http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/ Conversation, insight, and resources for educators en-US Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.typepad.com/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/assessment-a-forward-look-1966.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/assessment-a-forward-look-1966.html As we consider how best to use multiple measures of assessment to determine the success of our schools, it's instructive to look back at the dawn of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which in its infancy used a... My Back Pages David Snyder Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/better-support-for-from-middle-school-parents.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/better-support-for-from-middle-school-parents.html Ed Week's Debra Viadero has a great new piece profiling the work of Harvard University researcher Nancy E. Hill. Hill writes about how schools can better guide parents in supporting the scholarship of their adolescent or middle school-age children. Hill's... Whole Child Laura Varlas Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:29:26 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/the-many-meanings-of-multiple-measures.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/the-many-meanings-of-multiple-measures.html The Many Meanings of "Multiple Measures" Is anything that measures higher-order thinking a "multiple measure"? What about more than one opportunity to take the same exit exam? Is that a "multiple measure"? From how state and federal policy define and... ASCD Bloggers Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/a-novel-approach-political-debate-that-illuminates-vs-obscures.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/a-novel-approach-political-debate-that-illuminates-vs-obscures.html Given the uncivil discourse that's dominated most of the health care reform debate, should those of us who place children at the center of our decision making approach the coming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with... Education Policy Melissa McCabe Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:49:21 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/notes-from-the-school-psychologist.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/notes-from-the-school-psychologist.html Some of the same qualities that make a great school counselor—humor, insight, and empathy—also make a great blogger. In Notes from the School Psychologist, clinical psychiatrist Rebecca Branstetter writes about everything from student motivation to parenting with verve, intelligence, and... EdBlog Watch Ben Licciardi Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/ascd-testimony-on-child-nutrition-and-wellness.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/ascd-testimony-on-child-nutrition-and-wellness.html A report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released yesterday shows that in 2008 almost 15 percent of U.S. households were food insecure, meaning they had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year. This... Education Policy Whole Child Melissa McCabe Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:21:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/meep-learning-curve-on-discipline.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/meep-learning-curve-on-discipline.html Zero-tolerance policies are often a last resort born out of frustration—the sort of scenario you can imagine resulted in the Danvers High principal recently deciding to ban the word "meep" from utterance on school grounds. The problem is that zero-tolerance... In the News Laura Varlas Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:11:34 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/meeting-students-where-they-are.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/meeting-students-where-they-are.html ASCD Express is looking for short, 600 to 1,000-word essays on the theme "Meeting Students Where They Are." The theme description is below, and guidelines for submissions are here. Send us your submissions by December 7, 2009. Kids come to... Announcements ASCD Bloggers Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/fewer-topics-deeper-learning-guide-math-success-in-oregons-middle-grades.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/fewer-topics-deeper-learning-guide-math-success-in-oregons-middle-grades.html Oregon middle schoolers in every racial, ethnic, and income group are demonstrating better mastery of math concepts—including algebraic reasoning, statistics, and geometry—than they did just three years ago, reports The Oregonian. Teaching for understanding, not coverage of topics, takes precedence... Most-Clicked Laura Varlas Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:59:43 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/have-you-been-used.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/have-you-been-used.html (Post submitted by ASCD Scholars facilitator Jen Morrison.) Does working toward promoting the highest expectations for our students make us susceptible to manipulation? Numerous stakeholders drive the conversation about education and they use all sorts of tactics. We've all encountered... ASCD Scholars ASCD Bloggers Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:30:27 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/rules-procedures.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/rules-procedures.html In this first of twin chapters (6 and 7), Marzano moves from content and pedagogy to classroom management. What are the most effective ways to set ground rules, establish procedures, and design the physical space of a classroom such that... Teaching ASCD Bloggers Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/new-teachers-guide-to-better-assessment.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/new-teachers-guide-to-better-assessment.html In "The New Teacher's Guide to Better Assessment," Mary Jo Grdina sets up two scenarios that hamper deft use of assessments for new and longtime teachers: Newbies often leave teacher education programs with idealistic visions of the range of assessments... Educational Leadership ASCD Bloggers Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:01:14 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/turning-to-national-standards.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/turning-to-national-standards.html ASCD Express is looking for short, 600–1,000-word essays on the theme "Turning to National Standards." The theme description is below, and guidelines for submissions are here. Send us your submissions by November 23, 2009. The drumbeat for national standards has... Announcements ASCD Bloggers Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/high-schools-in-black-white.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/high-schools-in-black-white.html Last school year Cloonan Middle School in Stamford, Conn., began detracking and implementing mixed-ability classrooms to address pervasive achievement gaps. Interest in detracking remains high; in the current most-clicked ASCD SmartBrief story, NPR follows the effects of tracking at Columbia... Most-Clicked Laura Varlas Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:28:15 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/who-will-lead.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/who-will-lead.html Post submitted by ASCD Scholars facilitator Tom Hoerr. A recent article in Education Week said, "Studies are showing that many principals don't stay on the job long, and that those who leave don't take other jobs as school leaders." But... ASCD Scholars ASCD Bloggers Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:36:09 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/contrasting-attitudes-of-japanese-and-american-teachers.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/contrasting-attitudes-of-japanese-and-american-teachers.html In the March 1982 issue of Educational Leadership, research associate Takiko Morimoto explores the attitudes of Japanese and American educators by comparing survey results from a small sample of teachers in Los Angeles with a small sample in Tokyo. Asked... My Back Pages Ben Licciardi Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/facing-first-year-challenges.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/facing-first-year-challenges.html Little support and even less classroom experience combined to make Deirdra Grode's first year teaching chaotic and almost her last. It didn't have to be that way. Grode says training on how to organize the classroom and learning, better understanding... In the Classroom with . . . ASCD Bloggers Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:24:17 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/platooning-at-the-elementary-level.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/platooning-at-the-elementary-level.html Platooning, or departmentalizing instruction according to content area, is on the rise in elementary schools, according to last week's most popular SmartBrief story. High-stakes tests that target subject areas and grade levels are cited as the big motivator in this... Most-Clicked ASCD Bloggers Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:13:34 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/measuring-arras-impact-on-education.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/measuring-arras-impact-on-education.html Late last week Vice President Joe Biden hosted an event to highlight jobs saved or created with money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Two ASCD members were featured at the event: Jill Neustadt, a math content coach... Education Policy Melissa McCabe Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:01:40 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/why-should-we-care-about-teacher-leadership.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/why-should-we-care-about-teacher-leadership.html Presenter Ann Nkiruka Ifekwunigwe posed this question to a room of attendees Sunday morning in her ASCD Fall Conference session, "Preparing Successful Teacher Leaders: What Have We Learned?" She then shared some research about why teacher leadership is a worthy... Conference on Teaching and Learning ASCD Bloggers Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/take-back-the-mic.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/take-back-the-mic.html (Post submitted by ASCD Scholars facilitator Jen Morrison.) I once worked in a large, top-down, bureaucratic district where, as a teacher, I was expected to follow a detailed pacing guide, give weekly district assessments, and work only from the adopted... ASCD Scholars ASCD Bloggers Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:30:30 -0500 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/what-methods-work-in-the-classroom.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/what-methods-work-in-the-classroom.html At ASCD's Fall Conference, ASCD author Doug Fisher is discussing what methods work in the classroom during his session, "Better Learning Through Structured Teaching." Fisher says the balance between teacher responsibility and student responsibility in the classroom is key to... Conference on Teaching and Learning Matthew Swift Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:08:05 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/to-laminate-or-cutkeepcreate-curriculum.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/to-laminate-or-cutkeepcreate-curriculum.html This morning at ASCD's Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning, author Heidi Hayes Jacobs spoke about upgrading curriculum for 21st century learners, or what she calls "Curriculum 21." Her forthcoming ASCD book of essays on the topic is due out... Conference on Teaching and Learning ASCD Bloggers Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:03:45 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/marzano-on-feedback-that-improves-teaching.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/marzano-on-feedback-that-improves-teaching.html How do supervisors systematically give teachers feedback so that they improve? To answer this question, in his Fall Conference session "Supervising the Art and Science of Teaching," Robert Marzano also had to address how supervisors don’t give teachers feedback that... Conference on Teaching and Learning Laura Varlas Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:36:00 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/21st-century-assessments.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/21st-century-assessments.html This morning at ASCD's Fall Conference, Paige Johnson talked about the buzz around teaching 21st century skills and why it's a worthy topic. On assessments, she brought up an interesting new development: Denmark is piloting a high school exit exam... Conference on Teaching and Learning Laura Varlas Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:27:15 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/how-did-test-scores-become-king.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/how-did-test-scores-become-king.html Post submitted by guest blogger Gerald Bracey. A longtime champion of accurate analysis of education research and vocal advocate for public education, Bracey died October 20, 2009. In my article in the November Educational Leadership ("The Big Tests: What Ends... Educational Leadership ASCD Bloggers Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:11:47 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/kinds-of-knowledge-principals-use.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/kinds-of-knowledge-principals-use.html A new article from the International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership explores the types of knowledge principals use and need, underscoring the need for more principal training that develops candidates' experiential or tacit knowledge. The article identifies three big... Publications ASCD Bloggers Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/duncan-puts-ed-schools-on-blast.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/duncan-puts-ed-schools-on-blast.html Last week saw the most clicks landing on coverage of Arne Duncan's speech at Columbia University's Teachers College, where the Education Secretary criticized U.S. education schools for ill-preparing K-12 teachers. High enrollment programs like education bring in the bucks, but... Most-Clicked ASCD Bloggers Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:17:42 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/do-we-pay-a-price-for-being-nice.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/do-we-pay-a-price-for-being-nice.html The norms in education are different than in politics. We don't throw shoes at leaders, we don't yell "You lie" during a speech, and we don't heckle and boo when someone is speaking. But does that politeness carry a cost?... ASCD Scholars ASCD Bloggers Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0400 http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/continuity-of-learning-and-h1n1-what-questions-do-you-have.html http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/continuity-of-learning-and-h1n1-what-questions-do-you-have.html If you missed ASCD's web seminar H1N1 and Continuity of Learning: Meeting Students' Learning Needs When they Return to School, set aside some time to listen to the archived version of the presentation at our H1N1 page. Hosted by ASCD... Ben Licciardi Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:47:52 -0400