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Make a Difference in Your PLC
Most of us started Professional Learning Communities (PLC), because PLCs promised to help us make our department/school/district the best it could be to accomplish huge gains in student achievement. Did it live up to the hype? Most of us have to say “No,” but the potential is there. So how do we energize our PLCs…
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How to Read Professional Development Books: 7 Tactics You Might Not Be Using
Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, instructional coach, central office staff, or someone else, I’m guessing you’re familiar with the fact that there are lots more edu-books out there than any of us have time to read. And their unmanageable quantity is not the only tricky thing about professional development books; they also vary in utility. Some are immediately useful, superbly…
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How North Godwin Beat the Odds
At North Godwin “92 percent of students receive free or reduced-priced lunch. A percentage of low-income students that high is a strong predictor that test scores should be among the lowest in the county. But that’s not the case. Instead, North Godwin’s scores are soaring.” (The Road to Success in a High-Poverty School: It’s All About…
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How to have Effective Teachers in Every Classroom Every Day
The most critical responsibility of any principal or evaluator is to ensure that an effective teacher is in every classroom every day. “A study by the Urban Institute reveals that Principals spend, on average, 6% of their time on “day-to-day instruction:” observing instruction, coaching teachers, developing or leading professional development, using data to drive instruction…
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Why We Love MTSS (And You Should, Too!)
Data-driven decision making, positive school climate, evidence-based reading instruction and interventions . . . all critical components of setting up a Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) Framework. Kent ISD is currently supporting local districts in bringing the MTSS Framework to life to systematically raise achievement both
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Elevate Learning & Leadership on Nov 12th!
The West Michigan Education Leadership Conference held at Kent Intermediate School District is an opportunity for area leaders to gather together to share and learn. The first leadership conference was held last fall and there were over 150 leaders throughout the region in attendance. This conference allows educators to learn from one another and share strategies…
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Five Pillars Critical to Building a Culture of Achievement
What does it feel like to walk into your school? Is it a welcoming place, where everyone feels valued? What is the culture of your school/classroom? What beliefs shape that culture? How does the school’s culture align with it’s mission statement? What is everyone’s (teachers, students, principals, and parent) sense of purpose? Most school improvement…