This article was co-written with David Stevens, Berkeley Unified School District Imagine you went to see your doctor about a cold and she recommended a particular treatment. You, in turn, ask the doctor why she thinks it is the right option. In one scenario she replies: “I’ve heard it works, and it is also what … Continue reading Lessons from John Hattie: Unlocking the Power of Classroom Discussion
As the mental health of America’s students is weighing heavily on all of our minds, the “We Care” campaign launched in Santa Ana Unified this winter is a bright example of one district’s effort to take a proactive stance on the subject. “We Care” is SAUSD’s response to AB 2246, the California legislation passed in … Continue reading Viewing Mental Health Through the “We Care” Campaign
It’s no secret—parent and family engagement is critical to student success in school. Research has demonstrated for decades that this can have a major influence on a child’s achievement from improvements in attendance and behavior to stronger academic performance. But the nature of that “involvement” is what is most key. ESSA now requires districts receiving Title … Continue reading Doing Parent Engagement in the Age of ESSA
Educators, families and community stakeholders across California: the School Dashboard is finally here! With this, of course, will come plenty of questions and concerns about this new way of looking at performance in our schools and districts. Not to mention, how to make sense of this information now being displayed in a series of reports, with … Continue reading A Quick Communication Guide for the NEW California School Dashboard
Traditionally, test scores have been used to place students into an accelerated or advanced math pathway. Whether they’re in middle school or high school, students had to achieve certain scores on a series of common benchmarks or one one-off placements and readiness exams to be placed in the proper programs. The exams, created and administered by … Continue reading Gatekeeping in Math: Dispelling the Myth of Placement & Advancement Exams
It’s often referenced but not always practiced nor understood. The term “formative assessment” gets thrown around a great deal in educational contexts. Initiate a conversation with a half-dozen educators and you’ll likely hear six different definitions and nearly as many viewpoints on proper implementation. That assessing student learning progress in a formative manner within the … Continue reading Improving Student Learning: The Present and Future of Formative Assessment