The purpose of this book is to clearly define an approach to school improvement that uses professional learning community (PLC) practices to achieve school improvement and success for every student. This book offers information, examples and case studies to clarify the concept of a PLC, to respond to critical issues in schools, and to support educational leaders in addressing the important mandates of accountability and school improvement. As school leaders proactively lead efforts to create learning communities, their schools, districts, and staff will incorporate knowledge, skills, and practices that focus on teaching and learning for all. The authors' findings will assist leaders, change agents, policy makers, and university faculty in guiding schools toward creating and maintaining PLCs as they sustain school improvement for student learning.

In the second edition of Demystifying Secondary Inclusion, acclaimed author, professor and teacher trainer, Dr. Lisa Dieker, provides practical, realistic and helpful ideas and techniques for including students with disabilities in the general education classroom. In truly inclusive classrooms, teachers focus on practices that are proven and promising for all students. Teachers understand the individualistic nature of learners, put students at the center of planning and instruction, and accept responsibility for teaching each and every student. Chapters 1-3 of Demystifying Secondary Inclusion detail ways of ensuring that students with disabilities are included in the general education environment. In Chapters 4-7, additional instructional strategies for embracing all learners are presented. This section also focuses on creating an inclusive classroom climate that facilitates successful learning outcomes. Chapter 8 provides concrete ways to prepare staff for the process of developing and maintaining an inclusive environment and offers examples of successful practices from strong schools. Each chapter ends with a set of questions to encourage reflection on current practice. Seven overarching and interdependent topics provide the basic structure for inclusion outlined in Demystifying Secondary Inclusion. These include: Creating an inclusive school-wide culture Celebrating the success of all students Developing interdisciplinary collaboration Implementing effective co-teaching Establishing acting learning environments Implementing successful instruction Improving grading and assessments The book specifically addresses the most frequent obstacles to inclusion at the secondary level and provides hands-on strategies for improving the teaching-learning process.

You will learn self-development strategies, organizational skills, essay writing and interview tips that catch the attention of admission faculty and scholarship donors.

Amplify your assessment literacy. Formative, data-driven, high-stakes—we all know the buzzwords surrounding educational testing. But we often shelve our understanding of these because they are overwhelmingly complex. Those who care about our schools and students—teachers, administrators, policymakers, parents, citizens—will discover how and why testing should be taken upon ourselves to advance. Using a nontechnical approach, this book offers fundamental knowledge to free you from testing fogginess—all framed around practical actions you can take to strengthen your assessment literacy. Inappropriate tests are leading to mistaken decisions, and this book provides everything you need to know to change that, including Reasons for tests Reliability/validity Fairness Test-building

If you are a doctoral or non-doctoral student about to begin your internship in school psychology, you may have several questions about the process and what it will involve, and you may even be facing some anxiety about it. If you are a site or university supervisor preparing for the beginning of the internship year, you may be looking for ways to improve the internship experience for your students or for yourself and your fellow supervisors. Newman has used his many years of experience working with interns and field supervisors to create this guide to the school psychology internship process to address these common concerns. He provides a comprehensive overview of the school psychology internship process from start to finish, describing actions that can be taken to promote a high quality, dynamic internship experience. Emphasis is placed on the idea that the internship year is a dynamic and formative experience, not a static event, and that interns and supervisors both must be active planners, coordinators, and shapers of the experience. Each part of the book explores a different phase of the internship, from the first days through job applications and interviews. Helpful and pragmatic tools are included throughout, such as evaluation tools, best practice guidelines, and sample forms. Online resources are also available to complement the book and include reproducible material from the book, videos students can use to practice their interviewing skills, and links to helpful resources.

Featuring a unique clinical and educational approach, Demystifying the DSM: A Tool for School Counseling Students and Practitioners introduces readers to common diagnoses among children and youth. The text also provides counseling students and practitioners with a baseline knowledge of the cognitive and behavioral effects of common diagnoses on the academic, social, and emotional development of children in K-12 settings. The text recognizes that school counselors do not diagnose, but are charged with working with students within the school environment, so understanding common diagnoses for children and youth is a critical component of job effectiveness. Each diagnosis addressed was selected in consultation with experienced practicing school counselors. The chapters cover autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, self-harm, grief and bereavement, among other common diagnoses. Each of the 17 chapters includes case examples with related questions, as well as strategies for working with children and youth with the particular cognitive or behavioral disorder addressed. Demystifying the DSM is well suited for courses and programs in counseling, school counseling, and special education, as well as teacher education and school psychology.

Drawing Closer to God One Decision at a Time On an average day, people makes countless decisions: Should I get out of bed or hit the snooze button? What should I have for breakfast? Where should we go for this year's vacation? While some decisions are easy to make, others can leave individuals paralyzed and full of anxiety. As Christians living in an increasingly individualistic society, what's the best strategy for making decisions that honor God while becoming more like him in the process? Writing from her own experience and pointing to biblical examples, Aimee Joseph offers a biblical and theological framework for decision-making. She explains God's design for humans as decision-makers, the biblical model for making choices, common wrong approaches, practical tips, and what to do when you've made a poor decision. With the philosophy that "as we shape our decisions, our decisions shape us," Joseph teaches readers how to worship and draw closer to Christ through their daily decisions. Practical: Equips Christians to make decisions as God's image bearers Applicable: Features study questions and helpful resources, including "The Dashboard of Decisions" and a decision-making flowchart Published in Partnership with the Gospel Coalition (TGC)