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BlogsThese Are Really Good People
Avon Avenue School in Newark, New Jersey is a magical place. Although the building is old and shows the frailties of age, the inside smells of fresh paint from the murals of the heroes children celebrate every day. But far more important than the physical structure is the spirit of the school. This K-8 school […] -
BlogsDo You Want to Dig a Ditch or Build a Bridge? Your Grading System Will Answer The Question
November 29, 2016 I recently received a question from a teacher who was concerned that her colleagues, opposed to changes in grading systems, insisted that in the real world, it was essential to get things right the first time. Therefore, her colleagues claimed, the average, along with draconian punishments for failures, were appropriate grading policies. […] -
Blogs
The “Getting Them Ready” Myth
By Douglas Reeves* “Straighten up, Mary!” I said sternly. “I know that it’s your 3rd birthday party, but in just a couple of years you’re going to be in kindergarten, and I hear that they are pretty tough there. So from now on, you can’t just go to the bathroom whenever you feel like […] -
Blogs
Assessment Literacy Lives! (Just Not Where You Think It Does)
For decades the clarion call for “assessment literacy” has been made by educational thought leaders such as James Popham, the late Grant Wiggins, Rick Stiggins, and others. But even as the need for assessment literacy is greater than ever, the reality is that undergraduate and even graduate courses in […] -
Blogs
Redefining Accountability In the ESSA Era
After two decades of test-based accountability, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) opens the door for a new vision of educational accountability. Of course, great schools have always known that accountability was more than the sum of their test scores, but it was not easy to focus the public’s attention (or that of state and […] -
Blogs
Three No Cost, No Extra Time Things You Can Do NOW to Reduce Failures Next Semester
How much money and time have you invested in one initiative or another that was designed to improve student performance, but ultimately failed? Here are three ways to reduce failure for your next semester. These ideas cost nothing and take no time. First, replace automated grade calculations with teacher judgment. Most computerized grading systems use […] -
Blogs
Before You Start Your Next Change
It happened again today. For the third time in three months, I witnessed another great plan by an excellent school leadership team become destroyed by community backlash. The backlash in all three of these instances did not come from a noisy band of rubes intent on disrupting the educational system. The opponents were people who […] -
Blogs
Levels of Rigor: A New Way of Measuring Growth in Student Achievement
An increasing number of school systems are seeking to evaluate teachers by measuring growth in student achievement. From the perspective of policymakers very far removed from the classroom, this seems like an easy proposition. When standardized test scores increase from X to Y, then the teacher is deemed to be effective. Some states have also […] -
Blogs
Power Standards
I first wrote about “Power Standards” 15 years ago in response to the concerns of teachers who, when faced with the emerging blizzard of state standards, found that they could not possibly address all of them. Robert Marzano famously analyzed one state’s standards and found that coverage of all the standards was entirely reasonable, as […]
Creative Leadership Blog
Dr. Douglas Reeves and colleagues regularly publish on relevant topics for busy educators. Whether it is a book, article, or blog, each contain facts and practical next steps for practitioners. As with all our resources, please share with colleagues and communities.
