In his 2011 ASCD best-seller Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning, author Mike Schmoker described a fresh pproach to K-12 teaching built on three core elements: a focused and coherent curriculum; clear, prioritized lessons; and purposeful reading and writing, or authentic literacy. Now, in Leading with Focus, he shows administrators, principals, and other education leaders how to apply his model to the work of running schools and districts. In this companion to...
How do you know if your school is improving? Do you know what really works in reading programs…in writing…in math…in science? How do we measure what works? What about teaching to the test–or to the vast array of standards being mandated? How do we effectively use cooperative learning–and direct instruction–and alternative assessment? How do we sustain school reform? How do we get results–and measure them in terms of student achievement? In this expanded 2nd edition of Results , Mike Schmoker...
What is the single, most important event of the school year that affects school improvement? How do you measure school improvement? How can simple tools–already at your fingertips–work more effectively to improve student achievement in reading, math, and more? The Results Fieldbook answers these questions and describes in abundant, practical detail how five school systems overcame obstacles and achieved exceptional results for all their students. These schools focused on the proven core...
According to author Mike Schmoker, there is a yawning gap between the most well-known essential practices and the reality of most classrooms. This gap persists despite the hard, often heroic work done by many teachers and administrators. Schmoker believes that teachers and administrators may know what the best practices are, but they aren't using them or reinforcing them consistently. He asserts that our schools are protected by a buffer–a protective barrier that prevents scrutiny of...
