NWEA MAPs Resources
I came across a wonderful resource for all schools using NWEA MAPs. Many of the headaches shared by teachers revolve around the difficulties using the DesCartes documentation. The solutions to some...
View ArticleEmpowered Schools and the Lean/TPS Way: Managing with a Long-Term Philosophy
As introduced last week, we are putting together a short series on how the Empowered Schools Model exhibits Lean Design or the Toyotal Production System principles. This post is addresses the first...
View ArticleHelp for Building Learning Progressions
In order to effectively use formative assessments, a professional learning team (PLT) must first design learning progressions into their curriculum. This is no easy task and relatively few of us were...
View ArticleUnderstanding Text Complexity to Better Understand Reading College Readiness...
One of the difficulties of leading teams through the process of alignment to ACT’s College Readiness Skills is in determining “text complexity” for the Reading skills. We’ve seen teams working on...
View ArticleElevating the Debate: Standardized Tests (ProCon.org)
After reading Diane Ravitch’s post from a distraught Title 1 teacher who blames the Common Core for reduced learning in his students, it just seemed fair to offer a balanced view of standardized test...
View ArticleWhy STEM is NOT Enough.
After a couple talks on the merits of intensely STEM-focused educational programs, I took a breather to recenter my thinking on how STEM can really make a difference in our children’s lives and the...
View ArticleAlternative Sets of College Readiness Standards
Not everyone has the same fondness for the College Readiness Skills that we have within the Empowered Schools group. For those who want to venture out, here are 3 alternative sets of college readiness...
View ArticleIntroduction to the Classroom-Focused Improvement Process CFIP: School...
Many schools struggle with having a clear process for conducting data analysis within teams. The University of Maryland has a nicely defined process called: Introduction to the Classroom-Focused...
View ArticleCreating Learning Systems for the Adults in Schools
Paul Ash, Superintendent of the Lexington Schools (MA), wrote in today’s Learning Forward blog that schools need to develop learning systems to improve. Specifically, he referenced the need for...
View ArticleDesigning Assessment Systems: Where to Start with Local Assessment
In a recent workshop, the question arose on why the Empowered School Model emphasizes the development of summative assessments prior to the development of formative assessments. Although I shouldn’t...
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