11.11.16 Supporting All Learners – Do Your Metrics Measure all Students? In Multiple Measures Done Right, John Cronin talked about seven principles of coherent assessment systems. Principle 6 is the metrics and incentives used encourage a focus on all learners. As we move... Read more
11.4.16 Student Self Assessment and Self-Regulation – A Cornerstone of Successful Formative Assessment I wouldn’t argue that there are any number of different descriptions that could accurately define what goes into making great teachers great. Certainly passion for the subject they teach;... Read more
11.1.16 Teacher Resources for Communicating Assessment Results with Parents When you think of the classroom setting, you're likely picturing the teacher standing at the front of the room giving lessons, administering tests and quizzes, and providing student feedback. But... Read more
10.18.16 A New Twist on Family Meetings: Student-Led Conferences Since the early 2000s, student-led conferences have been making inroads into the traditional parent/teacher conference scene. The Hechinger Report published a four-part series about reform... Read more
10.13.16 NWEA Promotes Accessibility in Assessment with Release of Image Description Guidelines As a teacher, fall is a time of new beginnings: new students, new curriculum, and potentially, new assessments. Establishing consistency among the novelty and chaos becomes a vital goal. The... Read more
10.4.16 MAP and Khan Academy – We Heard You I don’t want to bury the big idea, so if you are already using the link between MAP scores and Khan Academy, just read the next paragraph. If you are less familiar with the link, Khan Academy... Read more
9.29.16 5 Tips for Rolling Out Centers Centers. A word most teachers either love or hate. Lengthy planning, chaos, and students working on meaningless activities were all fears that came to mind when I was beginning to roll them out in my... Read more
9.6.16 Top 5 Tips for Fall Testing The school supply shelves look pretty depleted – in fact, the Halloween costumes are already out! For many, that means it’s the first week of school, and for others, you have been back in school... Read more
9.1.16 Six Things Teachers and District Leaders Can Do To Support Formative Assessment Many district leaders and administrators use the valuable summer months to plan for the return of teachers and students to the classroom. In many schools, formative assessment practices will be... Read more
8.9.16 Three Ways People Learn – A Summer Refresher on Teaching for Understanding Using some existing educational research, we can begin to piece together how people learn, which can ultimately inform how teachers should teach. Makes sense right? While there are certainly numerous... Read more
7.26.16 Data Comparability, Norms, and Adjusting for New State Standards Earlier this year, I wrote a blog on the importance of data comparability in today’s assessment environment. With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), many states are likely to be... Read more
7.12.16 Using MAP and SN in the Co-Taught Classroom Recently, while sitting in a session at the Institute Designed for Educating All Students (IDEAS) conference on St. Simons Island, GA, I was reminded about the purpose of the Individuals with... Read more