Professional Development
Learning Port
Across states, national organizations and technical assistance investments, an extensive amount of professional development material is available. This library of over 700 professional development resources provides local educators with easy access to an array of resources that can be used or customized to meet their needs.High School Resources
Protocols
The word “protocol” has taken on a more specific meaning in education in recent years. In the context
of educators working to improve their practice, a protocol is a structured process or set of guidelines
to promote meaningful and efficient communication and learning.
The National School Reform Faculty website has compiled several protocols for educator use. Protocols are most powerful and effective when used within an ongoing professional learning community such as a Critical Friends Group® and facilitated by a skilled coach.
Social Studies Taskforce Report
This report done in Maryland, but with a national perspective, acknowledges the challenges faced by social studies over the past decade, including the unintended marginalization of social studies disciplines caused by NCLB. The social studies task force made nine recommendations in its report that are “intended to reverse social studies’ decline.”
Key recommendations include establishing standards governing instructional time; administering a statewide social studies assessment in elementary and middle school; increasing social.....
How the EBIS/RTI Process Works in Secondary Schools
This document developed by the Tigard-Tualatin School District in Tigard, OR includes information on EBIS (Effective Behavior and Instructional Support) as a structured, systematic process (1) to review school-wide behavior and academic data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of core programs, (2) to screen and identify students needing additional academic and/or behavior support, and (3) to plan, implement, and modify interventions for these students. The document can be downloaded below, or you can click here for more information.
IDEA Partnership Collection (K-12 Special Education resource)
A Partnership Collection, a website developed by the IDEA Partnership, is the result of the collaborative work of 65 partner organization representatives, five technical assistance providers, and a number of state and local organizations and agencies representing a range of roles at all levels of the education system and geographic locations across the country. The Collection provides access to a comprehensive database of materials and resources to assist in the understanding of RTI processes and best practices for its implementation on all.....
Turnaround Strategies and Models for High Schools
(From the National High School Center) This resource is a synthesis of the literature on high school improvement organized by key elements of the turnaround/transformation models, as defined by the federal Title I School Improvement Grant regulations. The synthesis has been organized into the following three sections:
* Improving High Schools Overview/Background
o The High School Context
o Supporting Low Performing Schools: Lessons Learned
o Implications of the Lessons for High School Turnaround
*.....
Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas: Getting to the Core of Middle and High School Improvement
This report from the Alliance for Excellent Education contends that content teachers at the middle and secondary levels should engage their students in literacy training through integrated reading and writing activities that teach students how to recognize the particular conventions specific to the different subjects. The report concludes with practical policy goals to foster a greater integration of literacy training and content matter.
16 Career Clusters - Organizational Tool for Use in Searching for Career Information (Developed by USDOE)
The U.S. Department of Education has established 16 broad Career Clusters consisting of entry-level through professional-level occupations in a broad industry area. Each cluster includes the academic and technical skills and knowledge needed for further education and careers. Clusters are a great organizational tool for educators, counselors, parents, and students in their search for career information. They show the relationship between what students learn in school with the knowledge and skills they need for success in further.....
RTI – an IRIS Center resource that includes four modules
RTI (includes Early Intervening) – an IRIS Center resource that includes four modules: An Overview, Assessment, Reading Instruction and Putting it All Together. It is recommended that you start with Part 1 and go through modules in order. You can click on the following link: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/resources.html then click on RTI, then Modules to access each module and to see a description of each module or you can click on the links below to access each part individually.
Part 1:.....
Engaging Learners the SMARTboard Way - Using the Smartboard in the Classroom
Interactive whiteboards are gaining in popularity in schools. SMART technology is one of the most popular interactive whiteboard options. This workshop explores ideas for using interactive whiteboards in the classroom, adapting existing Notebook projects, and integrating resources for each subject area.
Developing a Freshman Watch List to Lower Dropout Rates
Listen to how the Department of Graduation Pathways supports schools in identifying students who fall off track to graduation and in planning interventions. Schools receive a Freshman Watch List to identify incoming freshmen who need interventions to be on track for graduation at the end of the freshman year. The department used this sample material, Graduation Pathways: Using Freshman Year Indicators, to help school staff understand the freshman year indicators. (4:36 min)
Dropout Prevention: Keeping Students in School
Dropout Prevention: Keeping Students in School
Use this multimedia overview to learn about practices for Dropout Prevention. Through diagnosis of the problem, providing targeted interventions, and establishing schoolwide programs, schools can create research-based and practical solutions to keep students in school, reduce dropout rates, and recover students who left school. (7:15 min)
National High School Center
The National High School Center, based at the American Institutes for Research, provides the latest research,
user-friendly tools and products, and high-quality technical assistance on high school improvement issues.
