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Blogs on Comprehensive Assessment

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A Place for PBL: Envision Schools's Project Exchange

Bob LenzSeptember 18, 2007

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, All Grades, California

This is a guest posting from my colleague, Kyle Hartung, who has worked in small schools for ten years as a classroom teacher and instructional leader in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. As part of the Leadership and Instructional Team at Envision Schools, he coaches and facilitates professional development among school leaders and teachers.

How Are California's Charter Schools Measuring Up?

Diane Demee-BenoitSeptember 12, 2007

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, All Grades, California

Many people think of public charter schools as a way to increase student achievement and improve our public school system. However, many others believe charters divert resources from traditional public schools and don't meet up to accountability measures.

The Definition of Student Success: What Does it Mean to You?

Ken MessersmithMay 21, 2007

Tags After-School Learning, Comprehensive Assessment, Technology Integration, All Grades

The report "A New Day for Learning," recently released by the Time, Learning, and Afterschool Task Force, argues that we must redefine the school day if we are to improve student achievement in the United States. The authors of the report, funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, lay out five elements of their proposed new learning system.

Feeding the Equity Pipeline: The Joint Educational Facilities Program

Bonnie Bracey SuttonSeptember 28, 2006

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, All Grades

I noticed Dr. Jesse Bemley at conferences, but I was not sure who he is and what he does until this summer. When I was finally introduced to him, I found him to be a soft-spoken man but one with a can-do personality.

Reaching Performance Parity: A Shared Reality About the Achievement Gap

Larry LeverettSeptember 11, 2006

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, All Grades, Connecticut

It is a mistake to assume that all members of the school community understand the nature of the achievement gap challenge. Getting stakeholders focused on the achievement gap is a challenge regardless of the demographic profile of a school, district, or community.

Closing the Achievement Gap: "All Children Can Learn"

Larry LeverettSeptember 5, 2006

Tags Brain Research, Comprehensive Assessment, All Grades

"How many effective schools would you have to see to be persuaded of the educability of poor children? If your answer is more than one, then I submit that you have reasons of your own for preferring to believe that pupil performance derives from family background instead of school response to family background. We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven't so far." -- Ronald Edmonds, Harvard University

Authentic Assessment: A Key Part of Instruction

Sandy MittelsteadtAugust 29, 2006

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, All Grades

Over the course of my eighteen years as a teacher, one of my biggest challenges was assessing whether students had really mastered the content or whether they had simply memorized the information.

How Can a School Achieve Good Test Scores?: A Vote for First Amendment Schools

Rob WilliamsAugust 18, 2006

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, All Grades

This week, I met with Fairview Elementary School teachers to discuss spring 2006 California Standards Test results.

Turning a Program Improvement School Around: An Honest Look at What Is Needed

Rob WilliamsAugust 3, 2006

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), California

I am the principal of Fairview Elementary School, in Modesto, California, which has been designated a Program Improvement School. For those of you who may not know, PI is a formal designation for Title I-funded schools that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years.

Adolescent Literacy: Helping Students Who Read Below Grade Level

Sandy MittelsteadtMay 30, 2006

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development

Moderator's note: The post below is in response to the following email we received:

"I am a teacher in a high school special ed program. It is often hard to find materials for my students. I need ones that are written to a population of readers in grades 2-4, but for teenagers. I have previously used the books Charlotte's Web and Holes. The problem is that I need discussion references for this grade level 9-12. I am trying to set up a curriculum for next year with reading in world, American, and English literature that is written low, but has enough to keep the interest of my students and is available on audio. Can anyone help with suggestions, but please remember I have very little money for class sets and I will probably be the one buying some of the books. Thank you."