Achieving Next Generation Literacy
Achieving Next Generation Literacy

Author: Maureen Connolly

Publisher: ASCD

Published: 2016-04-29

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 1416621636

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As a teacher, what you want most is for your students to learn—to immerse themselves in rich and challenging content and leave your classroom better prepared for school and life. In English language arts and humanities, this includes developing the multifaceted reading, writing, thinking, and communication skills that constitute next generation literacy, including the ability to * Read complex text independently * Develop strong content knowledge through reading, writing, listening, and speaking * Tailor communication in response to different audiences, tasks, purposes, and disciplines * Comprehend text as well as critique it * Value evidence in arguments they read, hear, or develop * Use technology strategically and capably * Understand perspectives and cultures that differ from their own But as a teacher, you also know how much is riding on THOSE TESTS—achievement tests from the national assessment consortia, the SAT and ACT, and independent state assessments. Is it possible to help students succeed on mandated tests without sacrificing your values, your creativity, and their education? Yes, it is possible. This book shows you how. This not a test-prep book. It is not about “drill and kill” practices that narrow learning so that students will pass an exam. Instead, authors Maureen Connolly and Vicky Giouroukakis present a lesson planning approach for the secondary classroom that generates test success as a byproduct of comprehensive literacy learning. After a comparative analysis of how current ELA assessments measure literacy, they model a backward design-based process for using these test items as a tool to create engaging and effective instruction. With 6 sample lessons, 42 instructional techniques, and tips for differentiation, this practical resource will empower you to help the students you love become capable, literate individuals who are also well-prepared to ace high-stakes tests.

A Framework for K-12 Science Education
A Framework for K-12 Science Education

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2012-02-28

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 0309214459

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Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. To address the critical issues of U.S. competitiveness and to better prepare the workforce, A Framework for K-12 Science Education proposes a new approach to K-12 science education that will capture students' interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field. A Framework for K-12 Science Education outlines a broad set of expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12. These expectations will inform the development of new standards for K-12 science education and, subsequently, revisions to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development for educators. This book identifies three dimensions that convey the core ideas and practices around which science and engineering education in these grades should be built. These three dimensions are: crosscutting concepts that unify the study of science through their common application across science and engineering; scientific and engineering practices; and disciplinary core ideas in the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences and for engineering, technology, and the applications of science. The overarching goal is for all high school graduates to have sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on science-related issues, be careful consumers of scientific and technical information, and enter the careers of their choice. A Framework for K-12 Science Education is the first step in a process that can inform state-level decisions and achieve a research-grounded basis for improving science instruction and learning across the country. The book will guide standards developers, teachers, curriculum designers, assessment developers, state and district science administrators, and educators who teach science in informal environments.

Reading, Writing, and Rigor
Reading, Writing, and Rigor

Author: Nancy Boyles

Publisher: ASCD

Published: 2018-04-12

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 1416623434

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What does rigor, a word that frequently pops up in conversations about education, really mean? More specifically, what does it mean for literacy instruction, and how does it relate to challenging standards-based assessments? In this informative and practical guide, literacy expert Nancy Boyles uses the framework from Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) to answer these questions, offering experience-based advice along with specific examples of K–8 assessment items. Boyles defines rigor and shows how it relates to literacy at each DOK level and explains the kind of thinking students will be expected to demonstrate. She then tackles the essence of what teachers need to know about how DOK and its associated rigors are measured on standards-based assessments. Specifically, readers learn how each DOK rigor aligns with standards, text complexity, close reading, student interaction, the reading-writing connection, and formative assessment. Teachers, coaches, and administrators will find clear guidance, easy-to-implement strategies, dozens of useful teaching tools and resources, and encouragement to help students achieve and demonstrate true rigor in reading and writing.

Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards
Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2015-03-27

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 0309305152

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A Framework for K-12 Science Education and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) describe a new vision for science learning and teaching that is catalyzing improvements in science classrooms across the United States. Achieving this new vision will require time, resources, and ongoing commitment from state, district, and school leaders, as well as classroom teachers. Successful implementation of the NGSS will ensure that all K-12 students have high-quality opportunities to learn science. Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards provides guidance to district and school leaders and teachers charged with developing a plan and implementing the NGSS as they change their curriculum, instruction, professional learning, policies, and assessment to align with the new standards. For each of these elements, this report lays out recommendations for action around key issues and cautions about potential pitfalls. Coordinating changes in these aspects of the education system is challenging. As a foundation for that process, Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards identifies some overarching principles that should guide the planning and implementation process. The new standards present a vision of science and engineering learning designed to bring these subjects alive for all students, emphasizing the satisfaction of pursuing compelling questions and the joy of discovery and invention. Achieving this vision in all science classrooms will be a major undertaking and will require changes to many aspects of science education. Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards will be a valuable resource for states, districts, and schools charged with planning and implementing changes, to help them achieve the goal of teaching science for the 21st century.

10 Success Factors for Literacy Intervention
10 Success Factors for Literacy Intervention

Author: Susan L. Hall

Publisher: ASCD

Published: 2018-07-16

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 1416626204

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Why aren't more schools seeing significant improvement in students' reading ability when they implement Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multitiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in their literacy programs? These frameworks serve as a way for educators to identify struggling readers and provide the small-group instruction they need to improve their skills. But the success stories are too few in number, and most schools have too little to show for their efforts. What accounts for the difference? What are successful schools doing that sets them apart? Author and education consultant Susan Hall provides answers in the form of 10 success factors for implementing MTSS. Based on her experience in schools across the United States, she explains the "whys" and "hows" of Grouping by skill deficit and using diagnostic assessments to get helpful data for grouping and regrouping. Implementing an instructional delivery model, including the "walk-to-intervention" model. Using intervention time wisely and being aware of what makes intervention effective. Providing teachers with the materials they need for effective lessons and delivering differentiated professional development for administrators, reading coaches, teachers, and instructional assistants. Monitoring progress regularly and conducting nonevaluative observations of intervention instruction. Practical, comprehensive, and evidence-based, 10 Success Factors for Literacy Intervention provides the guidance educators need to move from disappointing results to solid gains in students' literacy achievement.

Getting to the Core of English Language Arts, Grades 6-12
Getting to the Core of English Language Arts, Grades 6-12

Author: Vicky Giouroukakis

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2012-04-19

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1452284105

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Design effective CCSS-aligned lessons for secondary students If you want to revamp your secondary English Language Arts curriculum to reflect the Common Core State Standards, this book is the perfect resource. The authors move the implementation of the CCSS for ELA from the abstract to the concrete by providing adaptable, exemplar lesson plans in each of the CCSS strands: reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. Each lesson template includes: Intended grade level band, timeline, and the type of student writing involved Connections to supporting theory, including the Backward Design model Variations to differentiate the lesson for diverse student populations Ways to link the lesson to technology and service learning Reproducible handouts The lesson narratives also give tips for incorporating technology into lessons and connecting them to enduring theorists in education (Dewey, Bloom, and Gardner). The final section offers collaboration strategies for connecting via technology to colleagues beyond the school building and working together on CCSS-based ELA lessons. This practical, easy-to-use guide will help you navigate the most efficient route to creating standards-based lessons that optimize student learning.

Your Students, My Students, Our Students
Your Students, My Students, Our Students

Author: Lee Ann Jung

Publisher: ASCD

Published: 2019-09-25

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 1416628118

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Winner of AM&P EXCEL Bronze Award Your Students, My Students, Our Students explores the hard truths of current special education practice and outlines five essential disruptions to the status quo. Authors Lee Ann Jung, Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Julie Kroener show you how to - Establish a school culture that champions equity and inclusion. - Rethink the long-standing structure of least restrictive environment and the resulting service delivery. - Leverage the strengths of all educators to provide appropriate support and challenge. - Collaborate on the delivery of instruction and intervention. - Honor the aspirations of each student and plan accordingly. To realize authentic and equitable inclusion, we must relentlessly and collectively pursue change. This book—written not for "special educators" or "general educators" but for all educators—addresses the challenges, maps out the solutions, and provides tools and inspiration for the work ahead. Real-life examples of empowerment and success illustrate just what's possible when educators commit to the belief that every student belongs to all of us and all students deserve learning experiences that will equip them to live full and rewarding lives.

Improving Adolescent Literacy
Improving Adolescent Literacy

Author: Douglas Fisher

Publisher:

Published: 2019-01-02

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9780135180877

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Straightforward, affordable, and practical, Improving Adolescent Literacy gives all middle and secondary school teachers instructional routines that will allow them to develop the content literacy skills of their students. Chapter-opening vignettes from actual classrooms show readers effective teaching in action and give them a look at how the chapter's instructional approach works within content area teaching. Research-based rationales for each strategy follow the vignettes and provide an in-depth look at how to implement the strategy, along with examples of each strategy across the curriculum. In this 5th Edition, the authors provide new classroom examples from their colleagues across the disciplines as well as new instructional routines that have been researched and validated since the publication of the last edition. Also, this edition has been re-organized, adding three new chapters, to focus on the ways in which teachers can use reading, writing, speaking, and listening in their classes, emphasizing reading and comprehending texts, creating graphic organizers, developing vocabulary knowledge, and writing to learn.

Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Benchmarks for Science Literacy

Author: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1994-01-06

Total Pages: 443

ISBN-13: 0199726515

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Published to glowing praise in 1990, Science for All Americans defined the science-literate American--describing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes all students should retain from their learning experience--and offered a series of recommendations for reforming our system of education in science, mathematics, and technology. Benchmarks for Science Literacy takes this one step further. Created in close consultation with a cross-section of American teachers, administrators, and scientists, Benchmarks elaborates on the recommendations to provide guidelines for what all students should know and be able to do in science, mathematics, and technology by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. These grade levels offer reasonable checkpoints for student progress toward science literacy, but do not suggest a rigid formula for teaching. Benchmarks is not a proposed curriculum, nor is it a plan for one: it is a tool educators can use as they design curricula that fit their student's needs and meet the goals first outlined in Science for All Americans. Far from pressing for a single educational program, Project 2061 advocates a reform strategy that will lead to more curriculum diversity than is common today. IBenchmarks emerged from the work of six diverse school-district teams who were asked to rethink the K-12 curriculum and outline alternative ways of achieving science literacy for all students. These teams based their work on published research and the continuing advice of prominent educators, as well as their own teaching experience. Focusing on the understanding and interconnection of key concepts rather than rote memorization of terms and isolated facts, Benchmarks advocates building a lasting understanding of science and related fields. In a culture increasingly pervaded by science, mathematics, and technology, science literacy require habits of mind that will enable citizens to understand the world around them, make some sense of new technologies as they emerge and grow, and deal sensibly with problems that involve evidence, numbers, patterns, logical arguments, and technology--as well as the relationship of these disciplines to the arts, humanities, and vocational sciences--making science literacy relevant to all students, regardless of their career paths. If Americans are to participate in a world shaped by modern science and mathematics, a world where technological know-how will offer the keys to economic and political stability in the twenty-first century, education in these areas must become one of the nation's highest priorities. Together with Science for All Americans, Benchmarks for Science Literacy offers a bold new agenda for the future of science education in this country, one that is certain to prepare our children for life in the twenty-first century.

Prioritizing the Common Core
Prioritizing the Common Core

Author: Larry Ainsworth

Publisher: Lead + Learn Press

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1935588419

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The consensus among educators nationwide is that in-depth instruction paired with focused assessment of essential concepts and skills are far more effective than superficially covering every concept and skill in the standards. Educators are faced with the task of teaching all standards while meeting the extraordinary range of student learning needs. Prioritizing the Common Core offers common sense solutions to the dilemmas teachers face today in implementing the new, more rigorous national standards. Chapters present a rationale for prioritizing the Common Core, a step-by-step process for prioritizing standards in language arts and mathematics, strategies for soliciting feedback and input from everyone in the district or school prior to the final determination of the Priority Standards, and detailed summaries of the process schools in six different districts used to identify their Priority Standards, with accompanying commentary by those who directed the work.