The NGSS [Next Generation Science Standards] reconceptualize science instruction by redefining the teacher as someone who helps students construct their own knowledge by "thinking like scientists" and engaging in discrete science practices. However, with STEM teachers in short supply and generalists often feeling underprepared to teach…

Aimed at the growing number of educators who are looking to move beyond covering the curriculum, "Designing Authentic Performance Tasks and Projects" provides a comprehensive guide to ensuring students' deeper learning--in which they can transfer their knowledge, skills, and understandings to the world beyond the classroom. Readers will…

Grading is one of the most hotly debated topics in education, and grading practices themselves are largely based on tradition, instinct, or personal history or philosophy. But to be effective, grading policies and practices must be based on trustworthy research evidence. Enter this book: a review of 100-plus years of grading research that presents…

In "Demonstrating Student Mastery with Digital Badges and Portfolios," David Niguidula shows how students can meet standards and express their individuality through digital badges and portfolios. Building off an essential question--What do schools want their students to know and be able to do?--he then shows how schools can implement a…

It is no secret that in today's complex world, students face unparalleled demands as they prepare for college, careers, and active citizenship. However, those demands will not be met without a fundamental shift from traditional, teacher-centered instruction toward innovative, student-centered teaching and learning. For schools ready to make such a…

Is homework an essential component of rigorous schooling or a harmful practice that alienates and discourages a significant number of students? Nine years after "Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs" was published, the debate over this complex question endures. In this updated edition, Cathy Vatterott examines…

What does "rigor," a word that frequently pops up in conversations about education, really mean? More specifically, what does it mean for "literacy" instruction, and how does it relate to challenging standards-based assessments? In this informative and practical guide, literacy expert Nancy Boyles uses the framework from Webb's…

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…

Regardless of your stage at implementing the design tools and using the improved template for Understanding by Design[R] (UbD), this companion to "The UbD Guide to Creating High-Quality Units" is essential for taking your work to a higher plane. This volume features a set of hands-on modules containing worksheets, models, and self-assessments that…

If you already have a strong grasp on the Common Core and are eager to do something about it, this book's research-based strategies will help you respond to the demands of the new standards, particularly the English language arts standards that affect every subject area and grade level. Drawing from the research on which classroom strategies are…

How do you know when you've made an effective assignment that has strong links to Common Core State Standards? Drawing from over 10 years of her experience as a teacher coach, Eleanor Dougherty answers that question and guides you in crafting assignments that matter. This book will help you to understand the powerful effect that assignments have…

First launched in April 2009, the Common Core State Standards Initiative was conceived to identify and develop college- and career-readiness standards that address what students are expected to know and be able to do when they have graduated from high school. The initiative introduced the final version of the standards in June 2010, and by…

Inspired by his ability to teach algebra to low-income and mostly African American and Latino urban students--and have them outscore the state averages for high-income and Caucasian students on standardized tests--Kadhir "Raja" Rajagopal, the 2011 California Teacher of the Year, provides you with a model for teaching that unleashes the…

Instead of piling on one new reform fad after another, here at last is a book that boils down solutions for improved schools to the most powerful, simple actions and structures that ensure you prepare all students for college, careers, and citizenship. Best-selling ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) author and renowned…

Renowned education journalist Ronald A. Wolk--the founder and former editor of "Education Week" and "Teacher Magazine"--skewers the conventional wisdom of the day about education reform and illuminates a way forward to higher student achievement. Learn why so many assumptions guiding political and educational leaders--standards and testing, longer…