Resource Guide for the Standards and Rubric for School Improvement

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Standard One:
School and District Leadership



Standard Two:
Curriculum, Instruction, And Professional Development

2.1 Alignment With Standards
2.2 Monitoring Curriculum
2.3 Communication With Stakeholders
2.4 Common Academic Core
2.5 Monitoring and Evaluation
2.6 Instructional Planning
2.7 Instructional Materials
2.8 Technology Integration
2.9 Differentiated Instruction
2.10 Research-Based Strategies
2.11 Long-term Professional Growth
2.12 Teachers Role in Student Success
2.13 Continuous Professional Development
2.14 Evaluation Process
2.15 Content Knowledge



Standard Three:
Classroom And School Assessments



Standard Four:
School Culture, Climate, And Communication



ADE Calendar of Events



Best Practices Academies

2.10 Research-Based Strategies

A variety of scientifically research-based strategies and best or proven practices focused on increasing student achievement are used effectively in classroom.

The "art" of teaching is rapidly becoming the "science" of teaching, and this is a relatively new phenomenon. [S]trategies that we have extracted from the research base on effective instruction…guide classroom practice in such a way as to maximize the possibility of enhancing student achievement.

Robert Marzano, et al.,
Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement

Suggested Evidence
  • Observation
  • Lesson plans
Level of Performance: Exceeds Standards
  • Classroom observations indicate targeted use of a wide variety of scientifically research-based instructional strategies.
  • All students appear to be actively engaged in learning.
  • All students have instructional opportunities to connect and apply their learning to real-life experiences.

Related Resources

Tools
NEW! Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher's Sourcebook   
Not all children learn to read by the time they leave elementary school. This source book created by the University of Texas at Austin offers an overview of research-based instructional approaches for teaching struggling readers.
Author: The University of Texas at Austin
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: The University of Texas at Austin

NEW! Learning Disabilities Resource Kit: Specific Learning Disabilities Determination Procedures and Responsiveness to Intervention [K-12]   
This kit, developed by the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, is a tool to help educators navigate changes related to specific learning disability determination and responsiveness to intervention.
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: National Research Center on Learning Disabilities

Dispelling the Myth – Online   
This web-based interactive data tool allows users to find preliminary information on high-poverty and or high-minority schools whose students receive high scores on state assessments. It is cautioned that the data posted does not provide a complete picture of each school and should be used in association with other information available from individual schools.
Publisher: The Education Trust


Articles
NEW! A Synopsis of a Synthesis of Empirical Research on Teaching Mathematics to Low-Achieving Students [1-12]   
Baker, Gersten, and Lee (2002) synthesized findings from 28 years of research on interventions for students struggling in learning math. This synopsis highlights the key findings from this synthesis and offers recommendations for implementation.
Author: Scott Baker, Russell Gersten and Dae-Sik Lee
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Center on Instruction

NEW! Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction   
This document developed by the Center on Instruction's Reading, Special Education and ELL Strands makes recommendations for improving literacy-related instruction in the content areas or across the entire school day, interventions for students reading below grade level, and recommendations for supporting literacy development in adolescent English language learners.
Author: Joseph K. Torgeson et al.
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Center on Instruction

NEW! Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades   
This resource was developed by an expert panel convened by the Institute of Education Sciences. It provides a set of research-based recommendations that together constitute a plan for teaching literacy to K-5 English learners.
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

NEW! Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices   
This guide offers strategies that teachers can use to increase the reading ability of adolescent students. The recommendations aim to help students gain more from their reading tasks, improve their motivation for and engagement in the learning process, and assist struggling readers who may need intensive and individualized attention.

Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

NEW! Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools   
Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools, commissioned by Carnegie Corporation of New York and published by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses eleven specific teaching techniques that research suggests will help improve the writing abilities of the country’s 4th- to 12th-grade students.
Author: Steve Graham and Dolores Perin
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Alliance for Excellent Education

NEW! Extensive Reading Interventions in Grades K-3: From Research to Practice   
This report summarizes available data on the effects of extensive reading interventions (comprising at least 100 instructional sessions) and related implications for practice.
Author: Nancy Scammacca, Sharon Vaughn, Greg Roberts, Jeanne Wanzek and Joseph K. Torgesen
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Center on Instruction

NEW! Foundations for Success: Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel   
On March 13, 2008, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented its Final Report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education. This report contains information for parents, teachers, policy makers, the research community.
Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: U.S. Department of Education

NEW! Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta-Analysis with Implications for Practice   
This report focuses on interventions designed to improve students' use of reading comprehension strategies. It also considers the impact of interventions that target improved reading vocabulary, accurate decoding of unfamiliar words in text, and increased reading fluency.
Author: Nancy Scammacca, Greg Roberts, Sharon Vaughn, Meaghan Edmonds, Jade Wexler
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Center on Instruction

NEW! Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas: Getting to the Core of Middle and High School Improvement   
This report contends that increased expectations are best met by providing added instruction that corresponds with the specific reading and writing requirements of each academic course in middle and high school.
Author: Rafael Heller and Cynthia Greenleaf
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Alliance for Excellent Education

Building Instructional Quality: "Inside-Out" and "Outside-In" Perspectives on San Diego's School Reform   
This study discusses the resources used and policies developed by one district focused on improving the quality of instruction.
Author: Linda Darling-Hammond, et al.
Publication Date: 2003, September
Publisher: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy

Building Reading Proficiency at the Secondary Level   
This article summarizes the research on what struggling secondary readers need in order to build reading proficiency. The discussion is organized around four factors: (a) the motivation to read, (b) the ability to decode print, (c) the ability to comprehend language, and (c) the ability to transact with text.
Publication Date: 2003
Publisher: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL)

Comparing The Research on Best Practices   
This article compares the research on best practices from leading educators like Robert Marzano, Jay McTighe, Michael Fullan, and Deborah Pickering and looks for common components.
Author: Carol Rolheiser, Ph.D. and Michael Fullan, Ph.D.
Publication Date: 2002
Publisher: Center for Development and Learning

Contexts for Engagement and Motivation in Reading   
This article discusses engaged reading and instructional contexts that foster reading engagement and motivation.
Author: John T. Guthrie
Publication Date: 2001
Publisher: Reading Online

Developing Leadership Through the School Improvement Process   
The authors discuss the idea that school improvement is no longer an option- schools are either improving or declining. The article focuses on various factors that should be taken into consideration when discussing school improvement.
Author: Larry K. Kelly and Lawrence W. Lezotte
Publication Date: 2003
Publisher: NCA Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement

Differentiating Instruction: Finding Manageable Ways to Meet Individual Needs   
Asserting that differentiation of instruction is a challenge worth meeting, the authors describe strategies that teachers devoted to this belief are using to make it a reality in curriculum content, process, and products at both the elementary and secondary levels.
Publication Date: 2000, Winter
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Differentiation in Diverse Settings: A Consultants Experiences in Two Similar School Districts   
Dr. Tomlinson describes how two districts and their leadership pursue different approaches to addressing the issues of implementing differentiated instruction throughout their schools. Particular attention is given to outlining an effective leadership plan for success in meeting the needs of diverse learners through differentiation.
Author: Carol Ann Tomlinson
Publication Date: August, 2004
Publisher: American Association of School Administrators

Helping All Students Achieve: Closing the Achievement Gap   
Haycock argues that educators need to focus on three issues to increase achievement levels among minority and low-income students: high standards, a challenging curriculum, and good teaching.
Author: Kati Haycock
Publisher: Center for Development and Learning

Implementing Performance Assessment in the Classroom   
This article considers how performance-based assessment can help a teacher know if students have really learned content.
Author: Amy Brualdi
Publication Date: 2000, February

Q&A: What’s the Big Deal with Graphic Organizers?   
This article discusses the benefits of graphic organizers and how they can be used in a classroom setting.
Author: Edwin Ellis
Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: Edwin Press

Quality Curriculum and Instruction for Highly Able Students   
Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson describes how the highly able learner begins their journey further down the learning curve then their similar age peers. Curriculum and instruction must be modified to meet the needs of these “advanced learners” to challenge them and provide opportunity for growth.
Author: Carol Ann Tomlinson
Publication Date: Spring, 2005
Publisher: The Ohio State University

Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy   
The authors outline 15 key elements of an effective literacy intervention, and call on public and private stakeholders to invest in the literacy of middle and high school students today, while simultaneously building the knowledge base.
Author: Gina Biancarosa and Catherine Snow
Publication Date: 2004
Publisher: Alliance for Excellent Education

The Clarifying Routine: Elaborating Vocabulary Instruction   
This article describes a vocabulary strategy that can be used to help students develop in-depth understanding of key terms.
Author: Edwin S. Ellis
Publication Date: 2002
Publisher: LD OnLine

The Effect of High-Quality Instruction on Reading Outcomes   
This issue of Research Brief focuses on how differential instruction in reading affects students in high school English classes, both in different course tracks and among advantaged vs. disadvantaged populations.

Note: The full-text article may be read for free on the ASCD Web site. Use the URL above to locate the article by date in the Archived Issues section of the Educational Leadership area.
Publication Date: 2005, February
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

The First Five Minutes Are Critical   
The authors explain the importance of making every second in the classroom count, as well as provide examples of how to utilize the first five minutes of class.
Author: Harry and Rosemary Wong
Publication Date: 2000, November
Publisher: Teacher.Net Gazette

Using Instructional Design Strategies To Foster Curiosity   
This article discusses strategies that can foster engagement by increasing student curiosity in lesson content.
Author: Marilyn P. Arnone
Publication Date: 2003
Publisher: Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

“Bumping Into Spicy, Tasty Words That Catch Your Tongue”: A Formative Experiment on Vocabulary Instruction   
This article describes the vocabulary program and the outcomes of a study based on increasing student vocabulary.
Author: James F. Baumann, Donna Ware, and Elizabeth Carr Edwards
Publication Date: 2007, October
Publisher: International Reading Association


Useful Links
NEW! The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel   
On March 13, 2008, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented its Final Report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education.
Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: U.S. Department of Education

NEW! Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents   
This PowerPoint presentation discusses resources and areas of knowledge that can assist in successful academic literacy instruction.
Author: Joseph Torgesen
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Center on Instruction

NEW! Educational Java™ Programs   
This site was started in November of 1997 with the purpose of providing Java™ Applets that can be used as tools to help and enhance the education of children both at school and at home.(Description take directly from the site)
Publication Date: 1997-1999
Publisher: Arcytech

NEW! National Library of Virtual Math Manipulatives   
The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives is a NSF supported project that began in 1999 to develop a library of uniquely interactive web-based virtual manipulatives or concept tutorials, mostly in the form of Java applets, for mathematics instruction (K-12 emphasis). The project includes dissemination and extensive internal and external evaluation. (Description taken directly from the site)
Publication Date: 1999-2007
Publisher: Utah State University

NEW! NCTM Illuminations   
This site provides dozens of virtual math manipulatives with lessons divided by grade level and aligned to NCTM standards. Lessons are detailed and include activity sheets.
Publication Date: 2000-2008
Publisher: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

NEW! Pattern Block Activities on the Web   
Dr. Margo Lynn Mankus shares her mathematics lessons, activities and blackline masters for manipulatives.
Publication Date: 1998
Publisher: Margo Lynn Mankus

Meeting the Challenge: All Students Achieving Proficiency by 2014   
The Southwest Comprehensive Center held a regional conference for SEA leadership teams on April 4-5, 2006. As the centerpiece of the conference, CC staff worked with Content Centers to identify research studies. This page contains the summaries of the findings.
Publication Date: 2006
Publisher: Southwest Comprehensive Center

Promising Practices Network   
The Promising Practices Network (PPN) spotlights programs and practices that research shows are effective in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families.

Reading for Understanding: A Guide to Improving Reading in Middle and High School Classrooms   
(written by WestEd): The authors of this practical guidebook are members of the Strategic Literacy Initiative at WestEd. They provide clear steps and strategies to teach middle and high school students how to become good readers across disciplines, with examples from Thurgood Marshall High School in San Francisco to back up their explanation.
Author: Schoenbach, R., Greenleaf, C., Cziko, C., Hurwitz, L.
Publication Date: 2000
Publisher: WestEd




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