50 Ways to Close the Achievement Gap
by Carolyn J. DowneyEdition: 3rd
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2008-09-26
Publisher(s): Corwin Pr
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Summary
Written for school leaders, this hands-on guide to improving student outcomes and schoolwide performance clearly outlines 50 strategies to achieve high-performing schools. Emphasizing a focus on educational equity for all students, the authors organize the 50 ways for improvement around six critical standards:establish a well-crafted, focused, valid, and clear curriculum to direct teaching;provide assessments aligned to the curriculum;align program and instructional resources to the curriculum and provide student equality and equity;use a mastery learning approach and effective teaching strategies;establish curriculum expectations, monitoring, and accountability;institute effective district and school planning, staff development, resource allocations, and provide for a quality learning environment.
Table of Contents
| Preface | |
| Acknowledgments | |
| About the Authors | |
| Introduction | |
| Six Standards for High-Performing Schools | |
| Standard One: Establish a Well-Crafted, Focused, Valid, and Clear Curriculum to Direct Teaching | |
| Embed External Assessment Target Objectives in the Written Content Standards and Link to State Standards | |
| Have Clear and Precise District Curriculum Objectives - Content, Context, and Cognitive Type | |
| Deeply Align Objectives From External Assessments | |
| Sequence Objectives for Mastery Well Before They Are Tested | |
| Provide a Feasible Number of Objectives to Be Taught | |
| Identify Specific Objectives as Benchmark Standards | |
| Place Objectives in a Teaching Sequence | |
| Provide Access to Written Curriculum Documents and Direct the Objectives to Be Taught | |
| Conduct Staff Development in Curriculum and Its Delivery | |
| Standard Two: Provide Assessments Aligned With the Curriculum | |
| Develop Aligned District Pre-Post Criterion-Referenced Assessments | |
| Have a Pool of Unsecured Test Items by Objective | |
| Establish Secured Performance Benchmark Assessments | |
| Conduct Assessment Training | |
| Use Assessments Diagnostically | |
| Teach Students to Be "Test Wise" | |
| Establish a Reasonable Testing Schedule and Environment | |
| Disaggregate Assessment Data | |
| Maintain Student Progress Reports | |
| Standard Three: Align Program and Instructional Resources With the Curriculum and Provide Student Equality and Equity | |
| Align Programs With the Curriculum to Ensure Congruity | |
| Use Research Data That Document Results to Drive Program Selection, and Validate the Implementation of Programs With Action Research | |
| Evaluate Programs to Determine Their Effectiveness in Strengthening Student Achievement of Curriculum Objectives | |
| Align Textbooks and Instructional Resources With the District Curriculum Objectives and Assessment in Both Content and Context Dimensions | |
| Use Technology in Design or Selection Procedures to Ensure Strong Connections to System Learning Expectations and Feedback | |
| Provide Training in the Use of Instructional Resources and Their Alignment With System Curriculum Objectives - Content, Context, and Cognitive Type | |
| Select or Modify Instructional Resources for Lessons to Ensure Full Alignment With System Objectives and Tested Learning | |
| Place Students in Programs and Activities in an Equitable Manner and With Equal Access to the Curriculum | |
| Implement Effective Programs and Strategies With English Language Learners | |
| Standard Four: Use a Mastery Learning Approach and Effective Teaching Strategies | |
| Implement a Mastery Learning Model | |
| Align Teaching With the Curriculum | |
| Provide Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction as Well as Differentiated Time to Learn | |
| Provide Practice to Master the Curriculum | |
| Use Effective Instructional Practices | |
| Use Powerful Vocabulary Development Strategies | |
| Establish Individual Learning Plans for Low-Achieving Students | |
| Standard Five: Establish Curriculum Expectations, Monitoring, and Accountability | |
| Provide for High Expectations for Achievement for Each Student | |
| Monitor the Curriculum | |
| Visit Classrooms and Provide Follow-up | |
| Use Disaggregated Data in the Decision-Making Process | |
| Focus Staff Appraisal on Professional Growth | |
| Standard Six: Institute Effective District and School Planning, Staff Development, and Resource Allocations, and Provide a Quality Learning Environment | |
| Develop a District Planning Process That Is Strategic in Nature and Provides Guidance for the Development of District and School Long-Range Plans | |
| Create and Implement a Singular, Focused, Multiyear District Plan That Incorporates Change Strategies for Higher Student Achievement | |
| Align School Plans With the District Plan | |
| Implement Aligned Teacher Training to Reach District and School Goals | |
| Implement Administrative Training Aligned With the Curriculum and Its Assessment and District Plan Priorities | |
| Provide Differentiated Staff Development | |
| Link Resource Allocations to Goals, Objectives, Priorities, and Diagnosed Needs of the System | |
| Provide Qualified and Adequate Personnel | |
| Remove Incompetent Staff or Help Them Achieve Satisfactory Functioning | |
| Provide a Quality Learning Environment | |
| Provide Quality Facilities | |
| Summary | |
| References | |
| Index | |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
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