Supporting a School-Wide Reading Initiative with Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

By: Stan Paine (2008)

How can school leaders support school-wide reading initiatives? Here are keys to leading the way in the areas of reading curriculum, instruction, assessment, and motivation.

What Does the Research Tell Us About Teacher Leadership?

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2008)

This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement looks at what research exists, and what it says about drawing on the skills of experienced teachers to facilitate school improvement.

Instructional Coaching

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2007)

Many school districts have adopted instructional coaching as a model for teachers’ professional development. This brief offers guidance on how school leaders can tailor the most promising coaching strategies to the needs of their schools.

Characteristics of Improved School Districts

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2006)

What are the factors that can improve school districts? This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement reviewed more than 80 research articles that investigated the attributes of schools and districts that have improved over time and found 13 themes or characteristics common to them.

Understanding the Concerns of Parents of Students with Disabilities: Challenges and Roles for School Counselors

(2006)

Professional school counselors can be more effective in their work with parents of students with disabilities — as well as with the students themselves, the students’ teachers, and other students — if they understand parental perspectives. Parents' areas of concern are described, and implications for school counselors are discussed.

Creating Positive School Experiences for Students with Disabilities

By: Amy Milsom (2006)

The school experiences of students with disabilities can be positively or negatively influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of students and staff and by general school policies. School counselors can take the lead in assessing school climate in relation to students with disabilities and initiating interventions or advocating for change when appropriate. This article provides an overview of factors to consider in creating positive school experiences for students with disabilities and suggestions for intervention efforts.

School Counselors and School Psychologists: Collaborating to Ensure Minority Students Receive Appropriate Consideration for Special Educational Programs

By: Andres Barona and Maryann Santos de Barona (2006)

This article discusses the challenges in providing psychoeducational services to the rapidly increasing minority populations in the U.S. and offers a brief elaboration of the role and function of school counselors and school psychologists and how they can meet the mental health and educational needs of this large and growing population.

A Group Counseling Intervention for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

By: Linda D. Webb and Robert. D Myrick (2006)

This article describes a six-session group counseling pilot intervention to help students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) understand its effects on their classroom performance and to learn and practice a repertoire of school success skills. Children are lead on a "journey" in which they learn they are different travelers in the world of education and often take alternate routes to their destinations (academic, personal-social, and career goals).

Teach to the Test? Just Say No

By: Craig D. Jerald (2006)

It is possible for educators to make better choices about how and when to teach to the test than the alarmist newspaper articles and editorials would seem to suggest. This article from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement aims to help readers think beyond simple compliance with federal law or basic implementation of programs.

School Culture: "The Hidden Curriculum"

By: Craig D. Jerald (2006)

Walk into any truly excellent school and you can feel it almost immediately — a calm, orderly atmosphere that hums with an exciting, vibrant sense of purposefulness. This is a positive school culture, the kind that improves educational outcomes.

Teaching All Students to Read: Practices from Reading First Schools with Strong Intervention Outcomes

By: Elizabeth Crawford and Joseph K. Torgesen (2006)

Improving the effectiveness of interventions for struggling readers is critical. It requires a school-level system for early identification of 'at risk' students and then providing those students with intensive interventions. This article describes what the Florida Center for Reading Research has learned by visiting Reading First schools that have demonstrated success in reaching struggling readers. School leaders will find ideas described here that can help them successfully meet the unique challenges within their own schools.

Role of Principal Leadership in Improving Student Achievement

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2005)

The most influential educational leaders are the principal and superintendent, and their leadership is inextricably linked to student performance. This article looks at the basics of good leadership and offers practical suggestions.

Principal as Instructional Leader: Designing a Coaching Program That Fits

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2005)

Research shows that effective school leaders focus on improving classroom instruction, not just managerial tasks. A natural way for school leaders to take on the role of instructional leader is to serve as a "chief" coach for teachers by designing and supporting strong classroom level instructional coaching. Here's how to selecting a coaching approach that meets the particular needs of a school and how to implement and sustain the effort.

Getting Parents Involved in Schools

By: The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement (2005)

Research shows that parent involvement can improve students' behavior, attendance, and achievement. But how can schools foster high-quality, successful parent involvement? The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement offers some research-based advice and resources to help.

Reading For Meaning: Tutoring Elementary Students to Enhance Comprehension

By: Akimi Gibson (2004)

This article provides tutors with proven techniques for helping students acquire comprehension skills and strategies. In addition to building background knowledge about comprehension, it looks at six comprehension strategies and activities that support each strategy.