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"For more than a decade now we have heard that the high-stakes testing obsession in K-12 education that began with the enactment of No Child Left Behind 11 years ago has resulted in high school graduates who don't think as analytically or as broadly as they should because so much emphasis has been placed on passing standardized tests. Here, an award-winning high school teacher who just retired, Kenneth Bernstein, warns college professors what they are up against"

"Roger Cook, Superintendent of Taylor County Schools in Kentucky, is, simply put, leadership in action. Mr. Cook has brought dynamic change to the district, starting from day one. During his first year as Superintendent, Mr. Cook transformed Taylor County Schools into a performance-based educational system, challenged teachers and students to meet 21st century expectations with rigor and relevance, and spearheaded the effort to fund new, much-needed facilities. For eight years, the district and school leadership have worked to create a culture of anytime anywhere learning and have had zero dropouts for the last six years. So we interviewed Roger Cook along with Troy Benningfield, Director of Instruction, and Susan Kilby, Assistant Superintendent to find out more about their district to share with you. "

"Rolling out a 1-to-1 technology program can be a daunting task for any school or district. After talking to some of the most forward-thinking 1-to-1 administrators and teachers, we've got the inside scoop ... and we're here to share it with you! 1-to-1 Essentials offers the guidance you need in order to proactively, rather than reactively, address issues that schools commonly face when going 1-to-1. We encourage you to explore, customize, and choose the resources that will best support your school community."

Founded in 1992, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is the premier professional association for school district technology leaders. CoSN is committed to providing the leadership, community and advocacy tools essential for the success of these leaders. Our Mission Empowering K-12 school district technology leaders to use technology strategically to improve teaching and learning

A series from Education Week on school reform. Will need to login to see the whole article (sign up is free)

"Last summer, as I was winding down my eight years as president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, I went around the country and met with 30 superintendents, asking them, "What can I do to support your efforts to implement 21st century education in your district?" Together we came up with the idea of creating a professional learning community (PLC) of education leaders committed to 21st century education. A team of us liked the idea so much that earlier this year we launched EdLeader21, a community of education leaders committed to building critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity into their educational system. Seven-Part Blog Series One of the major ways we are organizing the work of the PLC is a framework we created, "7 Steps for Becoming a 21st Century School or District." For the next two months I will be sharing with you our seven-step framework in greater detail, as well as some suggestions for how you can implement some of these ideas in your own school or district. "

This is the work of a group about 2 years ago of varied school and community stakeholders. In light of our discussion on Vision, it seemed a good idea to highlight an actual example - this is for the whole district not just one school.

"The biggest question about technology and schools in the 21st century is not so much "What can it do?" but, rather, "When will it get to do it?" We all know life will be much different by 2100. Will school? How close will we be to Edutopia? "

"The conventional wisdom in education is that any school reform--be it curriculum, instruction, assessment, or teacher professionalism--is most likely to take hold in schools that have strong leadership. The same holds true for technology. Any educator will tell you the most successful implementation of technology programs takes place in schools where the principal sees him or herself as a technology leader. "

Don Knezek, CEO of ISTE, shares, "After a decade at the helm of a vibrant and increasingly international association, I'm more convinced than ever that we must move our education system into the digital age. How else can we prepare our children with the skills and literacies they'll need to thrive in school, work, and civic life? That's what we want for them, isn't it? Then let's get started."

"National PTA® created the guides for grades K-8 and two for grades 9-12 (one for English language arts/literacy and one for mathematics). The Guide includes: Key items that children should be learning in English language arts and mathematics in each grade, once the standards are fully implemented. Activities that parents can do at home to support their child's learning. Methods for helping parents build stronger relationships with their child's teacher. Tips for planning for college and career (high school only)."

"For all the ink that has been spilled regarding the issue of differentiated instruction, little has been said about differentiated assessment. There is no doubt that students come to school with a variety of backgrounds and learning needs, and Carol Ann Tomlinson (Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006) and others (e.g., Stefanakis & Meier, 2010; Fogarty & Pete, 2010) have documented the importance of the issue and the potential success of the results. The devil, as always, is in the details, and as Schmoker (2010) recently noted, some teachers find the demands of creating different lessons for the learning needs of each student overwhelming. Here are some practical ideas for busy teachers who want to meet the different needs of students while managing the demands on their already busy schedules."