Leadership in Action: What are Learning Standards? Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page October 24, 2012 NEW ENGLAND SECONDARY SCHOOL CONSORTIUM This issue brief from the New England Secondary School Consortium’s Leadership in Action series explains what “learning standards” are and how to implement them in the classroom. Standards do not stifle teacher creativity—in…
Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page October 01, 2012 JAMES PELLEGRINO To achieve their full potential in college and beyond, high school students need to develop a range of skills and knowledge that facilitate mastery and application of English,…
The Art and Science of Designing Competencies Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page July 22, 2012 CHRIS STURGIS This brief, published in 2012, details what makes a “good” competency and how education leaders and reformers can begin thinking about, designing, and implementing competency-based education. Competency-based education, based on learning objectives that empower students,…
Latino/a and Black Students and Mathematics Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page July 20, 2012 ROCHELLE GUTIERREZ AND SONYA E. IRVING Many students feel disconnected from mathematics, often taught without context or relation to everyday life. Black and Latino/a students–typically underserved groups, may struggle with math more than their peers. This 2012 report…
Mind, Brain, and Education Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page July 20, 2012 CHRISTINA HINTON, KURT W. FISCHER, AND CATHERINE GLENNON Technological breakthroughs make research in human biology and cognitive science more relevant for education than ever before. The authors of this report suggest that student-centered approaches support learning in the brain—and such…
Motivation, Engagement, and Student Voice Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page July 20, 2012 ERIC TOSHALIS AND MICHAEL J. NAKKULA Teachers are constantly attempting to persuade students to participate in meaningful class activities and motivate students to achieve. When teachers are successful, classrooms come alive with exploration, discovering and learning. When they fall…
Literacy Practices for African-American Male Adolescents Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page July 19, 2012 ALFRED W. TATUM Just 38% of 12th graders performed at or above a proficient level in reading in 2009. Despite efforts to close the achievement gap, African-American boys fare even worse in literacy. This 2012 Students at the…
Personalization in Schools Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page July 19, 2012 SUSAN YONEZAWA, LARRY MCCLURE, AND MAKEBA JONES Thoughtful educators personalize school every day—greeting students by name, offering academic help, checking in about serious family problems. But how can teacher-student relationships play a more formal role in personalizing education for students? This…
Leadership in Action: What are Professional Learning Communities? Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page April 23, 2012 NEW ENGLAND SECONDARY SCHOOL CONSORTIUM This issue brief from the New England Secondary School Consortium’s Leadership in Action series outlines why professional learning communities may be the most effective, affordable, and sustainable school improvement strategy around.…
Assessing Learning Download the Full PDFBack to Publications Page April 19, 2012 HEIDI ANDRADE, KRISTEN HUFF, AND GEORGIA BROOKE Student-centered assessment is a vital part of student-centered learning approaches. This paper examines the defining qualities of student-centered assessment and underscores the importance of student-centered assessment as part of a balanced system of formative, interim,…