This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Julie M. Hume, Meghan K. Block, Joshua Fahey Lawrence, Carlotta A. Rody, Barbara A. Walters, Laura Neergaard Booker, Chip Donohue, Michelle S. Switala, Christine Leow, and Susan M. Poglinco.
(2013). Adolescent Literacy in the Era of the Common Core: From Research into Practice, Harvard Education Press. "Adolescent Literacy in the Era of the Common Core" provides school leaders, teachers, and others with strategies and best practices for advancing adolescent literacy in the classroom. Exceptionally clear and accessible, the book addresses a full range of topics in this vitally important field, including disciplinary literacy; vocabulary instruction; classroom discussion; motivation and engagement related to digital literacy; the use of multiple texts; and writing to learn. This book presents "usable knowledge" of the highest order and of immediate value to school leaders and teachers. It will be required reading for all educators concerned with promoting and furthering adolescent literacy today. Contents include: (1) Bridging Content and Literacy Knowledge and Instruction: A Framework for Supporting Secondary Teachers and Students (Jacy Ippolito and Joshua Fahey Lawrence); (2) Research in Disciplinary Literacy: Challenges and Instructional Opportunities in Teaching Disciplinary Texts (Emily Phillips Galloway, Joshua Fahey Lawrence, and Elizabeth Birr Moje); (3) Disciplinary Literacy in Practice: The Disciplinary Literacy Network as a Vehicle for Strengthening Instruction Across Content Areas (Lisa Messina); (4) Research in Vocabulary: Word Power for Content-Area Learning (Joshua Fahey Lawrence, Bridget Maher, and Catherine E. Snow); (5) Vocabulary in Practice: Creating Word-Curious Classrooms (Christina L. Dobbs); (6) Research in Discussion: Effective Support for Literacy, Content, and Academic Achievement (Catherine J. Michener and Evelyn Ford-Connors); (7) Discussion in Practice: Sharing Our Learning Curve (Abigail Erdmann and Margaret Metzger); (8) Research in Digital Literacy: Tools to Support Learning Across the Disciplines (Joshua Fahey Lawrence, Mark Warschauer, Binbin Zheng, and Diana Mullins); (9) Digital Literacy in Practice: Achieving a Cosmopolitan Orientation (Ann Mechem Ziergiebel); (10) Research in Multiple Texts and Text Support (Cynthia Shanahan); (11) Multiple Texts in Practice: Fostering Accessibility, Engagement, and Comprehension (Joanna Lieberman and Janet Looney); (12) Research in Writing: The Rightful Place of Writing-to-Learn in Content Teaching (Vicki A. Jacobs); (13) Writing in Practice: Strategies for Use Across the Disciplines (Carol Booth Olson and Catherine D'Aoust); (14) Professional Learning as the Key to Linking Content and Literacy Instruction (Jacy Ippolito); and (15) Meeting the Challenge of the Common Core State Standards (Jacy Ippolito and Colleen Zaller). An index is also included. [More] Descriptors: Common Core State Standards, Elementary Secondary Education, Adolescents, Vocabulary Development
(2013). Establishing Time for Professional Learning, Learning Forward. Finding time for job-embedded professional learning is one of the most frequently cited challenges with implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). With "Establishing Time for Professional Learning," practitioners and education leaders use tools to identify current allocations of time for professional learning, analyze how that time is being used and what results are associated with it, and increase the effectiveness of the existing time before seeking additional time. "A schedule is a 'thing' that can be–and should be–manipulated in ways that are best for student learning. Collaborative professional learning does not begin with plans for a schedule change, but with commitment to a cultural change," said Jack Linton, Assistant Superintendent of the Petal (Miss.) School District. "Establishing Time for Professional Learning" was published as part of Learning Forward's ongoing initiative to develop a comprehensive system of professional learning that spans the distance from the statehouse to the classroom. The initiative, Transforming Professional Learning to Prepare College- and Career-Ready Students: Implementing the Common Core, is supported by Sandler Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and MetLife Foundation. The workbook is organized into seven sections, each associated with a step of a process for studying, designing, implementing time for educator collaboration, and evaluating its success. The processes and tools included in the workbook will provide educators, parents, and community leaders with resources to create time for educator collaboration, increase the amount of time for collaboration, or refine the use of collaborative time to achieve the district's and school's goals related to implementing CCSS, new assessments, and other reforms. "Innovation in any industry requires time for retooling existing practices, equipment, procedures, and facilities," said Learning Forward executive director Stephanie Hirsh. "In order to use the Common Core standards and other college- and career-ready standards most effectively, educators must find the time to revise practices and continuously engage in standards-based, collaborative professional learning." [More] Descriptors: Faculty Development, Time Management, Teacher Collaboration, Academic Standards
(2013). Enacting Reasoning-and-Proving in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms through Tasks, ProQuest LLC. Proof is the mathematical way of convincing oneself and others of the truth of a claim for all cases in the domain under consideration. As such, reasoning-and-proving is a crucial, formative practice for all students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, which is reflected in the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics. However, students and teachers exhibit many difficulties employing, writing, and understanding reasoning-and-proving. In particular, teachers are challenged by their knowledge base, insufficient resources, and unsupportive pedagogy. The Cases of Reasoning and Proving (CORP) materials were designed to offer teachers opportunities to engage in reasoning-and-proving tasks, discuss samples of authentic practice, examine research-based frameworks, and develop criteria for evaluating reasoning-and-proving products based on the core elements of proof. A six-week graduate level course was taught with the CORP materials with the goal of developing teachers' understanding of what constitutes reasoning-and-proving, how secondary students benefit from reasoning-and-proving, and how they can support the development of students' capacities to reason-and-prove. Research was conducted on four participants of the course during either their first or second year of teaching. The purpose of the research was to study the extent to which the participants selected, implemented, and evaluated students' work on reasoning-and-proving tasks. The participants' abilities were examined through an analysis of answers to interview questions, tasks used in class, and samples of student work, and scoring criteria. The results suggest that: 1.) participants were able to overcome some of the limitations of their insufficient resource by modifying and creating some reasoning-and-proving exercises; 2.) participants were able to maintain the level of cognitive demand of proof tasks during implementation; and 3.) participants included some if not all of the core elements of proof in their definition of proof and in their evaluation criteria for student products of reasoning-and-proving products. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Mathematical Logic, Validity, Graduate Study
(2013). Children's Writing and Talk in a Postmodern Picturebook Study Group, ProQuest LLC. Widely adopted Common Core State Standards emphasize textual analysis and writing "about" texts (Bomer & Maloch, 2011), but provide little guidance on "what" students should read beyond general references to traditional literature (fables, folktales, and myths) and informational texts. However, as Meek (1988) and others have argued, different texts support different visions of what texts and reading look like and what they are for, so the question of what is read is far from trivial. Researchers have posited that postmodern picturebooks, which break with a range of literary conventions, reflect the literacy demands of an increasingly digital and multimodal society; others have cautioned that these texts may unduly challenge child readers still becoming familiar with literary conventions. This case study was designed to investigate the ways in which a group of five rising fourth graders responded orally during readaloud discussions of a set of postmodern picturebooks and the extent to which the students' writing incorporated characteristics of postmodern literature. Whereas prior research analyzed oral response exclusively, or examined student writing in a context of explicit instruction and mandates to include postmodern characteristics, this study considered an instructional context more permeable to students' choices and intentions. Analysis of digital recordings of students' talk during literature discussions and writing time, as well as of their writing, allowed for a consideration of the range of literacy practices that students demonstrated as they engaged with literature and developed pieces of their own. This analysis revealed themes in students' engagement with postmodern features common to literature discussion and writing. Findings indicated that students engaged with intertextuality in terms of degree of borrowing as well as in terms of techniques for borrowing. Further, findings signaled that audience, performance, and play were useful constructs for understanding how specific techniques like voice acting and direct address supported students' sense-making from postmodern picturebooks as well as their authorship of texts. These findings suggest that policy-makers reconsider narrow conceptions of the relationship between the texts students read and the texts they produce given evidence of a more complex, recursive, and multidirectional sense-making process involving writing, drawing, and literature discussion. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Reading Materials, Picture Books, Case Studies, Grade 4
(2013). The Relationship between Reading Response Journals as an Intervention and Reading Achievement of Fourth and Fifth Graders in a Suburban School District, ProQuest LLC. Many of today's students are reading below grade level and schools are investigating methods for increasing student achievement in the area of reading. This mixed method research study investigated the achievement of students who were reading below grade level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between reading response journals as an intervention and student achievement of fourth and fifth grade students in a suburban school district. The research questions this study addressed were: (1) Does implementation of reading response journals improve student achievement in reading? (2) Does implementation of reading response journals aid a student in preparing for the Common Core State Standards? (3) What impact do reading response journals have on a student's instructional reading level? The researcher used a teacher questionnaire to obtain qualitative data. The researcher used paired t-tests to compare DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) scores from September 2012 and December 2012 and reading pre and posttest scores. These results were then triangulated to provide conclusions. The researcher concluded that the use of reading response journals can have a positive effect on students' reading level, responding to their reading using higher order thinking skills, and growing as a reader in general. Many of the qualitative findings centered on the high need for students to be active writers during the reading process. Although an overwhelmingly large number of students improved during this research study, it is difficult to conclude that these results were yielded solely from using reading response journals as an intervention to benefit student achievement. The results of this study can open the door for expansion in the area of reading response journals. Suggestions for school districts are to increase the amount of time that students are spending on authentic experiences with reading and writing and to teach reading and writing across the curriculum. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Elementary School Students, Grade 4, Grade 5, Reading Achievement
(2012). THE Source of Leadership for Early Childhood Technology Implementation: YOU!, Exchange: The Early Childhood Leaders' Magazine Since 1978. Being a child care administrator today is like being on a winding road full of unexpected twists and turns. Embracing the challenges of quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS), Common Core Standards, state preschool standards, rising costs, and an increasingly competitive enrollment landscape are just a few of the curves one has to navigate every day. The decision to embrace a growing array of technology tools in one's program is yet another intriguing bend in the road. Deciding whether to use technology, and the decisions about who, what, when, where, and how to use technology have implications for every teacher, parent, and child in one's program. It can be hard to strike out in uncharted territory, so having a road map can help. Fortunately, there is a clear and useful source of direction for thinking about technology use in early learning settings: the new joint position statement issued by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at Saint Vincent College. This document provides the guidance and direction one needs to support and jumpstart one's decision making. [More] Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Young Children, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education
(2013). The Impact of Identifying a Specific Purpose and External Audience for Writing on Second Graders' Writing Quality, ProQuest LLC. The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS) emphasize the importance of writing and specify that students should write for external, and, at times, unfamiliar audiences. Given the relationship between audience specification and quality writing in older students, it seemed possible that giving young children an external audience and a specific purpose for their writing might also yield higher writing quality. The study addressed the question: How does the quality of young children's writing for both specified and unspecified purposes compare when writing for an internal audience versus writing for an external audience? The study used a within-subjects design to compare writing quality when second-grade students wrote for internal versus external audiences and for specified versus unspecified purposes. The study found that children are more likely to produce higher quality writing when writing for an external audience than for their teacher. When writing for an external audience, children had higher holistic scores and also had higher primary trait scores including focus, accuracy, details, illustrations complementing text, language of informational texts, addressing the audience, and navigational features; however, for navigational features there was an interaction effect as well. Additionally, when writing for an external audience, children included more generic noun constructions and generic verb constructions in their informative/explanatory writings. Although purpose did not have a statistically significant effect on writing quality, a specified purpose did have a statistically significant effect on amount of revision. This study suggests the need for a shift in for whom children write in school and why. In addition, this study suggests that assessments will elicit children's best writing when they establish an audience beyond the teacher and have a specified purpose. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Young Children, Elementary School Students, Grade 2, Childrens Writing
(2013). Scale-Up and Sustainability Study of the LDC and MDC Initiatives, Research For Action. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high quality instructional and formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Literacy experts have developed a framework and a set of templates that teachers can use to develop content area modules focused on high quality writing tasks closely tied to subject area texts. Math experts have developed Classroom Challenges that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum. These tools were introduced and revised in multiple settings throughout the 2010-2011 co-development year; during the 2011-2012 pilot year additional sites came on board and most existing sites saw expansion. The initiatives, the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and the Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC), have continued to grow in 2012-13. For the past three years, Research for Action (RFA) has been studying the early adoption of these tools, focusing on teachers' response to and use of the tools in 2010-2011, expanding to include an analysis of the scale up of the initiative in 2011-2012 and, in 2012-13, evaluating the status of the initiative and how conditions that support robust implementation are related to scale-up and sustainability of the initiative. This executive summary presents findings from the third year of research of the implementation, scaleup and sustainability of the LDC and MDC Initiatives. Findings presented in this report are primarily based on surveys with teachers, principals, and district administrators involved in the LDC and MDC initiatives. The authors approach this report with four objectives: (1) To provide a status update on the implementation of the LDC and MDC initiatives as of the 2012-13 school year; (2) To examine the extent to which the conditions that support robust implementation are in place as of the 2012-13 school year; (3) To present the status of scaling up the initiatives; and (4) To understand how the supporting conditions influence the scale up of the LDC and MDC initiatives. The overall picture is encouraging. Supports for successful implementation are more firmly established and the tools continue to be embraced by teachers, even as new schools and districts continue to be brought on board at an impressive rate. Further, there is evidence that supporting conditions have influenced scale-up of the initiative. The following are appended: (1) Data Sources and Methodology; (2) Overview of the LDC modules and MDC Classroom Challenges; and (3) Relationship of Scale-Up to Supporting Conditions. A bibliography is included. [More] Descriptors: Literacy, Reading Instruction, Mathematics Instruction, Program Implementation
(2013). Informational Text and the Common Core: A Content Analysis of Three Basal Reading Programs, ProQuest LLC. The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS-ELA) will have a significant impact on what teachers teach and what primary students are supposed to be able to do (Bomer & Maloch, 2011). By the end of fourth grade, reading instruction should be evenly balanced between literary text and informational text (NGA Center and CCSSO, 2010b). The purpose of this quantitative content analysis study was to compare the percentage of informational text found in the three most widely purchased, commercially published fourth grade basal reading texts ("Journeys" published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt [2011], "Treasures," published by MacMillan/McGraw-Hill, [2011], and "Reading Street," published by Scott Foresman [2012]) with the informational text recommendations of the CCSS-ELA (NGA Center and CCSSO, 2010b). Coding of informational vs. literary text in these commercial textbooks followed Krippendorff's (1980) definitions and analytical framework which yielded percentage breakdown of informational text into the following subcategories: expository text, argumentative or persuasive text, and procedural text or documents. Results demonstrated that none of the three commercial texts met CCSS-ELA standards of informational text. The percentage of selections devoted to informational text ranged from 28%-33% (mean = 31%) across publishers. The percentage of pages devoted to informational text ranged from 15%-18% (mean = 16.6%) across publishers. A chi square goodness-of-fit test revealed a significant difference in the observed frequencies of informational text in the commercial texts and the expected frequencies of 50% derived from the CCSS-ELA standards (p-value less than a = 0.05). The results indicated that the percentage of informational text found in the student text of the three most widely purchased fourth grade basal readers does not meet the informational text standard set for fourth grade by the CCSS-ELA (NGA Center and CCSSO, 2010b). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Reading Programs, State Standards, Content Analysis, Language Arts
(2009). International Lessons about National Standards, Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Whether to adopt national standards and tests has long been a subject of lively debate in the United States. With 47 states now participating in the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and a commitment from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to allocate hundreds of millions in stimulus funds to the development of common tests, the country is better positioned than ever before to take the leap. Still, many questions and pitfalls remain. This report looks beyond America's borders for guidance on how we might best make a transition to an acceptable, workable form of national standards and tests. An examination of the systems and histories of ten countries–Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, and South Korea–led to six key insights, described herein. Lessons from Germany are particularly salient, as that federal nation recently embarked on a strategy similar to the Common Core State Standards Initiative. As this report illustrates, many high-performing countries with national education standards have education systems that are even more decentralized in their operation than ours, at least in terms of the autonomy enjoyed by school-level educators. This and other lessons are outlined in these pages in an effort to shed light upon how the United States might also tread a path toward national standards, even national testing, without sacrificing our fealty to local control, properly conceived. The six key insights are: (1) It's not true that national standards portend loss of local control; (2) An independent, quasi-governmental institution is needed to oversee the development of national standards and assessment and produce reports for the nation; (3) The federal government should encourage and provide resources for the standards-setting process but shouldn't meddle inappropriately; (4) We ought first to develop coherent, focused, rigorous standards for English, math, and science; (5) National assessments (including open-ended questions) should be administered every other calendar year in grades 4, 8, and 12; (6) Hold students, teachers and schools accountable for performance. Appended are country profiles and supplementary tables. (Contains 9 tables and 7 footnotes.) [Foreword by Chester E. Finn, Jr., Michael J. Petrilli, and Amber M. Winkler.] [More] Descriptors: State Standards, National Standards, Foreign Countries, Federal Government
(2013). The Use of Applets for Developing Understanding in Mathematics: A Case Study Using Maplets for Calculus with Continuity Concepts, ProQuest LLC. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) are founded on a long history of mathematics education research emphasizing the importance of teaching mathematics for understanding. The CCSSM along with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommend the use of technology in the teaching of mathematics. New mobile technologies in society facilitate use in mathematics classrooms, and these technologies rely on software applications called "applets". Certain applets have been developed for use in teaching mathematics. This study investigated the questions: Is it possible to determine the characteristics of applets that lead students toward greater understanding of mathematical concepts? And, can we determine specific actions and strategies learners develop while using applets that increase their understanding? Using a case study methodology, continuous motion, screen capture and audio recordings of seven high-school AP Calculus students were made while each used five Maplets for Calculus applets developed for continuity concepts. Audio and screen capture recordings were transcribed and analyzed to determine increases in understanding of continuity concepts using a rubric based on Tall's "Three Worlds" model of mathematics understanding. Using Drijvers and Trouche's "Instrumental Approach" theory this evidence was also analyzed to determine the features of the Maplets and strategies used by the students that contributed to the increases in understanding. The findings relevant to teachers of mathematics included: evidence about the features of and strategies used by the students with the Maplets that developed students' embodied and symbolic understanding of left and right continuity; evidence for how the proceptual-symbolic understanding of the definition of continuity is developed; evidence of students using the concepts of left and right continuity to develop a formal 'rule' for determining the overall continuity of a function; evidence of formal thinking in the embodied world for epsilon-delta continuity; and evidence that supports the contributions of Maplets in developing procedural understanding. A finding of relevance to applet developers included recommendations based on evidence for the sequencing of Maplets along with features and learner strategies that contribute to understanding of continuity in the symbolic world. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Secondary School Mathematics, High School Students, Mathematics Education, Computer Software
(2013). The Impact of the 2012 TNCore Math Training on Teaching Practices and Effectiveness. Policy Brief, Tennessee Department of Education. During the spring and summer of 2012, the Tennessee Department of Education trained about 200 Common Core Coaches who then went on to facilitate summer trainings for thousands of the state's third through eighth grade math teachers. The following summer, the training sessions reached nearly 30,000 teachers across the state, covering math, English language arts, and literacy in science, social studies, and career and technical education. The Tennessee Core Coach training model was designed to develop a network of teachers with a deep content and pedagogical knowledge of the Common Core State Standards who could pass the knowledge on to their peers during formal training sessions and informal interactions throughout the year. Coaches were Tennessee teachers selected via a competitive application and interview process. Coaches received eight days of intensive grade-level training provided by the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, engaging with the material first as learners and then as teacher trainers. Coaches then delivered training to participants at three-day, grade-level workshops held throughout the summer. This report provides the first analysis of the effectiveness of the TNCore training on teacher practice and student achievement. The findings suggest that attendance at the summer training sessions made a significant difference to student achievement and teacher effectiveness, as measured by both observer ratings and value-added scores based on statewide TCAP math tests. Key findings include: (1) consistence of finding positive and significant effects of the TNCore math training on participants' instructional practice and on their effectiveness at raising student test scores. These results remain consistent using methods that control for previous year scores, school-level inputs, and for the fixed characteristics of teachers; (2) Participants who had a Core Coach working at their school made significantly greater estimated increases in questioning practices compared to participants without this support; and (3) For Core Coaches, finding some evidence that the coaching process was associated with improvements in their own classroom teaching; however, uncertain whether these improvements can be attributed to their role as coaches. [More] Descriptors: Inservice Teacher Education, Mathematics Teachers, Common Core State Standards, Coaching (Performance)
(2013). Data Wise: A Step by Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning. Revised and Expanded Edition, Harvard Education Press. "Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning" presents a clear and carefully tested blueprint for school leaders. It shows how examining test scores and other classroom data can become a catalyst for important schoolwide conversations that will enhance schools' abilities to capture teachers' knowledge, foster collaboration, identify obstacles to change, and enhance school culture and climate. This revised and expanded edition captures the learning that has emerged in integrating the Data Wise process into school practice and brings the book up-to-date with recent developments in education and technology including: (1) The shift to the Common Core State Standards; (2) New material on the "ACE Habits of Mind": practices that prioritize Action, Collaboration, and Evidence as part of transforming school culture; and (3) A new chapter on "How We Improve," based on experiences implementing Data Wise and to address two common questions: "Where do I start?" and "How long will it take?" Other revisions take into account changes in the roles of school data teams and instructional leadership teams in guiding the inquiry process. The authors have also updated exhibits, examples, and terminology throughout and have added new protocols and resources. Contents include: (1) Introduction (Kathryn Parker Boudett, Elizabeth A. City, and Richard J. Murnane); (2) Organizing for Collaborative Work (Kathryn Parker Boudett and Liane Moody); (3) Building Assessment Literacy (Jennifer Price and Daniel M. Koretz); (4) Creating a Data Overview (Shannon T. Hodge and John B. Willett); (5) Digging into Data (Ethan Mintz, Sarah E. Fiarman, and Tom Buffett); (6) Examining Instruction (Elizabeth A. City, Melissa Kagle, and Mark B. Teoh); (7) Developing an Action Plan (Tom Buffett, Mark B. Teoh, and Gerardo Martinez); (8) Planning to Assess Progress (Jennifer L. Steele and Jane E. King); (9) Acting and Assessing (Liane Moody, Mary Russo, and Jonna Sullivan Casey); (10) Roles for the District Central Office (Nancy S. Sharkey and Richard J. Murnane); and (11) How We Improve (Kathryn Parker Boudett, Candice Bocala, and Elizabeth A. City). Selected Protocols, Data Wise Resources, Notes, and an index are also included. [For the 2005 edition, see ED515275.] [More] Descriptors: Guides, Information Utilization, Student Evaluation, Educational Improvement
(2010). Teaching Content Is Teaching Reading, Principal. Every two years the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), "the Nation's Report Card," reports the nation's average reading and math scores in grades 4 and 8. Despite the strong focus on reading under the 2001 No Child Left Behind law, the recent 2009 reading scores were not statistically different from those of 2007, which had not been statistically different from previous scores back in 2002. By contrast, math scores have shown a clear upward trend in both grades 4 and 8 during the past decade. Why is it so much harder to raise reading scores than math scores? The stakes could hardly be higher. Verbal scores are highly correlated with students' life chances and contributions to society; Congress was right to place a strong emphasis on reading under the No Child Left Behind law. But that emphasis has often resulted in a narrowing of the language arts curriculum into little more than preparation for reading tests. The author argues that language arts classes should convey key background knowledge, which is the beating heart of verbal skill. This article presents research findings that, once understood, might win teachers' enthusiasm for a new approach to teaching reading–an approach that, by the way, also fits in with the new Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts that have recently been approved by about three-fourths of the states. [More] Descriptors: Report Cards, Reading, Federal Legislation, State Standards
(2013). Digital Assist: A Comparison of Two Note-Taking Methods (Traditional vs. Digital Pen) for Students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders, ProQuest LLC. High school biology classes traditionally follow a lecture format to disseminate content and new terminology. With the inclusive practices of No Child Left Behind, the Common Core State Standards, and end-of-course exam requirement for high school diplomas, classes include a large range of achievement levels and abilities. Teachers assume, often incorrectly, that students come to class prepared to listen and take notes. In a standard diploma, high school biology class in a separate school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, five students participated in a single-subject, alternating treatment design study that compared the use of regular pens and digital pens to take notes during 21 lecture sessions. Behavior measures were threefold between the two interventions: (a) quantity of notes taken per minute during lectures, (b) quantity of notes or notations taken during review pauses, and (c) percent of correct responses on the daily comprehension quizzes. The study's data indicated that two students were inclined to take more lecture notes when using the digital pen. Two students took more notes with the regular pen. One student demonstrated no difference in her performance with either pen type. Both female students took more notes per minute, on average, than the three males regardless of pen type. During the review pause, three of the five students only added notes or notations to their notes when using the regular pen. The remaining two students did not add to their notes. Quiz scores differed in favor of the regular pen. All five participants earned higher scores on quizzes given during regular pen sessions. However, the differences were minor, and recommendations are made for specific training in note-taking, the pause strategy, and digital pen fluency which may produce different results for both note-taking and quiz scores. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Emotional Disturbances, Behavior Disorders, Notetaking, Lecture Method