Strategies for Formative Assessment

Posted on June 8, 2021 Written by

“Formative assessment is perhaps the most powerful tool teachers have to understand where students are in their learning and what they need to continue moving learning forward” (Tucker, 2021).

But as the pandemic wanes and teachers and students slowly return to the classroom, the educational landscape has shifted in many ways … and like everything else, this has had a significant impact on traditional formative assessment procedures.

The author of this article offers several strategies that will help teachers access prior knowledge and check for understanding in any setting. These strategies may prove useful in helping teachers become more effective in meeting the diverse needs of learners toward mastering specific concepts and skills, regardless of the learning landscape.

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Impact of “Four Day School” on Learning

Posted on June 1, 2021 Written by

It’s an increasing trend nationwide. P-12 schools (especially rural schools) are changing to a “four-day-per-week” schedule. Many districts see this as a cost-cutting measure, a way to allow more time for teacher professional development, a chance to create a more flexible schedule for athletics, and so on.

But what does research tell us about the impact on student learning? A recent study found that this new approach creates significant reductions in student learning. And like other cost-cutting measures (like increasing class sizes), the negative academic effects may intensify with the passage of time.

While additional research in this area still needs to be done, the findings of this extensive study are troubling. Schools contemplating such a change need to carefully consider the impact it may have on student learning and test scores.

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How Curriculum Impacts Equity

Posted on May 25, 2021 Written by

“Education has the potential to be a powerful engine for disrupting structural inequities and fulfilling our nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all. But in reality, the system was built to maintain a status quo that perpetuates economic and racial inequality” (Hartl and Riley, 2021).

This article takes a closer look at today’s educational realities and discusses three specific areas you can address to improve equity in your school. According to the authors, high quality curriculum, combined with effective professional learning and coaching for teachers, can “challenge, engage, and empower our students in just the way the world most needs.”

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Principals’ Impact on Student Learning

Posted on May 11, 2021 Written by

Years of research suggest that principals can have a significant impact on student achievement. Now, a major new study quantifies just how much of a difference an effective principal can make! According to the study’s authors, while effective principals are skilled in instruction, people, and organizations, they also engage in a series of behaviors that set them apart from other educational leaders.

Grissom, Egalite, and Lindsay (2021) conducted this systematic synthesis of 20 years of school leadership research. They state that “Principals really matter. Indeed, given not just the magnitude but the scope of principal effects, which are felt across a potentially large student body and faculty in a school, it is difficult to envision an investment with a higher ceiling on its potential return than a successful effort to improve principal leadership.” 

This article describes the study and explores what those behaviors are. It also discusses the demographics of the profession, and how those may impact student achievement as well as teacher performance and retention.

And this article provides a link to the study itself, and makes the case that an effective principal’s impact is much stronger and broader than previously thought.

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