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Article from the National Association of School Psychologists about the good and bad of retaining students. One interesting point: Initial academic improvements may occur during the year the student is retained. However, many research studies show that achievement gains decline within 2-3 years of retention. This means that over time children who are retained either do not do better, or sometimes do worse, than similarly low-achieving groups of children who were not retained. Without specific targeted interventions, most retained students do not catch up.

I like the color zones for use. That could really support the staff and the overall discipline.

BYOD Small Business Relevant

These 2 articles make me wonder if we have enough training in place to mangage what we are doing and also wondering if we need to develop some more specific guidelines and/or protocols.

I felt this brief posting says a lot in a very short, concise venue.  If you want to just read the last paragraph, that's fine, trust me it's worth it.

Serious question. If students want to learn in isolation; if they want to sit at a desk and work on their own stuff, occasionally checking in with an "expert," they have no reason to come to school. Somehow, some educators think the information of the world still moves via paper and pencil, that there are "correct answers" to everything, and that there is a structured cultural norm of learning behavior, best exemplified by the silent child bent over a wooden desk with a thick physical book, which must be duplicated if a student is to succeed in their learning spaces. No wonder nobody wants to come. So here is what your classroom, and your school, needs to offer kids...read on!

I am a little skeptical of having so much emphasis placed on student input/evaluations. Are students mature enough to not be biased in their responses? I remember filling out evaluations on professors in college and I rarely took them seriously unless I really liked/disliked a professor. I just can't see all or even a majority of students putting together significant and insightful evaluations on their teachers.

In the past our staff sent out parent surveys at the end of the year to get feedback for the teacher to read and reflect. The questions ranged from communication, learning environment, student progress, and instruction. The letters were sent home to parents and returned to the teacher. The administration did not see them. They provided feedback for the teacher only. From parent and teacher feedback, I thought that the survey tool was helpful to provide additional insight for the teacher.

I also agree with Mr. Symank but I must add that not only do students feel that way but we also have some administrators who feel the same way.I think before doing that kind of survey students should be asked to put aside their biases and base their evaluations on the effectiveness of the teacher not whether you like them or not.That also applies to administrator.

This article addresses how BYOD can empower students and provide access for students in the classroom. The article provides thoughts to consider when implementing BYOD practices such as how to ensure student safety, providing technical support and adequate infrastructure, students that have devices vs students that do not, and security for the devices. Interesting article to read to think about BYOD.

"People with a fixed mindset like to solve the same problems over and over again. It reinforces their sense of competence. " This parallels "resistance to change", which is synonymous with the "fear of failure". We should look for employees that are always asking questions, networking, seeking better ways to do their current job, and preparing themselves for the next position in their chosen field.

Is it that you seek to fail or that you aren't afraid to fail? "But if you believe your talent grows with persistence and effort, then you seek failure as an opportunity to improve. People with a growth mindset feel smart when they're learning, not when they're flawless. " We are having a lot of discussions as a CATE dept. about student failure. Some believe that failure is important because it teaches responsibility and accountability. I do not believe this to be true. Some teachers seem to resist getting students to a growth mindset by helping them understand that after failure, there still have to be opporunities to learn which then builds competence, responsibility and accountablity.

Failure doesn't always have to be "below 70" on a report card or missing the game winning shot. For some getting a "B" when they have always gotten straight A's is enough to spur the initiative to work harder. Simply showing a child...or an adult that there is always room for growth is the important theme here. Life long learners...

"In general, however, students are using the iPads the right way, on the right things because the teachers have given them a reason to use them."

Fifteen million U.S. children, or 1 in 3, live without a father, and nearly 5 million live without a mother Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/25/fathers-disappear-from-households-across-america/#ixzz2GG7sqtIx Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

"The mobile app, which is only available on the iPhone, is steadily growing in popularity among the kid and teen crowds, causing parents to take notice and ask, what exactly is Instagram, and is there anything I should be worried about?"

Great things for us all to remember this busy time of year!

Here is a brief slide show illustrating Finland's approach to education.  Food for thought and action!

A friend shared this article on Facebook and it has good food for thought about leadership as we hit the time of year when we are all tired and lose sight of the important things about leadership and taking care of people.

This article is a great reminder that taking care of people is the greatest trust we have. Loyalty creates an environment of safety, and safety promotes adventurous, risk-taking. This creates the optimal seedbed for healthy growth.

I've never really thought of "loyalty" as a good trait of a leader...maybe because I'm a pretty loyal person. However, as I began thinking about it in terms of my board of directors, it made complete sense. We need to make sure people on our team feel needed and vested! Showing loyalty and getting them to reciprocate only strengthens the team!

Ironically, much of what the Fins have implemented was based on the American system of education. They are successful in all of the areas researchers are telling us we should be moving toward. "The [Finnish] curricula are very much focused on critical thinking and problem solving, project-based learning, and learning to learn," she said. "There is a lot of collaboration in the classroom." What do you think?