From the Field
Childhood Obesity and Its Effects on Academic Achievement
with Carrie Germeroth and Debbie Mazzeo
Research shows that childhood obesity, which is on the rise, is linked to lower self-esteem and achievement. In this segment, McREL researchers Carrie Germeroth and Debbie Mazzeo discuss the links between student health and achievement and report on what they … Continue
Creating and Responding to Early Warning Systems
About one-third of current students will drop out of school and another third will leave high school unprepared for college or the workplace. In this segment, Sheila Arens, a senior director at McREL who has been working with districts to … Continue
Update On Standards-Based Grading and Reporting
with Lee Ann Jung and Tom Guskey
Lee Ann Jung and Tom Guskey, professors in the College of Education at the Univ. of Kentucky, have worked with teachers and school leaders in Kentucky to develop a common, statewide, standards- based student report card for all grade levels. … Continue
Update On Educator Evaluation Reform
Nationwide, as states and school districts seek new ways to evaluate teachers and school administrators, there is a focus on developing structured, transparent processes that incorporate student performance into the evaluation results and link evaluation to ongoing professional development. Sherri … Continue
How Parent Involvement Affects Student Achievement
Most school leaders would agree that parent involvement is a key element in school success. But for all the PTA meetings, volunteering, and back-to-school nights, does parent involvement actually contribute to the success of students? In this segment, Patte Barth, … Continue
Everyone at the Table: Engaging Teachers in Evaluation Reform
In this segment, we take a look at what’s happening in teacher evaluation in states and districts across the country and about a valuable new project called Everyone at the Table, which aims to engage teachers as part of the … Continue
Classroom Instruction That Works
With more than a million copies sold, the book Classroom Instruction that Works is one of the most widely used professional development manuals in education today. Ceri Dean, Vice President of Field Services at McREL, joins us to share insights … Continue
The Power of Imaginative Play
Researchers have found that one of the most important predictors of student success is “self-regulation,” the ability to focus on the task at hand and drown out distractions. Young children today may be losing this ability to regulate their own … Continue
What Matters Most to Change the Odds for Student Success
Bryan Goodwin, author of the new book, Doing What Matters Most to Change the Odds for Student Success, discusses a few simple keys to improving student success learned from decades of research: what great teachers do that makes such a huge difference, the importance of intentional instruction, and the Forrest Gump Principle of low-performing schools. Continue
Early Warning Systems: Keeping Kids on Track
Schools and districts are increasingly turning to data to predict which students may be in danger of dropping out or to identify when students are falling behind. In this segment, Kelly Sparks, Director of College and Career Readiness programs at … 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
The Good Behavior Game: Improving Behavior and Classroom Achievement
The Good Behavior Game is a classroom management strategy for early elementary school, but the documented effects on its participants are long term. The research shows that young adults (ages 19-21) who participated in the Good Behavior Game are less … Continue
Lessons From a Turnaround School
Catherine Barbour, a school turnaround expert, and Gary Jansen, principal at East Middle School in Hazelwood, MO, discuss what they’ve learned after the first year of their turnaround efforts at one of the lowest performing schools in Missouri. Continue
Encouraging College Success for Low Income and Minority Students
The St. Louis Regional College Access Pipeline (CAP) Project is explored in this month's Learning Point. A local initiative, the CAP Project is aimed at increasing both the number of low-income and minority students who go on to college and their subsequent success in graduating from college. Continue
Exploring A Systemic Approach to School Turnarounds
A new report from AIR and the California Collaborative on District Reform highlights the successes that eight California districts achieved by taking a common approach and leveraging their resources at the district level to improve struggling schools. Continue
Using RTI To Improve Achievement For English Language Learners
Dr. Libia Gil, Senior Fellow and managing director of ELL programs for American Institutes for Research, discusses a new program that has achieved very positive results using Response to Intervention for English Language Learners in California. Continue
Improving Teacher Quality: A Guide for Education Leaders
Ellen Behrstock Sherratt, co-author of the new book, Improving Teacher Quality: A Guide for Education Leaders, discusses the eight components of managing educator talent and explains that school administrators must change how they manage their teachers if they really want to see improved outcomes for students. Continue
Early Warning System Identifies High School Drop Out Risks
Joe Harris, director of the National High School Center at American Institutes for Research (AIR), discusses a new “early warning system” to alert school administrators to potential high school drop outs. Continue
Effective School Leadership and School Turnarounds
Catherine Barbour, a school turnaround consultant and former turnaround principal discusses the recent report, What Research and the Field Tells Us About School Leadership and Turnaround. Continue
A New Take on the Teacher Evaluation Process
It goes without saying that an effective teacher evaluation process is essential for all districts and schools. Gretchen Weber, Senior Program Manager for Educator Effectiveness at Learning Point Associates, explains how Learning Point’s Performance Management Scorecard offers a new way … Continue