School-Wide Efforts

Avoiding a Rush to Judgment: Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Quality

By: Thomas Toch and Robert Rothman (2008)

Comprehensive methods of evaluating teachers that avoid the typical "drive-by" evaluations can promote improvements in teaching.

Reading Software: Finding the Right Program

By: National Center for Technology Innovation (2008)

With the range and variety of commercial software products on the shelves today, how can an educator or parent choose a program that will most benefit a particular student? Where are product reviews that can inform the decision?

Supporting a School-Wide Reading Initiative with Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

By: Stan Paine (2008)

How can school leaders support school-wide reading initiatives? Here are keys to leading the way in the areas of reading curriculum, instruction, assessment, and motivation.

What Does the Research Tell Us About Teacher Leadership?

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2008)

This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement looks at what research exists, and what it says about drawing on the skills of experienced teachers to facilitate school improvement.

Position Statement on Student Grade Retention and Social Promotion

By: National Association of School Psychologists (2008)

In this position statement about student grade retention and social promotion, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) identifies characteristics of students more likely to be retained; and the impact of retention at the secondary school level, late adolescence, and early adulthood. NASP also provides a long list of alternatives to retention and social promotion.

Teacher Knowledge Matters in Supporting Young Readers

By: Linda Fitzharris, Mary Blake Jones, and Allison Crawford (2008)

Knowing what teachers know and how they practice is necessary to ensure that there are professionals in every classroom meeting the diverse needs of students. Researchers evaluated case studies from a group of teachers and revealed four different levels of knowledge, indicating that future staff development needs to be differentiated and individualized.

The New Literacies

By: Zach Miners and Angela Pascopella (2007)

It might seem that evaluating information online (just one form of "new literacy") and reading a book (more of a foundational literacy) are pretty much the same thing. But there are differences that, when brought into the classroom and incorporated into curricula, are enriching the educational experiences of many K-12 students. Many administrators are beginning to recognize the need to revise their districts' media skills instruction.

Three Things Research Tells Us about Interventions for Struggling Readers

By: Joe Torgenson, et al. (2007)

This article, excerpted from a larger guidance document from the Center on Instruction, looks at what research tells us about helping students who read below grade level, and highlights the following findings: 1) schools must provide varied instructional support, based on the degree and nature of the student's difficulty; 2) it is important for students to learn comprehension strategies, and strategy instruction should be coordinated between literacy specialists and content-area teachers; and 3) more research is needed to prove which instructional improvements are really effective.

More Schools Turn to Extended Days

By: Ellen Delisio (2007)

Hours of test preparation, especially in underperforming schools, has left little time for electives or even some of the un-tested basic subjects. Adding time to the school day and year has helped some schools improve their scores and flesh out their curriculums.

Instructional Coaching

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2007)

Many school districts have adopted instructional coaching as a model for teachers’ professional development. This brief offers guidance on how school leaders can tailor the most promising coaching strategies to the needs of their schools.

An Educator's Guide to Making Textbooks Accessible and Usable for Students with Learning Disabilities

By: Center for Applied Special Technology and LD OnLine (2007)

Learn how to obtain instructional materials in electronic text for your students who are dyslexic. E-text makes textbooks and other materials usable by supported reading software. Get names and links of publishers and accessible media producers to find the E-text you need. And learn how to qualify your students and obtain materials produced by the National Instructional Material Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) system.

Characteristics of Improved School Districts

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2006)

What are the factors that can improve school districts? This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement reviewed more than 80 research articles that investigated the attributes of schools and districts that have improved over time and found 13 themes or characteristics common to them.

The Role of the School Psychologist in the RTI Process

By: National Association of School Psychologists (2006)

School psychologists working in districts that use Response to Intervention (RTI) can offer expertise at many levels, from system-wide program design to specific assessment and intervention efforts with individual students.

Creating Positive School Experiences for Students with Disabilities

By: Amy Milsom (2006)

The school experiences of students with disabilities can be positively or negatively influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of students and staff and by general school policies. School counselors can take the lead in assessing school climate in relation to students with disabilities and initiating interventions or advocating for change when appropriate. This article provides an overview of factors to consider in creating positive school experiences for students with disabilities and suggestions for intervention efforts.

School Counselors and School Psychologists: Collaborating to Ensure Minority Students Receive Appropriate Consideration for Special Educational Programs

By: Andres Barona and Maryann Santos de Barona (2006)

This article discusses the challenges in providing psychoeducational services to the rapidly increasing minority populations in the U.S. and offers a brief elaboration of the role and function of school counselors and school psychologists and how they can meet the mental health and educational needs of this large and growing population.

Teach to the Test? Just Say No

By: Craig D. Jerald (2006)

It is possible for educators to make better choices about how and when to teach to the test than the alarmist newspaper articles and editorials would seem to suggest. This article from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement aims to help readers think beyond simple compliance with federal law or basic implementation of programs.

School Culture: "The Hidden Curriculum"

By: Craig D. Jerald (2006)

Walk into any truly excellent school and you can feel it almost immediately — a calm, orderly atmosphere that hums with an exciting, vibrant sense of purposefulness. This is a positive school culture, the kind that improves educational outcomes.

Teaching All Students to Read: Practices from Reading First Schools with Strong Intervention Outcomes

By: Elizabeth Crawford and Joseph K. Torgesen (2006)

Improving the effectiveness of interventions for struggling readers is critical. It requires a school-level system for early identification of 'at risk' students and then providing those students with intensive interventions. This article describes what the Florida Center for Reading Research has learned by visiting Reading First schools that have demonstrated success in reaching struggling readers. School leaders will find ideas described here that can help them successfully meet the unique challenges within their own schools.

Role of Principal Leadership in Improving Student Achievement

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2005)

The most influential educational leaders are the principal and superintendent, and their leadership is inextricably linked to student performance. This article looks at the basics of good leadership and offers practical suggestions.

Principal as Instructional Leader: Designing a Coaching Program That Fits

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2005)

Research shows that effective school leaders focus on improving classroom instruction, not just managerial tasks. A natural way for school leaders to take on the role of instructional leader is to serve as a "chief" coach for teachers by designing and supporting strong classroom level instructional coaching. Here's how to selecting a coaching approach that meets the particular needs of a school and how to implement and sustain the effort.