October 2011 Issue
Change Leader: Understanding the Core Practices of Effective Leadership
In his previous best-selling books, Michael Fullan, the internationally acclaimed expert on organizational change, has examined the concepts and processes of change. This month, Fullan joins us to talk about the core practices of leadership that are so critical in … Continue
A Closer Look at the Common Core State Standards
Although standards have been around for nearly 20 years, the Common Core standards are not more of the same; they represent an entirely new generation of standards in many important ways. In our Common Core segment this month, McREL Senior … Continue
Flipping the Classroom
Salman Khan is turning the teaching of math upside down with his concept of simple video explanations, which kids watch and learn from outside of class, and homework and problem solving, which they do in class. Khan’s methods are being … Continue
How Middle Class Schools Aren’t Making the Grade
A new report offers a surprising look at our middle class schools, which serve the majority of our students and produce the backbone of our workforce. These schools are not getting the attention or the funding they need, according to … Continue
Dealing with Difficult School Employees
Managing teachers and staff who are difficult or marginal is one of the most challenging and least rewarding aspects of a school leader’s job. In this Best Practices segment, John Eller, a former principal and assistant superintendent, and co-author of … Continue
One-to-One Laptop Initiatives: Lessons Learned
Research on laptop initiatives has found mixed results, at best, for these efforts. Often, one-to-one programs have disappointing results because school systems lack upfront clarity on how technology could change classrooms for the better and teachers have little idea how … Continue
Improving College & Career Readiness for High School Graduates
Just 25% of the high school graduating class of 2011 met all four of the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, suggesting they are ready to succeed academically in first-year college courses; the other 75% require some type of remediation to succeed … Continue
The Brain and Strengths Based School Leadership
Sheryl Feinstein, the best-selling author of The Brain and Strengths Based School Leadership, joins us to discuss how educational leaders can apply a popular business prototype of leadership strengths and the latest brain research to lead effectively. Feinstein outlines four … Continue