Teachers & Teacher Preparation

Disconnected and Unaccountable Teacher Training is at the Heart of Schooling Failure Evidence from the few states where such data is collected indicates that many elementary and secondary school students fail to make adequate progress because they too frequently encounter ineffective teachers, i.e., teachers whose students’ achievement growth is significantly less than one year of achievement gain per school year. Part of the problem is that many school districts are only now beginning to systematically monitor or address the problem … Read More

Misdirected Teaching & Failed Reform

Misdirected Teacher Training has Crippled Education Reform Significant Improvement will Require Teaching that Agrees with State Policy Aims An online controversy about the impact of Common Core on teaching in grades preK-3 revealed an illusion that has crippled education reform for decades. Policymakers may think that educators disagree with them only about the means to education reform. In truth, they also disagree about the ends. Since the 1983 Nation at Risk report, state and national policymakers have set … Read More

2008 VAAA – West Carroll Junior High School

First Place, West Division, Middle Schools Lex Suite, Principal 760 Highway 77 Atwood, TN 38220 West Carroll Special School District Website here Recipe For Success: My college president told me more than once that the key to success is surrounding yourself with good people. That is the simple recipe for our achievement at West Carroll Jr/Sr High School. We have good teachers; and we have good students. A good core of teachers has continued to work together over … Read More

2009 VAAA – West Carroll Junior High School

First Place, West Division, K-8/Middle Schools Lex Suite, Principal 760 Highway 77 Atwood, TN 38220 West Carroll Special School District Recipe For Success: West Carroll has been recognized for three consecutive years by ECF and we are incredibly honored. I believe we have had better achievement because we started many years earlier disaggregating our data and focusing on standards and achievement. As this practice becomes more prevalent, especially as an integral part of all Tennessee School Improvement Plans … Read More

Private Sector Alternatives for Preventing Reading Failure

Groff, P.  (1987).  Private sector alternatives for preventing reading failure, Washington, DC:  National Advisory Council on Educational Research and Improvement. Editor’s note:  Chapters IV-VI contain outdated names, addresses, and references, and therefore were omitted _________________ A directory of national organizations providing a rationale for their need;  An assessment of the professional training they provide for prospective or inservice teachers of reading By Patrick Groff, Professor of Education San Diego State University   I. Introduction The major purpose of … Read More