third Cycle of Visits Week 2: High-Performance Habits Chapter 6: Making Time to Visit Classrooms Chapter 7: Keeping Your Communication Channels Under Control Chapter 8: Managing the Work You're Not Doing Yet Chapter 9: Organizing Your To-Do List Chapter 10: Maximizing Your Mental Energy With Habits Week 3: High-Impact Instructional Conversations Chapter 11: Going Beyond Data Collection and the Feedback Sandwich Chapter 12: Facilitating Evidence-Based Conversations Chapter 13: Bringing a Shared Instructional Framework Into the Conversation Chapter 14: Developing Skills for High-Impact Conversations Chapter 15: Handling the Toughest Conversations Week 4: High-Performance Instructional Leadership Enhancement Chapter 16: Building Your Feedback Repertoire Chapter 17: Balancing Your Formal Evaluation Responsibilities Chapter 18: Identifying Improvements From Classroom Visits Chapter 19: Opening the Door to New Models of Professional Learning Chapter 20: Choosing an Instructional Focus for an Observation Cycle Chapter 21: Scaling Classroom Visits Across Your School and District

Now We're Talking! 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership (Making Time for Classroom Observation and Teacher Evaluation)

Justin Baeder

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