The Real Value of Teachers and How to Support Them

Last week, our CEO and President, Chet Linton, was a guest on KSL Studio 5 explaining new research about the economic value of an effective teacher and five ways parents can better support their students’ teachers.

Here are some highlights of the research and insights he shared:

The Economic Impact of a Teacher – An effective teacher who teaches for 30 years with an average class size of 25 students whose students all go on to earn college degrees or technical certificates has a $930 million positive impact.

The Social Impact of a Teacher – These same teachers also contribute to a:

• 19% drop in welfare dependence
• 22% drop in divorce
• 19% drop in smoking
• 12% drop in obesity
• 28% drop in incarceration

How to Support Effective Teachers – Here are five ways parents can better support teachers to help their students get the most out of their education and training:

1. Prep your student – Help your students arrive at school on time, well rested and fed, and prepared for a full day of learning. Help them understand the value of an education and the impact it will have on their life.
2. Volunteer – Be a classroom aide or offer other help that your students’ teachers might need.
3. Be the bridge – Help students understand what the teacher wants them to learn in a specific assignment and why they need to do it. Put it into context and help make their homework relevant to them.
4. Show school spirit – Get involved in the PTA, go to parent-teacher conferences, and go to school functions and events.
5. Support quality training – Vote for and support ballot measures and candidates that support quality training for teachers and education funding.

Watch the complete interview on how you can support teachers.

National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month: 10 Strategies to Stop Bullying

School Improvement Network Releases Infographic Showing Prevalence and Impact of Bullying, 10 Strategies to Prevent It

Check out our new infographic on bullying prevention in honor of Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month showing the prevalence and effects of bullying in schools, and 10 strategies to stop bullying in any school or classroom. The infographic, accompanying resources, and additional tools are available to all educators on the company’s main site.

“Bullying, in all its manifestations, is a very real and serious problem for thousands of students nationwide, preventing them from learning effectively and thriving at school,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “These resources, compiled from our decades of researching and documenting best educational practices, can help educators everywhere combat bullying, so every student can learn, grow, and master the skills they need to graduate ready for college, a career and life.”

The infographic provides educators an overview of bullying forms, effects, prevalence, and prevention strategies. Highlights include:

• One in every four students is bullied
• One in every 10 students drops out of school due to bullying
• Children who are bullied are more likely to have migraines, depression, anxiety, and consider or attempt suicide

Despite these grim statistics, research shows there are 10 strategies educators can use to stop bullying, including:

• Change the school environment
• Organize an anti-bullying committee
• Train staff in prevention
• Devote class time to prevention
• Increase adult supervision in “hot spots”

In addition to a full explanation of the strategies, the infographic points educators to a free trial of Edivation, where they can access more anti-bullying resources.

Click here to see the infographic on the effects of bullying and 10 strategies to prevent it.

New Classroom Management Strategy Increases Student Engagement

School Improvement Network Video Segment Shows How to Use Nonverbal Praise Routines to Increase Student Engagement

new video segment showing a classroom management strategy to increase student engagement using nonverbal praise routines. The video segment is available to all educators as part of the weekly publication, “Strategy of the Week.”

“As part of our cause of helping 100 percent of educators become effective so that 100 percent of students can become college and career ready, we’ve dedicated the last two decades to creating the resources educators need to become as effective as possible in everything from classroom management to standard-specific instruction,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “When fully implemented and integrated, these resources can boost teacher effectiveness, increase student engagement, and even raise student achievement.”

In the new classroom management video segment, educators will learn how to use nonverbal praise routines to increase student engagement and involvement, and contribute to a greater sense of classroom community.

Click here to see the new classroom management video segment and how to increase student engagement with nonverbal praise routines.

Click here to see other teaching strategies in “Strategy of the Week.”

Click here to gain access to more classroom management video segments with a free trial of Edivation.

Lesson for Common Core Math Standard 6

New School Improvement Network Video Shows a Master Teacher’s Lesson for Common Core Math Standard 6

View the Strategy of the Week segment showing a master teacher’s lesson for the Common Core Math Standards. The video segment is available to all educators as part of the weekly publication “Strategy of the Week.”

“After decades of research documenting the best practices in education in classrooms around the world, we’ve captured master teachers in action demonstrating everything from how to teach the skills in the Common Core Math Standards or any state-specific standards to effective classroom management,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “With these resources, educators have access to what they need to be continually improving their practice to be as effective as possible.”

In this video, educators will see a master teacher’s lesson for Common Core Math Standard 6 to help students know how to calculate accurately and efficiently and communicate precisely to others. The video aligns to Common Core Standard MP.6.

Click here to see the video of a master teacher’s lesson for Common Core Math Standard 6.

Click here to see other teaching strategies from master teachers on the Strategies in Teaching blog.

Click here to see other lessons and videos in “Strategy of the Week.”

Eighth Grade Common Core Math Lesson

Eighth Grade Common Core Math Lesson to Analyze and Solve Linear Equations

 view our new blog post featuring an eighth grade Common Core math lesson to analyze and solve linear equations available to all educators on the Common Core Blog. The Common Core Blog is written by present and former educators to provide resources for implementing the Common Core math and ELA standards.

“The Common Core State Standards are designed to progressively lead students to master the 21st century skills they need to succeed in college and a career when they graduate from high school,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “Through resources like Edivation and the Common Core Blog, we strive to provide all educators with the tools and resources they need to implement the Common Core with fidelity, including Common Core math and ELA lessons, real video examples of master teachers teaching to the Common Core Standards, and the Learning Progressions tool to help educators see the skills students need to master for each grade and subject.”

In this Common Core Blog post, educators will see a master teacher’s Common Core math lesson for teaching how to analyze and solve linear equations, including how to help students set up the equations, work in groups, and explain their work.

Click here to see the Common Core math lesson on the Common Core Blog.

Click here to see other Common Core resources on the Common Core Blog.

Click here to learn more about the Common Core resources in Edivation.

Report Finds That Teacher Evaluations Need Further Support

School Improvement Network Releases Report of Professional Development Policy for Teacher Evaluation Support in all 50 States

Results Show Dearth of Policy or Guidance in Majority of States, Hindering Impact of Teacher Evaluations

SALT LAKE CITY—July 10, 2014—School Improvement Network, the leader in educator effectiveness systems, today announced a report on teacher professional development policy in all 50 states showing a dearth of guiding support for districts in the majority of states. Taken as a whole, the report findings indicate that schools, districts, and states lack the professional development and support needed to make soon mandated teacher evaluations a meaningful part of professional growth towards educator effectiveness.

“Teachers are, and always have been, our number one priority,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “For evaluations and observations to have a meaningful impact on educators and the students they teach, educators must have the personalized resources and support they need to improve practice and spur professional growth. Without this connection, evaluations are merely compliance.”

The report includes the following key findings:

• Only four states—Connecticut, Kentucky, New Jersey and South Dakota—have made strides in creating systems to support teachers around new evaluations
• Most states could only speculate about the efforts by local education agencies to build teacher capacity around evaluation, especially in connection with personalized professional learning plans
• Eight states were confident local education agencies were developing and implementing such a support system
• Nine states are still in flux over their evaluation system, preventing work towards corresponding professional growth plans
• Four states’ teacher evaluation systems do not include a professional learning provision for teachers
• Fifteen states offer no funding or give funding on a limited basis for professional support and resources

The report also includes detailed case studies on the work and progress in the four states that have made progress in creating a system to support teachers in evaluations, and more explanations and findings about the status of projects tying professional development to teacher evaluations in other states.

A complete view of the report can be found at http://www.schoolimprovement.com/research/white-papers-brochures/beyond-teacher-evaluation/.

Classroom Management Webinar - RIck Smith Author of Conscious Classroom Management

New Webinar Gives Back-to-School Classroom Management Strategies from Education Experts

Education Expert Rick Smith Gives Classroom Management Strategies from New LumiBook

Coming up on July 17, 2014 we have a free webinar with back-to-school classroom management tips from education expert Rick Smith from his new LumiBook, “Conscious Classroom Management: Unlocking the Secrets of Great Teaching, Second Edition.”

“In our work with over 1.2 million educators nationwide, classroom management is always a focus of educators to increase student engagement and learning,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “The insights from Rick Smith’s webinar and new LumiBook give educators ready-to-implement ideas and strategies that can make meaningful improvements in their classroom.”

In this webinar, educators will learn dozens of practical strategies to implement from the first day of school until the end of the year, including:

• Three keys to increasing consistency
• Five nonverbal procedures to save time and motivate your students
• Three teacher assumptions that invite student cooperation
• How to discipline students from across the room
• How to succeed with difficult students
• How to grow in inner authority
• How and when to use consequences
• How to “hold your ground” in ways that invite student cooperation
• Practical approaches for motivating your reluctant learners
• A variety of "nuts and bolts" that are vital for classroom survival
• Strategies that result in reduced anxiety and a fresher, more positive approach to teaching

The webinar will be held Thursday, July 17, at 4 p.m. EST.

Click here to register for the webinar.

Click here for more information about Rick Smith’s new LumiBook, “Conscious Classroom Management: Unlocking the Secrets of Great Teaching, Second Edition.”

School Improvement Network Releases Edivation, a New Personalized and Adaptive Learning Solution for Educators

Edivation Replaces PD 360 and Brings a New On-Demand Professional Learning Platform, Personalized Content Recommendations, and Advanced User Interface

PD 360 is now Edviation. This represents a significant new direction for School Improvement Network, and the new platform will be the single vehicle for innovative personalized learning products for educators in the future.

“The evolution from PD 360 to Edivation is yet another landmark in School Improvement Network’s long history of innovating education,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “In 1991, we were the first company to document classroom best practices on video. In 2007, we were the first to deliver these resources online and on demand. Now, in 2014, with the transformation of PD 360 to Edivation, we are the first education company to create a resource that intelligently serves personalized content from a rich supply of resources research-proven to increase student achievement and educator effectiveness.”

The name Edivation derives from “edification,” “innovation,” “elevation,” and “motivation,” meant to represent the breadth and depth of the resources available to support educators in every aspect of their work beyond professional development content. The green “i” in the logo represents “implementation” and “individualized” or personalized” learning.

Through Edivation, educators will have access to the resources formerly available in PD 360, Common Core 360 and Observation 360 (the Educator Effectiveness System), such as thousands of videos showing best practices in education with master teachers, lesson plans and classroom aids, meaningful and personalized observation templates, and access to a professional learning community of more than a million educators. But with Edivation, these resources will be automatically served to educators based on their profile and administrator-assigned PD. In coming months, this Edivation feature will be expanded to deliver educators personalized content based on their interests and previous searches. Administrators can also seamlessly make and implement professional development plans for an entire district or system or a single educator.

Independent, peer-reviewed research in the Journal of Instructional Psychology found that when educators used the tools within Edivation for at least 10 minutes a week, student proficiency on standardized tests increased by an average of 18 percent in a single year compared to district averages. The same study showed dropout rates decreased by 20 percent, discipline issues decreased by 33 percent, and 10 percent more students expressed intention of attending college compared to district averages.

For more information about Edivation, visit http://www.edivation.com/. 

Personalized Learning Solution for Students with GAGE

The GAGE personalized learning program is available to selected school districts this fall for the 2014-2015 school year. 

Our personalized learning solution GAGE is now scalable across any school or system. GAGE provides everything needed to transform a traditional school or district into a personalized learning environment and gives districts the ability to provide personalized, mastery-based learning along with real-time professional development resources for educators combined into a single system.

"True personalized learning has the potential to revolutionize education by allowing educators to meet the precise and unique needs of 100 percent of students, but has never before been possible because educators have not had the tools and resources to implement a sustainable model," said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. "Now, the personalized learning transformation powered by GAGE provides the technology and curriculum students need bundled with the training, support, and reporting educators need to engage students in a higher level of thinking and learning, making personalized learning a scalable reality for any school or system."

Personalized learning with GAGE shifts pedagogical practice to help students take ownership of their learning experience, including ho, when, and where they learn. Beginning at their current level of understanding, students are able to use a range of activities based on their personal interests, learning styles, and goals, ultimately leading them to subject mastery at their individual pace. By teaching students "how to learn," this personalized learning system transforms education into a lifelong learning experience by equipping students with the skills they need to compete in a modern global economy and continue learning and finding solutions to problems independently.

GAGE is delivered on the Agilix xLi platform, a proven and scalable learning platform and was field tested and proven in multiple schools and districts before becoming available to all districts and systems.

"Education is moving to personalized learning because it has been shown to be a more effective model," said Curt Allen, CEO of Agilix. "School districts need the platforms, tools, and professional development support required to provide these new opportunities for their students. School Improvement Network's personalized learning solution GAGE pulls all these elements together in an integrated, scalable, and sustainable way. We are pleased to provide the platform for the delivery of this solution."

GAGE includes content from multiple curriculum partners, including Compass Learning®, Blended Schools Network, The NROC Project, and Qlovi. These resources, combined with School Improvement Network's tools, give districts and school systems everything they need to launch and sustain a personalized learning environment, including an engaging K-12 centric user experience, a digital library of K-12 curriculum aligned to the Common Core or any states standards, data-driven dashboards and analytics, and the most robust professional development resources and educator community available.

The new solution also provides the flexibility for districts to customize and supplement the digital curriculum library with their own resources, OER, or content from other publishers such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Pearson, Compass Learning, and others.

The GAGE personalized learning program is available to selected school districts this fall for the 2014-2015 school year. District administrators interested in being considered for inclusion in this program should contact School Improvement Network at gage@schoolimprovement.com.

Salem-Keizer Oregon School District Finds Impressive Results using PD 360

Large, Suburban Oregon District Builds Focused Differentiated Learning with PD 360

Serving nearly 41,000 students in 67 schools, Salem-Keizer Public Schools has been working hard on increasing student achievement, and it shows. Their focus on Common Core, student engagement, closing the achievement gap, etc., aligned with successful PD 360 implementation has made all the difference.

From 2008 to 2012:

·      Dropout rates decreased from 7.20 percent to 2.63 percent

·      AP exams had a 17 percent increase in student performance

·      AP participation increased by 35 percent

·      Sophomores taking the PSAT/NMSQT increased by 2,580 students

watch the video and case study.  

Whatiscommoncore.org Shows How the Common Core State Standards Have Wide Support, Drive Economic Growth and Success

School Improvement Network Launches New Comprehensive Resource Showing How the Common Core State Standards Will Drive Economic Growth, Support for the Standards by Educators, Parents, Business Leaders

Whatiscommoncore.org, a new website showing how the Common Core State Standards will drive economic growth and stability, and support for the Standards from business leaders, educators and parents.

“In the midst of political agendas and misconceptions, the Common Core State Standards have become overly political and gravely misunderstood,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “Simply put, the Common Core State Standards are a progressive set of educational standards that drive students towards college and career readiness, spur economic growth and development through building a qualified workforce with critical job skills, and foster societal growth for communities, states, and the entire nation.”

Whatiscommoncore.org combines explanation of the Common Core State Standards with real video examples of the Standards being taught by master teachers, the results of national surveys showing educator and parent support for the Standards, the myths surrounding the Standards, the business leaders and organizations supporting the Standards, and evidence showing how the Common Core Standards will drive economic growth and stability for communities, states, and the nation.

Click here to visit Whatiscommoncore.org.

Click here for free resources and information for implementing the Common Core State Standards on the Common Core Blog.

Kansas School Turnaround - A Success Story

See the School Turnaround That Transformed a Rural Kansas School District from the State’s Lowest Testing School into a Top Performer

Leaders Increased Student Achievement and Educator Effectiveness with the Educator Effectiveness System.  View our recent case study showing the school turnaround in a rural Kansas school district that transformed it from the state’s lowest testing district to one of the top three districts with the Educator Effectiveness System. With this holistic system, district leaders increased student achievement in math and reading, educator leadership skills, and educator enthusiasm.

 “We applaud Southeast USD 247 for their dedication and progress towards increasing educator effectiveness and helping every student graduate college and career ready,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “The Educator Effectives System has driven hundreds of school turnarounds by giving schools and systems the resources to support educators in every aspect of their professional growth and personalize resources to their specific needs, helping them become as effective as possible to increase student mastery and college and career readiness.”

 Using the Educator Effectiveness System, Kansas’ Southeast USD 247 saw school turnarounds as the district went from having the lowest test scores in the state to rising to become one of the state’s top three districts in math, reading and science. The Educator Effectiveness System has also increased leadership skills among educators and teacher enthusiasm. The Educator Effectiveness System is an end-to-end professional learning solution with thousands of tools and resources that fills professional development needs, provides complete support for Common Core implementation challenges, delivers powerful observation and evaluation tools, and more.

Click here to see the full report on the school turnaround in a rural Kansas district using the Educator Effectiveness System.

Click here to see independent research on the impact of the tools within the Educator Effectiveness System that have powered thousands of school turnarounds nationwide.

Click here for more information about the Educator Effectiveness System.

How are the Common Core State Standards being Implemented in Your State?

We are following up on a survey we did a few months back on the Common Core State Standards and would love to hear your voice. Has your state adopted the Common Core State Standards? Have you received any training on the standards? What level of public support have you seen? Let us know in this three-part survey and be automatically entered for a chance to win a free Kindle Fire HD! Giveaway ends June 12, 2014, and the winners will be notified by email and announced on our Facebook page.

School Improvement Innovation Summit 2014 - September 29 - October 1

The education experience you won’t soon forget.

Expand your thinking. Connect with top educators. And build the future of learning.

When: September 29–October 1 Where: Little America Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah

Make plans to attend SIIS 2014, an intimate gathering of like-minded educators seeking to expand thinking, ideals, and vision. Join this group of visionaries who want to help build the future of teaching and learning. Come to learn, make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and reaffirm your love of teaching.

More than a conference, SIIS is an educational adventure of exploration, learning, discovery, and engagement. It’s a celebration of education and the purpose behind our profession. And it’s also an opportunity to have fun—to experience our annual welcome lu’au with great food, authentic island music, and amazing dance performances.

At SIIS 2014, you’ll go home with:

• An understanding of how to use powerful professional learning tools to createsignificant improvement in student achievement
• Valuable, productive relationships with other education leaders
• Insight into education from the student’s perspective

You’ll walk away with not only strategic frameworks and actionable tools, but also a refreshed sense of purpose and a positive outlook toward the future of education.

 Learn more at www.SIIS2014.com

NEW PD 360 Video Demo Live

The new PD 360 is Coming July 2014

We've just released the video demo of the new PD 360. This release is more than a feature freshener. It’s an entirely new platform with a new interface that learns what each of your teachers needs and automatically directs them to personalized resources.

Watch the video below - Just click.

Learn more about the exciting new changes at www.thenewpd360.com

School Improvement Innovation Summit - Sept. 29 - Oct. 1

More than just an education event. 

The School Improvement Innovation Summit (SIIS) is an annual meeting of the country's leading education innovators. Here they share strategies for improving education and discuss the developments that will shape education this year and far into the future.

Dates:
Monday, September 29 through Wednesday, October 1.

Times:
Monday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Welcome Luau 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wednesday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Summit is also a gathering point where educators and School Improvement Network trainers come to share best practices for using PD 360, Common Core 360, and Observation 360 to improve teacher effectiveness and increase student achievement.

• Meet with peers and share forward-thinking ideas for improving education
• Discuss industry developments that will shape the future of education with our experts
• Walk away from the Summit with strategic frameworks and actionable tools to help implement new tactics for teacher improvement and student achievement
• Garner insights into unique student perspectives, context, and culture from guest student speakers—and learn how that knowledge can shape a school's approach to education and professional development
• Enjoy the fresh mountain air of Utah and a day of fun and adventure in world-famous Park City
• Get face-to-face support! Our expert training staff will be on hand to help you and your team with any implementation challenges you may be facing with EES, PD 360, Observation 360, Common Core 360, or any of our solutions.

This year’s speakers include many top names in education, including: 

• Dr. Terry Holliday—Commissioner of Education, Kentucky 
• Jay McTighe—Educational Writer and Consultant at the Maryland Assessment Consortium 
• David Hyerle—Founder and President of the Thinking Foundation and Developer of the Thinking Maps® model 
• Alexina Medley—Principal and CEO of Warren Easton Charter High School, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Dr. Lucy Hansen—Principal at Agua Caliente Elementary School, Cathedral City, California

Learn more about the 2014 School Improvement Innovation Summit at www.siis2014.com 

Exciting Changes to PD 360 Coming Soon

A major PD 360 release is coming this summer that will make personalized professional learning much easier for your teachers—and much easier for you to implement and manage. 

This release is more than a feature freshener. It’s an entirely new platform with a new interface that learns what each of your teachers needs and automatically directs them to personalized resources.

Easier and more useful for your teachers

• Delivers incredibly specific PD content to each of your teachers—and more personalized learning means more effective learning
• Serves up exactly what each teacher needs, with items like assigned content, group activity, and personal video queues delivered front and center on the home page

Easier for administrators to implement and manage systemic professional learning

• Supported by a comprehensive implementation framework with step-by-step guidance in rolling out PD 360 to your system, making sure it gets to teachers
• All recommended PD is consolidated into one place on the home page, so you’ll never have to worry about your teachers not finding their assigned personal learning goals or resources again

High performance—anytime, anywhere, on most devices

• Technology advancements dramatically improve performance, reducing load times and ensuring data stability
• Mobility allows for anytime, anywhere access on most smart devices

More than just professional development

• The new PD 360 is the cornerstone of the Educator Effectiveness System—a comprehensive, whole-school system that helps every teacher become even more effective and every student college and career ready


• The new PD 360 is full of tools and resources to help you comply with state and federal requirements—especially surrounding classroom observation, teacher evaluation, and Common Core readiness.

Click here to see all of the exciting changes to PD 360.

Child Abuse and Prevention Survey Results Released by School Improvement Network

Data Shows School Administrators Believe Abuse Cases Are Being Reported Nearly 60 Percent of the Time, Teachers Say Cases are Reported Less Than Half the Time

School Improvement Network has released the results from a recently conducted survey on Child Abuse and Prevention in U.S. Schools. 950 educators and school administrators from across the country weighed in on topics including:

• The frequency that child abuse or neglect is suspected by the teacher
• The most common type of abuse suspected by the teacher
• What may be stopping a teacher from reporting their concerns to authorities
• What type and frequency of training is provided for teachers

Alarmingly, when asked what percentage of abuse cases respondents estimate are reported, administrators believe 59% are reported, but teachers say only 42% of abuse cases get reported.

“Because of their close interaction with children on a daily basis, teachers are often a child’s first line of defense against abuse and neglect,” said Chet D. Linton, School Improvement Network president and CEO. “We need to make sure information and training about how to recognize, report and prevent abuse is available to educators everywhere.”

Earlier this month, in recognition of National Child Abuse and Prevention Month, School Improvement Network announced the release of a video series for educators detailing how to take those three steps of recognizing, reporting and preventing child abuse and neglect. The video series has been made available to the public on YouTube through the end of the month.

Six percent of survey respondents indicate they do not know a specific procedure for reporting abuse. Additionally, eight percent of respondents claim that their school districts provide no training at all for reporting child abuse.

For survey results, please visit http://www.schoolimprovement.com/voices-of-education/child-abuse-and-neglect/.

Get the Secrets to Effective Common Core Implementation

New School Improvement Network Site Offers Resources for Effective Common Core Implementation in Oregon

Here are four resources to help all educators effectively implement the Common Core State Standards in Oregon.

The featured resources include video footage of the Common Core State Standards being taught by master teachers, Common Core-aligned lesson plans, a map showing how the standards progressively build on each other from year to year, and a case study showing a successful Common Core implementation in an Oregon school district.

“Educators in schools and systems around the nation are working to effectively implement the Common Core Standards into their local school curriculum to help drive students towards mastering the 21st century skills they need to be prepared for both college and career when they graduate from high school,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “In our cause of helping make every educator effective to help every student succeed, we have created these scalable resources for all educators, regardless of where their classroom or school is, to help them effectively implement the Common Core State Standards and make a meaningful impact on student learning.”

Beyond the new site, these resources are available to all educators as part of the Educator Effectiveness System, a web-based, on-demand platform that delivers professional learning resources to any educator, anytime, anywhere.

Click here for exclusive access to the Common Core implementation tools for Oregon.

Click here for more Common Core implementation resources on the Common Core Blog.

New Exhibit at Common Ground 2014 Conference Shows System for Improving Teacher Practice and Student Outcomes

How to Increase Student Achievement and Educator Effectiveness

We are excited to be able to exhibit at the Common Ground 2014 conference showing how to raise student achievement and educator effectiveness with a holistic solution to personalize learning for educators. The exhibit will show May 1-2 at the Ocean City Convention Center in Maryland.

“Raising graduation rates and students’ mastery of 21st century skills goes much further than increasing funding or technology,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “Giving educators the tools and resources they need to personalize professional development and observation feedback is essential to increase student achievement and educator effectiveness and make a true impact on college and career readiness.”

The exhibit at the Common Ground 2014 conference will feature the Educator Effectiveness System, an end-to-end professional learning solution that offers personalized professional development, complete support for core standards implementation, effective observation and evaluation tools, and more. Independent research shows schools that use the tools in the Educator Effectiveness System see, on average, an 18% gain in student proficiency on standardized tests, a 20% decrease in dropout rates, and a 33% drop in discipline issues—powerful evidence that all students can be reached with the right approach and the right solution.

Click here to learn more about how to increase student achievement and educator effectiveness with the Educator Effectiveness System.

Click here to see other solutions to help increase student achievement and educator effectiveness.

How Often Do Educators Recognize Child Abuse or Neglect in Students?

School Improvement Network Survey Gathers Educator Insight to Support National Child Abuse Prevention Month

We have recently released a new survey gathering educator insights on the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in support of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The survey comes as part of School Improvement Network’s “Voices of Education” surveys, which gather educator insight on real issues affecting education across the US.

“Educators are often the first to report potential child abuse or neglect situations since they observe children so regularly in their classrooms,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “As such, their insights and experiences are essential to truly understanding this issue and forming solutions that can help children in need.”

The five-question survey asks educators how often they see symptoms of the various types of child abuse and neglect in their students, what resources are available to help them help their students, and other related questions. Survey results will be publicly available at the end of April and will be used to guide future awareness efforts, research, and resource development.

Click here to take the survey about child abuse and neglect prevention.

Click here to see other “Voices of Education” surveys.

Create Common Core-Aligned Assessment Tasks with Jay McTighe

Free Education Webinar Shows How to Create Common Core-Aligned Assessment Tasks
Webinar Recording Shows Education Expert Jay McTighe Outlining How to Develop Rich Common Core-Aligned Assessment Tasks to Measure Student Learning

Webinar recording with education expert Jay McTighe showing how to create Common Core-aligned assessment tasks to measure student learning is now available.

“Creating effective assessments aligned to the Common Core or any state standards is essential to accurately measure student learning,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “With Common Core-aligned assessments like those shown by Jay McTighe in this webinar, educators can effectively use the Common Core Standards to drive students towards college and career readiness.”

In this webinar recording, educators receive a set of proven and practical design tools for developing quality performance tasks to help them create Common Core-aligned assessment tasks to engage students from Jay McTighe’s new LumiBook, “Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most.”

Click here to see the webinar recording.

Click here for more information on Jay McTighe’s LumiBook, “Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most.”

Click here to see another Jay McTighe webinar about creating Common Core-aligned assessments.

New Video Series for Educators Helps Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

New School Improvement Network Video Series Helps Educators Identify, Report, Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

We have just released a new video series to help educators prevent child abuse and neglect. The eight-part series is available to all educators on PD 360, the most widely used online, subscription-based professional development solution in the US.

“Over 700,000 cases of child maltreatment are reported in the United States every year,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “With these training videos in PD 360, educators will be more aware and better prepared to recognize and help students suffering from child abuse or neglect.”

The videos are part of PD 360’s compliance series, which also includes video series on blood-borne pathogens, bullying, copyright issues, Internet safety, sexual harassment, and physical hazards on school grounds.

PD 360 offers a library of more than 3,000 expert-produced training videos, powerful support tools and resources, and an online professional learning community of more than one million educators.

Click here to see the first segment of the series on preventing child abuse and neglect.

Click here to learn more about the series.

Click here for a free trial of PD 360.

New Case Study Shows Artesia Public Schools’ Growth with PD 360

Small, Rural New Mexico School District Increases Student Achievement, Educator Effectiveness with Personalized Professional Development

New Case Study Shows Artesia Public Schools’ Growth with PD 360.

The new case study detailing how a small, rural New Mexico school district achieved 85% expected or above average student growth and increased educator effectiveness with School Improvement Network’s Educator Effectiveness System, an end-to-end professional learning solution that offers personalized professional development, complete support for core standards implementation, effective observation and evaluation tools, and more.

“We applaud Artesia Public Schools on their progress towards making every educator effective and helping every student graduate college and career ready,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “To truly increase educator effectiveness and have a meaningful impact on student achievement, educators need a holistic system to support them in everything from observations and evaluations to personalized professional development and classroom resources. This is exactly what the Educator Effectiveness System is designed to give.”

The Educator Effectiveness System is powered by a web-based, on-demand platform that delivers professional learning resources to any educator, anytime, anywhere. It’s expansive enough to cover every situation educators face, yet flexible enough to be customized to individual needs.

All of the tools in the Educator Effectiveness System—from content to management—are tightly integrated, giving educators a comprehensive, single sign-in professional learning solution.

View the case study

Chet D. Linton to Moderate Panel at Microsoft in Education Global Forum in Barcelona

Panel to Discuss Implementing 21st Century Learning

School Improvement Network CEO and president, Chet D. Linton, as a moderator in the Microsoft In Education Global Forum. The Microsoft In Education Global Forum (formerly known as the Partners in Learning Global Forum) will take place March 11 – 14, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. The event is attended by key innovators in education representing more than 75 countries.

“This event allows educators to look beyond borders and consider strategies in education that are proving successful all over the world,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and President of School Improvement Network. “Innovation in education promises significant rewards as educators and policy makers work to provide environments where every student has the will and ability to succeed and every teacher has the resources and information they need to help students reach their full potential. I am pleased to be part of this event this year.”

The invitation-only event highlights the world’s most innovative education leaders who utilize the power of technology to help students reach their full potential. Linton will moderate an expert panel on 21st Century Learning.

In 2012, Linton keynoted the Global Forum held in Prague, demonstrating the impact of on-demand professional development resources in increasing teacher effectiveness and student success, regardless of geography, socio-economic challenges or achievement gaps.

Download the new PDF presented at the conference - Impact of a Teacher

How to Create Common Core-Aligned Assessment Tasks

Free Education Webinar with Jay McTighe Helps Educators Develop Rich Common Core-Aligned Assessment Tasks to Measure Student Learning

Join us for this free education webinar showing educators how to create Common Core-aligned assessment tasks to measure student learning with education expert Jay McTighe on Thursday, March 20, at 1 p.m. MST.

“The Common Core State Standards were designed to drive students toward college and career readiness,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “Common Core-aligned assessments and assessment tasks are essential to help educators effectively measure student learning and drive 100 percent of students to develop the skills they will need to graduate ready for college or a career.”

Educators who attend this webinar will get a set of practical and proven design tools for developing quality performance tasks based on Jay McTighe’s new LumiBook, “Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most” to help them create Common Core-aligned assessment tasks to engage students.

Click here to register for the webinar.

Click here for more information on Jay McTighe’s LumiBook “Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most.”

Click here to see another Jay McTighe webinar about creating Common Core-aligned assessments.

New LumiBook Shows Educators How to Create Standards-Based or Common Core-Aligned Assessments to Measure Student Mastery

School Improvement Network Unveils Guide for Writing Common Core-Aligned Assessments at 2014 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Conference

New LumiBook Shows Educators How to Create Standards-Based or Common Core-Aligned Assessments to Measure Student Mastery

We will be releasing a new LumiBook to help educators create standards-based or Common Core-aligned assessments to measure student learning available to all educators at the 2014 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) conference. Authored by education expert Jay McTighe, it outlines how to create effective assessments to measure student mastery of state or Common Core standards, and is available to all educators at ASCD.

“We are very pleased to be taking this incredibly timely and rich LumiBook to ASCD, where we know it has the potential to help hundreds of educators enhance their assessments to measure student success with their state standards or the Common Core State Standards,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “If created and implemented effectively, standards-based or Common Core-aligned assessments can be valuable tools in helping educators ensure that each student masters the content and graduates from high school with the skillset they need to be successful in college or a career.”

Educators who visit the School Improvement Network booth #1101 at ASCD 2014 will receive a free version of Jay McTighe’s best-selling LumiBook, “Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most,” that shows educators how to:

• Turn standards-based or Common Core-aligned assessments into learning experiences
• Get an accurate picture of how well state standards or Common Core implementation is going in a school or district
• Create interventions to help spur improvement in standards implementation

Click here to learn more about Jay McTighe’s Lumibook, “Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most.”

Click here to see a free webinar with Jay McTighe on how to create effective standards-based or Common Core-aligned assessments.

Click here to see other events School Improvement Network is attending.

Get the Newest Teaching Strategies to Improve Classroom Management

18 New Video Segments by School Improvement Network Show Newest Practices to Improve Classroom Management in K-12

checkout our new series of 18 video segments filmed in classrooms around the nation, documenting the best practices to improve classroom management in any school or classroom. These videos are part of School Improvement Network’s PD 360 video library.

“After decades of research and capturing master teachers and best practices in classrooms across the nation and the world, we have compiled the best teaching strategies to improve classroom management into a scalable platform that educators in any school or system can access,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “With these classroom management segments, educators everywhere can find readily applicable strategies and resources that improve classroom management in any classroom to help improve student engagement as they master the skills they need to graduate ready to start college or a meaningful career.”

The new segments show a holistic framework to improve classroom management called the Classroom Management Framework. These segments outline numerous classroom management strategies to reinforce any classroom management framework.

This classroom management series is available to educators through PD 360, the most widely used online, subscription-based professional development solution in the US. It offers a library of more than 3,000 expert-produced training videos, powerful support tools and resources, and an online professional learning community of nearly one million educators.

Click here to see one of the classroom management segments.

Click here to access the classroom management series through a free 30-day trial of PD 360.

Sixth Grade Common Core ELA-Aligned Literacy Lesson Plans for Using Technology

School Improvement Network Blog Post Features Sixth Grade ELA Common Core Literacy Lesson Plan with Shadow Puppet App

new blog post outlining a sixth grade Common Core ELA literacy lesson plan using digital technology to increase student literacy. The blog post is available to all educators on School Improvement Network’s Common Core Blog.

“If taught effectively, the Common Core State Standards will help students master the skills they need to be successful in college or a meaningful career,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “Resources like this sixth grade Common Core ELA lesson plan show how the Standards build towards real work and education skills such as collaboration, strategically using digital media and visual displays and use data to express information.”

The sixth grade Common Core ELA lesson plan aligns to standards CCRA.W.6 and CCRA.SL.5. The lesson plan outlines an activity for students to write an original story and present it using an app that makes shadow puppets to help them incorporate digital technology.

Click here to see the blog post with the sixth grade Common Core ELA lesson plan.

Click here to see a sixth grade Common Core ELA writing lesson plan based on Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Click here to see a Common Core math lesson plan for teaching the Pythagorean Theorem.

See How to Write Standards-Based and Common Core Assessments to Measure Student Mastery and Learning

School Improvement Network Webinar with Jay McTighe Shows Essentials of Writing Standards-Based and Common Core Assessments

We are excited to release new webinar recording with education expert Jay McTighe that outlines how to write standards-based and Common Core assessments to measure student mastery and learning.

“Whether aligned to state-specific standards or the Common Core, effective educators use assessments to measure student mastery and learning in students’ progression towards college and career readiness,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “Jay McTighe’s insights in this webinar can help any educator write more effective standards-based or Common Core assessments to accurately measure the needs and progress of each student and differentiate learning to help every student.”

In this webinar recording, participants will:

• Get an outline of the Assessment Framework for helping educators plan effective standards-based or Common Core assessments
• Explore the assessment implications of the Common Core and Next Generation Standards, as well as for 21st century skills
• Get resources (rubrics, “how-to” videos, etc.) to guide educators through the test creation process for measuring student mastery and learning

Click here to see the webinar recording.

Click here for information about Jay McTighe’s LumiBook, “Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most.”

Schools with On-Demand Professional Learning Outperform Respective Districts, Neighboring Schools

New Research Shows 18.9 Percent Gains in Math Proficiency, 15.3 Percent Gains in Reading Proficiency

We recently published an independent research study showing schools that were highly engaged in on-demand professional learning experienced greater gains in student proficiency scores than neighboring schools or districts. The results indicate that educators’ use of on-demand professional learning can have a statistically significant impact on student achievement scores for all schools regardless of type or settings and give schools an advantage over neighboring schools or districts with comparable student populations.

This study published in the International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IAES publication) is among the first research to demonstrate a link between professional learning and student achievement. The results are revolutionary for public education as they provide a framework for systematically helping educators improve in effectiveness and positively impact student achievement in a model that is scalable across all schools and systems and to all student populations.

“For the first time, the education community has access to research that shows how to solve an identifiable, measurable, overarching problem in education that is responsible for the other symptoms of education failure,” said Chet D. Linton, CEO and president of School Improvement Network. “It also demonstrates the solution—high-engagement with on-demand professional learning resources delivers dramatic improvement in student achievement in any school environment or type.”

The study measured student proficiency scores in 169 schools in 73 districts across 19 states and found the following:

Math - Schools whose educators were highly-engaged in on-demand professional learning experienced a 18.9 percent gain in the number of students who tested advanced or proficient in math Neighboring schools and districts without the professional learning experienced only a 4.2 percent increase in math

Reading - Schools whose educators were highly-engaged in on-demand professional learning experienced a 15.3 percent gain in the number of students who tested advanced or proficient in reading Neighboring schools and districts without the professional learning experienced only a 2.5 percent increase in reading

This is the eighth study commissioned by School Improvement Network that positively correlates on-demand professional learning with increased student achievement and educator effectiveness, and quantifies how to systematically increase both.

Click here to see the full study.

Click here to see the on-demand professional learning used by educators in this study.

Should Teachers Get Bonuses for Student Performance?

National Survey by School Improvement Network Reveals Educator Opinions about Pay, Bonuses for Student Performance

School Improvement Network released results of a national survey of educators showing educator perceptions of their pay, and opinions about possible bonuses for student performance. As part of their commitment to give educators a voice on issues impacting education, School Improvement Network regularly conducts educator surveys as part of the “Voices of Education” survey series.

“Educators are an invaluable and significantly underemphasized part of developing a strong workforce and stable economy through their impact on students,” said Chet D. Linton, School Improvement Network CEO and president. “It is vital that we invest in teacher growth and development to help them become as effective as possible and increase their ability to impact student performance and help students master the skills they need to graduate ready for college and career.”

The Educator Pay Survey revealed that 70 percent of educators nationwide feel they are fairly compensated in their work, and 81 percent have pursued additional training or certification to increase salary. Only 23 percent of educators said they would alter their teaching methods if a bonus were given for improved student performance.

Click here to see the full results of the Educator Pay Survey.

Click here to see the results of the Teacher Evaluation and High-Stakes Testing survey, including insight on high-stakes testing and student performance.

Click here to see other “Voices of Education” surveys.