Tag: School Improvement

School Improvement? The Questions your Department of Education Needs to Know

May 31, 2015

A New Federal Report Confirms that State Departments of Education are Trying, but Not Succeeding. . .Twelve Essential School Improvement Questions Needed to Jump-Start the…

Extending the School Day? Is it Due to Ineffectiveness, Disengagement, or Enrichment?

April 25, 2015

Are Schools Extending the School Day (and Year) to Compensate for Ineffective Teaching and Student Disengagement, or to Enhance Elective, Enrichment, or Extracurricular Opportunities?Dear Colleague,As…

March Madness: How Effective Schools are Like Successful Basketball Teams

March 28, 2015

How to apply the Characteristics of a Successful Basketball Program to the Design and Process of an Effective SchoolWith many sports enthusiasts spending this and…

Correcting the Flaws: The Feds’ Thinking on Academic Proficiency and Results Driven Accountability

January 31, 2015

Connecting and Correcting the Flaws in (ESEA's) High Stakes Proficiency Assessments of Students' Academic Achievement and (OSEP's) the New Special Education Results Driven Accountability SystemDear…

Academically Struggling and Behaviorally Challenging Students: Your Doctor Wouldn’t Practice this Way

November 22, 2014

Why We Need to Validate the “Experts’” RecommendationsDear Colleagues,As I work with schools and districts nationwide— helping them to address the needs of academically struggling…

A New Federal Report Documents What Low-Performing are NOT Doing to Succeed

November 5, 2014

The Problem? The U.S. Department of Education's School Improvement Practices do not Guide Real SuccessMoving Toward Solutions: 12 Questions that WILL Guide School Improvement SuccessOver…

School Improvement Succeeds only with Shared Leadership: A Field-Tested Blueprint

October 26, 2014

Matching the Essential Components of School Improvement with a School-level Committee Structure that Facilitates Shared Leadership and Staff/Student SuccessAll schools need to improve. . .…

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel: Transitioning THIS Year’s Successes to NEXT Year

September 5, 2014

The Beginning of the New School Year Starts in April: Student, Staff, and School Transition Activities to Help Prepare for a Successful New School YearDear…

Implementing the U.S. Department of Education’s New School Discipline Policies

March 1, 2014

A Three-Year Positive Behavioral Support Implementation Blueprint, and Two Upcoming Federal Grants to Pay for ItDear Colleagues,With Spring Training starting this week in Florida and…

Congress Passes New Improvement Option for Struggling Schools

February 8, 2014

Congress Recognizes that the Department of Education's Turn-Around Options and More (SIG) Money are NOT Improving Schools or Student OutcomesDear Colleagues,I hope you are warm…