Shawn Stover helps principals move beyond what he calls "the tyranny of the urgent." Stover, an instructional superintendent in District of Columbia Public Schools, says it's all too easy for principals to devote the bulk of their days to busing, athletic schedules, discipline, building maintenance and other issues that can demand immediate attention. Yet mounds […]
Striving to ensure the implementation of best practices that support all learners is critical to academic achievement for diverse populations. Dearborn Schools is committed to ensuring that all students reach academic success. With a population of 20,907 of which 50 percent are English learners (several refugees and newcomer students), 8 percent special education and approximately […]
If you've visited a classroom lately, you've likely noticed a remarkable difference in how teaching and learning happens. Computers and devices are staples in most classrooms, and you're far more likely to find students working in groups than a teacher at the front of the room lecturing. Though the teacher continues to play a crucial […]
Finding innovative ways to make math matter to students is key to improving competency in all grades. At Ridgewood Community High School outside Chicago, students are building a home on campus. The project, part of a Geometry and Construction class, reflects administrators' efforts to make math relevant through real-world applications. "Our thought was, 'It's not […]
Managing and keeping track of the many hours of professional development required for a district's non-instructional staff may be one of an administrator's more underappreciated responsibilities. "There are a lot of different employees within the system who can easily be left out of the loop if you're not mindful of the two types of training […]
How closely is professional development linked to student achievement? Professionalism expects learning to be in the collective. We should think of our own learning and growth as part of a mutually beneficial ongoing professional development process. A big part of that idea is that we share and become more transparent in our practice as educators. […]
The path for raising student performance to meet or exceed the new math standards has proven elusive for many schools and districts. After two, three or more years of flat or declining student performance, some educators are beginning to wonder if their students can ever achieve the new standards. This web seminar featured educators and […]
Districts are increasingly tasked with providing options for at-risk and underserved student populations to address persistent achievement gaps. While nationwide gains in closing achievement gaps have been made, research shows that underserved student populations still achieve at lower rates than their peers in many areas. Black and Hispanic students graduate at lower rates than white […]
The organizational tendency of many large school districts is to divide elementary and secondary education into separate departments. Dearborn Public Schools' central office followed this model for decades. During tough financial times there was a history of competition for limited district resources between elementary and secondary central office staff and building administrators. This led to […]
