Who is responsible for student learning? Walk into an effective school and ask this question of anyone--a teacher, a student, the principal, a parent volunteer, a secretary--and you'll get the same answer: "I am."Shared responsibility is something school communities build from within. It's what happens when all school people accept that what they do makes a difference in how all students learn . . . when they have the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about the best way to promote learning . . . and when they have the skills and opportunities to translate their ideas into effective action.Anne Conzemius and Jan O'Neill present a practical framework for building shared responsibility within schools and school systems. They identify three critical components:* Focus--The common vision, mission, values, and expectations that provide clarity and lead to new levels of performance.* Reflection--The commitment to test assumptions, learn from data, and adjust practices accordingly. * Collaboration--The process of developing relationships where all work toward the same objectives and rely on each other to achieve their goals.Building shared responsibility for student learning is an ongoing activity--a journey and not a destination. This research-based resource provides a map in the form of effective structures, systems, processes, and policies. It explains how to set powerful goals and shares inspiring stories of educators who have embarked on this journey toward higher professional competency, increased staff satisfaction, rising test scores, and improved student results.

Who is responsible for student learning? Walk into an effective school and ask this question of anyone--a teacher, a student, the principal, a parent volunteer, a secretary--and you'll get the same answer: "I am." Shared responsibility is something school communities build from within. It's what happens when all school people accept that what they do makes a difference in how all students learn . . . when they have the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about the best way to promote learning . . . and when they have the skills and opportunities to translate their ideas into effective action. Anne Conzemius and Jan O'Neill present a practical framework for building shared responsibility within schools and school systems. They identify three critical components: * Focus--The common vision, mission, values, and expectations that provide clarity and lead to new levels of performance. * Reflection--The commitment to test assumptions, learn from data, and adjust practices accordingly. * Collaboration--The process of developing relationships where all work toward the same objectives and rely on each other to achieve their goals. Building shared responsibility for student learning is an ongoing activity--a journey and not a destination. This research-based resource provides a map in the form of effective structures, systems, processes, and policies. It explains how to set powerful goals and shares inspiring stories of educators who have embarked on this journey toward higher professional competency, increased staff satisfaction, rising test scores, and improved student results. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.

From EL Education comes a proven approach to student assessment Leaders of Their Own Learning offers a new way of thinking about assessment based on the celebrated work of EL Education schools across the country. Student-Engaged Assessment is not a single practice but an approach to teaching and learning that equips and compels students to understand goals for their learning and growth, track their progress toward those goals, and take responsibility for reaching them. This requires a set of interrelated strategies and structures and a whole-school culture in which students are given the respect and responsibility to be meaningfully engaged in their own learning. Includes everything teachers and school leaders need to implement a successful Student-Engaged Assessment system in their schools Outlines the practices that will engage students in making academic progress, improve achievement, and involve families and communities in the life of the school Describes each of the book's eight key practices, gives advice on how to begin, and explains what teachers and school leaders need to put into practice in their own classrooms Ron Berger is Chief Program Officer for EL Education and a former public school teacher Leaders of Their Own Learning shows educators how to ignite the capacity of students to take responsibility for their own learning, meet Common Core and state standards, and reach higher levels of achievement. DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase.

Making is a dynamic and hands-on learning experience that directly connects with long-established theories of how learning occurs. Although it hasn't been a focus of traditional education or had a prominent place in the classroom, teachers find it an accessible, exciting option for their students. The maker movement brings together diverse communities dedicated to creating things through hands-on projects. Makers represent a growing community of builders and creators—engineers, scientists, artists, DIYers, and hobbyists of all ages, interests, and skill levels—who engage in experimentation and cooperation. Transferring this innovative, collaborative, and creative mindset to the classroom is the goal of maker education. A makerspace isn't about the latest tools and equipment. Rather, it's about the learning experiences and opportunities provided to students. Maker education spaces can be as large as a school workshop with high-tech tools (e.g., 3D printers and laser cutters) or as small and low-tech as the corner of a classroom with bins of craft supplies. Ultimately, it's about the mindset—not the "stuff." In Learning in the Making, Jackie Gerstein helps you plan, execute, facilitate, and reflect on maker experiences so both you and your students understand how the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of maker education transfer to real-world settings. She also shows how to seamlessly integrate these activities into your curriculum with intention and a clearly defined purpose.

In this stirring follow-up to the award-winning Fostering Resilient Learners, Kristin Van Marter Souers and Pete Hall take you to the next level of trauma-invested practice. To get there, they explain, educators need to build a "nest"—a positive learning environment shaped by three new Rs of education: relationship, responsibility, and regulation. Drawing from their extensive experience working with schools, students, and families throughout the country, the authors Explain how to create a culture of safety in which everyone feels valued, important, and capable of learning. Describe the four areas of need—emotional, relational, physical, and control—that drive student behaviors and show how to meet these needs with interventions framed around the new three Rs. Illustrate trauma-invested practices in action through real scenarios that identify students' unmet needs, examine the situation from five stakeholder perspectives, and suggest interventions to support students and their families. Offer opportunities to challenge your beliefs and develop deeper and different ways of thinking about your role in your students' lives. Educators have a unique opportunity to influence students' learning, attitudes, and futures. This book will invigorate your practice and equip you to empower those you serve—whatever their personal histories.

For many years, the authors have been fellow travelers on the journey to help educators improve their schools. Their first coauthored book focuses on district leadership, principal leadership, and team leadership and addresses how individual teachers can be most effective in leading students—by learning with colleagues how to implement the most promising pedagogy in their classrooms

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.