Research and Best Practices
The largest in-depth study of school leadership to date, this report gathers and analyzes quantitative data confirming that education leadership has a strong impact on student achievement, as measured by student test scores. The study shows that leadership makes its mark largely by strengthening a school’s “professional community” – an environment where teachers work together to improve classroom instruction. It also finds that rapid turnover of principals reduces student achievement. In addition, the study shows that although the.....
Elementary Resources
Early Literacy Learning - Guides for Practitioners
These guides can be used by early childhood educators, child care providers, early interventionists, and other early childhood practitioners for promoting infants’, toddlers’, and preschoolers’ literacy learning using interest-based and highly engaging activities.
everythingESL - Includes Links to Lesson Plans
This link takes you to everythingESL. It includes lesson plans for beginning through intermediate students.
Intervention Report on three Voyager Reading Programs by the What Works Clearinghouse
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is releasing an Intervention Report on three Voyager Reading Programs. The three programs are Voyager Passport, a supplemental reading intervention system for students in grades K-5, Voyager Passport Reading Journeys, a reading intervention program designed for adolescents who struggle with reading, and Voyager Universal Literacy System, a K-3 reading program. The Clearinghouse examined the research on these Voyager reading programs for students with learning disabilities and identified 44 studies that were.....
Web-Based Resources for Science, Technology, and Engineering: Tools and Activities for Teaching and Learning
The entries compiled here are grouped by type (general or subject-specific), and include information about the appropriate grade level(s) for the online activities and sample lessons. Following these entries is an annotated bibliography of online articles and books.
Both the links and the resources presented here were selected by CAST in fall 2005 according to two criteria: 1) they shed light on the kinds of effective research, classroom practices, and policies that support standards-based learning, and 2) they can be accessed free of.....
Enhancing Academic Literacy of ELLs in Science and Social Studies Classrooms
This is a presentation from the first of a series of 90-minute webinars designed to provide an opportunity to engage with national experts in an interactive learning process centered on adolescent literacy best practices used in traditional content-area classrooms in grades 4-12. It includes an overview of two experimental studies aimed at boosting the academic achievement of older English learners.
The Educator's Reference Desk - Sample Lesson plans by subject sponsored by GEM/ERIC
This collection contains more than 2000 unique lesson plans which were written and submitted by teachers from all over the United States and the world. These lesson plans are also included in GEM, which links to over 40,000 online education resources. The Educator's Reference Desk builds on over a quarter century of experience providing high-quality resources and services to the education community. (From the Information Institute of Syracuse, the people who created AskERIC, the Gateway to Educational Materials, and the Virtual Reference.....
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.
Watercolor Exploration - Music Integration - Elementary Art Lesson
This is one of many elementary art lessons on this rich website - Incredible Art Lessons. The goal of this lesson is for students to learn that mistakes are sometimes good things, and to encourage generosity and cooperation towards one another while exploring experimental watercolor techniques.
Quick Review on Achievement Effects of Four Elementary School Math Curricula: Findings from First Graders in 39 Schools
This study examined the relative effectiveness of four widely-used early elementary school math curricula: Investigations in Number, Data, and Space; Math Expressions; Saxon Math; and Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Mathematics. The study included about 1,300 first graders from 39 schools in four school districts in Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, and Nevada.
Results:
First graders attending schools assigned to the ME and Saxon programs scored significantly higher on math assessments than students attending schools assigned to the.....
Effective Science Instruction: What Does Research Tell Us? (K-12)
Effective Science Instruction: What Does Research Tell Us? [K-12] Published by COI
A debate continues over what constitutes effective science instruction. This brief endeavors to distill the research on science learning to inform a common vision of science instruction and to describe the extent to which K-12 science education currently reflects this vision. A final section on implications for policymakers and science education practitioners describes actions that could integrate the findings from research into science education.
WWC Quick Review: Achievement Effects of Four Elementary School Math Curricula
This study examined the relative effectiveness of four widely-used early elementary school math curricula: (1) Investigations in Number, Data and Space (Investigations), (2) Math Expressions (ME), (3) Saxon Math (Saxon), and (4) Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Mathematics (SFAW).
Sustaining Reading First
The resources in this link provide a conceptual framework on sustainability, tools for assessing readiness to sustain, and briefs on specific topics related to sustaining evidence based reading instruction.
Teaching Literacy in English to K-5 English Learners
Use this multimedia overview to learn the importance of teaching English learners to read in English while they are developing oral proficiency, and how this helps them increase vocabulary, speak in English, and learn other subject-matter content. See how the five recommended practices fit together to create a full research-based solution for schools, teachers, and students. (6:05 min)
