"Effective Classroom Assessment: Linking Assessment with Instruction Successful middle schools engage students in all aspects of their learning. There are many strategies for accomplishing this. One such strategy is student-led conferences. As a classroom teacher or administrator, how do you ensure that the information shared in a student-led conference provides a balanced picture of the student's strengths and weaknesses? The answer to this is to balance both summative and formative classroom assessment practices and information gathering about student learning. Assessment is a huge topic that encompasses everything from statewide accountability tests to district benchmark or interim tests to everyday classroom tests. 4 In order to grapple with what seems to be an over use of testing, educators should frame their view of testing as assessment and that assessment is information. The more information we have about students, the clearer the picture we have about achievement or where gaps may occur."

Eugene Sanders Whatever it Takes Transformation Plan address 1/5/10

"Web 2.0 Literacy Tools Master List Fall 2009 by Naomi Harm"

"Building a 21st Century U.S. Education System NCTAF Board member Robert Wehling and the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future have published a book that brings together the visionary thinking of some of the nation's finest education thought leaders and presents a diverse set of strategies and solutions to provide every child with a high-quality, world-class educational opportunity. You can download the full book or individual chapters by clicking on the following links:"

Ohio Leadership Advisory Council

"Time to Act is the capstone report of Carnegie Council for Advancing Adolescent Literacy (Council). Since 2004, under the direction of Council Chairperson Catherine Snow, professor in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Council has gathered knowledge and ideas from experts nationwide on topics ranging from linguistics to the social science of teaching. Time to Act is released with five corresponding reports, which delve deeper into how to advance literacy and learning for all students, including such topics as the cost of implementing adolescent literacy programs and reading in the disciplines. "

Olmsted Falls Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment site

The Connecticut State Department of Education has partnered with the Leadership and Learning Center to provide professional development in Common Formative Assessments. Common Formative Assessments (CFAs) are periodic or interim assessments that are administered to all students in a grade level or course several times during the quarter, semester, trimester or entire school year. Teachers analyze student assessment results in Data Teams to plan and differentiate instruction. Such results provide predictive value as to how students are likely to do on each succeeding assessment in time for teachers to make instructional modifications.

Dr. Seuss poem on budget cuts

Ohio School Leaders - Building Decision Frameworks

Welcome to Turning Data into Action - a workshop designed for Ohio educators! ...sponsored byeTech Ohio Logo

here are 12 points (with thanks to Edward de Bono) on how to have a "beautiful" PLC or SLT team meeting.

March 2009 March 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 6 Literacy 2.0

The State Board of Education of Ohio recognizes parents and families as children's first and most important teachers. When parents enroll their children in school, from preschool through high school, the responsibility of education and care is shared with the school and the community. Partnerships among families, schools and communities that are child-centered and family-strengthening can engage, guide and motivate students to be productive citizens in a global society.