This user-friendly guide shows school leaders how to use formative assessment to improve both student and teacher achievement. With step-by-step information and practical examples, this book will help you develop better assessments that will transform your school. You will learn: The advantages of formative assessment When and why to use formative assessment How to develop valid and reliable assessments How to mimic the state assessment schedule How to organize and use data effectively How to use data to develop teacher leaders The appendix features more than ten pages of handy reproducibles that will help you implement formative assessments immediately (also available as free downloads www.routledge.com/9781596672468). A curriculum pacing guide A presentation template to explain formative assessment to your staff A non-mastery report A class item analysis graph A class profile graph A student questionnaire, and more!

This exciting new book is for school leaders who are interested in transforming their school and district practices. Discussing issues that impact students, teachers within their classrooms, and the larger school community, Formative Assessment Leadership explores how leaders can implement effective professional development and positive change in their schools. Breaking down formative assessment into manageable, understandable parts, the authors provide: An exploration of what formative data-based decision making looks like Scaffolding that enables school leaders to effectively integrate processes into their own school structure Discussion of potential barriers to success and how to overcome these challenges Practical examples that help ground the formative assessment leadership concepts A range of worksheets and templates to help implement formative assessment leadership in your schools

This accessible resource addresses the problems, challenges, and issues that general and special education leaders frequently face on a day-to-day basis in implementing the Common Core standards in their schools. Grounded in best practices from current literature, this text provides leaders with practical solutions to working with teachers and differentiating instruction for all students—including students with special needs, ESL, and ELL learners. A School Leader’s Guide to Implementing the Common Core presents a cohesive framework and offers viable options for effective inclusive instruction based on students‘ varied learning needs. Special Features: Vignettes and "Research-Based Practical Tips" offer concrete connections to school contexts and illustrate practical applications. Explores current trends in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and Response to Intervention (RTI), and how they relate to the Common Core Standards. Guides leaders through the development of effective policies for culturally responsive instruction in the classroom.

This practical handbook offers a month-by-month guide to the curriculum, assessment, progress, and leadership over the school year. It provides a clear, comprehensive, and coherent structure to the academic year helping school leaders to prioritise their time and workload, supporting them and their team to work as efficiently and effectively as possible. Considering the statutory and key leadership activities from admissions, induction, transitions, and parents’ evenings to coursework, timetabling, assessment, staff performance, and much more, the book provides a clear plan of action to ensure school leaders have prepared their work at the optimal time over the year. Each chapter features tried-and-tested strategies to help schools put robust systems and processes in place alongside guidance on sustaining pace, developing resilience, and exam preparation and technique. Full of practical tips to help improve progress and including real-world examples of leadership in action from leaders working in primary and secondary schools, this is essential reading for all school leaders that want their students to be as successful as they can possibly be in every lesson, every day.

This book provides teachers and school leaders with practical, effective, and proven assessment strategies that are immediately implementable in classrooms. You’ll learn about 20 high-impact formative assessment strategies, with details on how they can be applied to a variety of content areas and grade levels, including mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and various electives. In this accessible book, these experienced authors demonstrate the how and why, along with a framework for folding these new ideas into job-embedded professional development. 20 Formative Assessment Strategies that Work provides the full toolkit for implementing, managing, and modifying these assessment strategies in your school and classrooms today.

Ensure your school’s grading procedures are supportive of learning, accurate, meaningful, and consistent. Discover how the “seven essential Ps” can improve your effectiveness in supporting assessment and communicating student achievement. You will also learn how to avoid inaccurate grades caused by penalties for lateness or academic dishonesty; extra credit; group rather than individual work; and marking down for attendance.

Assessment literacy leads to improved outcomes for all Do you know how to ensure teachers have the knowledge and skill to use assessment data to improve student learning? Do you know the influence that student involvement in assessments has on motivation and learning? This book guides you and your leadership team through 10 assessment literacy goals with practical content, how-to’s, success indicators, and activities to extend and process learning. You will come away understanding the attributes of comprehensive and balanced assessment systems, the necessity for clear academic achievement targets, and why assessment quality is essential. In addition to providing rubrics, processes, and practical tools that work across all grade levels and subject areas, this book shows you how to: Work with staff to integrate formative assessment and sound grading practices Communicate with all members of the school community about student learning Protect students and teachers by avoiding unethical and inappropriate assessment use Use student assessment information to improve and inform instruction Develop assessment policies that support quality assessment practice Advance your understanding of assessment so your teachers can accurately measure learning, practice effective formative assessment strategies, and ensure and maintain a comprehensive and balanced assessment system in your school or district.

This book prepares educational leaders with the knowledge needed to critically evaluate, select, and use technological tools to be effective school leaders. Authors Jones and Kennedy explore the technology tools needed to support the full range of responsibilities of a school leader, including management and administration, personnel and evaluation, security and safety, instructional leadership, organizational culture and climate, external relationships, and action research. Each chapter unpacks advantages and pitfalls of various technological tools and includes case scenarios that contextualize these ideas for readers. Chapter content is also aligned with The Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL), the National Educational Leadership Preparation Standards (NELP), and the International Society of Technology Standard in Education (ISTE) standards. This timely and important book adds to the toolbox for educators preparing to become effective and cutting-edge school leaders.

To address today’s numerous goals and challenges, K–12 schools need transformational leaders—leaders able to substantively enhance and improve educational systems and educator practices in order to achieve better, longer-lasting outcomes for all students. This practical resource is for superintendents, principals, and other education leaders who are charged with rapidly improving their schools and districts. Grounded in WestEd’s research-based and field-tested Four Domains of Rapid School Improvement framework, this book offers guidance, support, and resources in the areas of school turnaround, talent development, instructional transformation, and culture shift. Every chapter includes prompts to encourage reflection and discussion with colleagues, as well as action steps to put guidance into practice. Transformational Leadership for Rapid School Improvement can be used as a text for educational leadership courses and for professional learning with practicing principals and superintendents. Contributors: Jenny Betz, Deborah A. Bradley, Andrea Browning, Alexis Stern, Rebecca Cerna, Shandy Hauk, Nancy Gerzon, Shazia Hashmi, Stephen C. Hamilton, Nancy Hurley, Joyce Kaser, Nakanya Magby, Dona Meinders, Michael Middleton, Michael P. Nagler, Maria Paredes, Christina Pate, Kristen Reedy, Robert Rosenfeld, Saroja Warner

Given the current economic climate and budget constraints facing schools, funding for professional development is continually reduced. And yet administrators still need to find methods to implement new instructional initiatives, such as the Common Core State Standards. This important book provides leaders with a high quality professional development approach at a low cost—the Peer Observation Process. Outlined in manageable steps, this strategy will help leaders implement any new school initiative or instructional method, no matter the context. This book will help you: -Support staff with job-embedded learning that includes reflection and feedback -Get your staff excited and engage them in ongoing collaboration -Create teams and organize schedules -Initiate and deliver tough conversations -Address accountability and measure success Based on an established and successful program, this book outlines an effective approach that is easy to implement and will help schools increase student achievement, strengthen school culture, and improve job satisfaction.