The cochairs of the International Literacy Association's 2017 Standards provide a hands-on guide to using the updated standards for middle and high school classroom teachers. The authors discuss four key notions: Disciplinary literacy instruction enhances content area learning, culturally responsive instruction is critical in our diverse society,…

Curriculum is the core of the classroom experience, but what makes a quality curriculum? What lessons, learning experiences, and assessments are most effective, and how should they be embedded within the curriculum? The answers to these and other questions appear in this definitive, step-by-step guide. Drawing from her work with teachers and…

This STEM Smart brief describes the challenges of implementing the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) as well as research and promising practices in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development adopting the NGSS.

Important science phenomena--such as atomic structure, evolution, and climate change--are often hard to observe directly. That's why an important scientific practice is to use scientific models to represent one's current understanding of a system. Using models has been included as an essential science and engineering practice in the "Next…

This paper seeks to chart a course for leveraging a micro-credentialing system to enable more educators to achieve the potential of professional learning. The paper uses the Standards for Professional Learning as a frame to provide guidance to everyone involved in micro-credentials to ensure that learners experience the research-based elements of…

School districts that have adopted the 3Ls™ approach to provide rigorous instruction for English learners (ELs) have, invariably, had to make a case for what this approach offers, how it reflects best practices in English language development (ELD) instruction, and how it meets the needs of English learners. They have also had to make explicit…

When the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS) were first developed, principal and superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, David Faber writes in this article of his elation at the possibilities for measuring quality and for addressing total school improvement that the…

Throughout the country, state assessments in reading, mathematics, and science continue to play important roles in instructional improvement and accountability. State assessments must align to academic standards that are significantly more challenging than previous standards, reflecting the current knowledge and skill demands of postsecondary…

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) were released almost two years ago. Work tied to the NGSS, their adoption, and implementation continues to move forward around the country. Stephen L. Pruitt, senior vice president, science, at Achieve, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization that was a lead…

Although advocacy can also take place at the state and national levels, the foundation of advocacy is high-quality teaching and local initiatives. The purpose of this article is to review four steps that can be taken by PE teachers who are interested in engaging in local advocacy efforts.

In 2010, more than 40 states adopted the Common Core State Standards. Initially, the standards were quickly and easily embraced, but over the past year the standards have become enmeshed in various controversies, raising many questions about how the standards were written and what they include. This article attempts to provide authoritative…

This memorandum presents results from a scan of states' English language arts (ELA) standards for writing, with specific attention to references of cursive writing. This work was conducted by the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI). Using information posted on public web sites for each state and the District of Columbia, the…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSSI 2010) for Mathematical Practice have relevance even for those not in CCSS states because they describe the habits of mind that mathematicians--professionals as well as proficient school-age learners--use when doing mathematics. They provide a language to discuss aspects of mathematical practice that are of…

Having high-quality early childhood education programs that prepare children for success in school and later years continues to be an ever increasing national priority. While the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") do not provide standards for preschool, there are ample opportunities to use the Standards as a guide to…

This publication explores how state accountability systems currently address college readiness and academic and technical career readiness and offers recommendations and examples of policies and practices that incentivize and reward districts and schools for preparing more students to earn credentials and degrees in high-demand career fields.