The standards and responsibilities in this section describe activities necessary to administer psychometrically and legally defensible high-stakes tests efficiently and to a high standard of quality. These activities are typically assigned to the vendor but responsibility may be shared with the agency. If the agency decides to retain responsibility for an activity, the agency may…
Read moreThe standards and responsibilities in this section describe test development activities necessary to produce psychometrically and legally defensible high stakes tests efficiently and to a high standard of quality. These activities may be completed by either the state or the vendor. If responsibility for any portion of an activity is assigned to the vendor, the…
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Read moreState reforms to develop K-12 academic standards and to assess the performance of all students on these standards have resulted in a substantial increase in the number and scope of contracts with testing companies for statewide assessment programs. Many of these assessments are high-stakes for students (e.g., graduation or grade promotion tests) and/or educators (e.g.,…
Read moreThe professional development school initiatives show the greatest promise in school reform due to collaborative efforts in teacher preparation. Educators in both public schools and in universities must work together in the preparation of teachers who are culturally, socially and instructionally responsive to student diversity. This lofty preparation aim begins with selecting the most promising…
Read moreWhen teachers initially attempt to redesign block-of-time lessons, they frequently ask about the format of a typical lesson. Numerous creative instructional approaches are possible within longer time frames; therefore, teachers should be cautious about relying too heavily on familiar daily instructional routines. As a general strategy, however, teachers might consider planning 3-4 activities during the…
Read moreHealthy schools and healthy communities depend on and nourish each other. Healthy schools aren’t sustainable if their surrounding communities are in peril. Healthy communities can’t exist for long if they fail to nurture productive, committed, engaged, aware, and resourceful citizens for the future. It is an appropriate way to begin a conversation about bridging…
Read moreThe new Project on Education is a collaborative action research project to examine and make a case for the roles and results of community organizing in reforming schools, improving student achievement, and revitalizing communities. We used collaborative inquiry processes to bring parents, community members, educators and students together to examine and reflect on their efforts…
Read moreNationwide, low-performing schools are high on the agenda of urban school reform leaders. The current focus reverses the neglect that has plagued these schools for years. Many of them are situated in distressed communities that show the results of years of disinvestment, communities where a growing concentration of poverty and its consequences has taken a…
Read moreThe prevalence of American youth who engage in antisocial and health-damaging behaviors is unacceptably high. 24% of American 10 to 17 year olds engage in multiple, interrelated social and health risk behaviors, such as delinquency and substance use. An additional 26% experiment with some risk behaviors. Such widespread involvement jeopardizes the development of young people…
Read moreTraining is a component of many teacher induction programs. All too often, inductees have received insufficient professional preparation. With increasing numbers of inductees entering the classroom via alternative routes, many induction programs today are compensating for little or no previous training whatsoever, in effect blurring the line between teacher preparation and induction. Even if…
Read moreThe involvement of higher education institutions in induction is less prevalent than it should be, given the promise these partnerships offer for improving teacher preparation by redefining the boundaries between college and K-12 classrooms. Sadly, the scarcity of this type of collaboration is a missed opportunity to provide new teachers a link between their pre-service…
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