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This book was written for K-12 practitioners and researchers, school administrators, aspiring teacher leaders, teacher teams, and community leaders who strive to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
List of contents
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART I. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Michael Robinson's story (in his own words)
Chapter 1: Putting Students First - Words Matter
Chapter 2: Guided By Theory, Research, and Practitioners
Chapter 3: Professional Agency
Chapter 4: Sustaining Growth
Chapter 5: Ensuring Equity and Excellence
PART II. THE GAME PLAN
Chapter 6: The Game Plan for Professional Agency
Chapter 7: The Game Plan for Student Agency
PART III: IMPLICATIONS
Chapter 8: Focus On Core Beliefs
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES
Springdale School District Playbook
Personal Learning Plan Sample: Kindergarten
Personal Learning Plan Sample: Grade 1
Personal Learning Plan Sample: Grade 2
Student Advisory Program Implementation Survey
Advisory Program Implementation Checklist
About the author
Marsha Jones is a 40 plus year veteran of education with a breadth of experiences in the classroom and at the district level. Personalizing education for each student has been her life's ambition whether working in the elementary classroom, with special needs children, high school students or currently with graduate students.
Laureen Avery leads the work of UCLA's Center X efforts in the Northeastern US, and has more than 30 years of experience in K-12 public education as a researcher and practitioner. Avery developed and leads whole school improvement programs focused on improving outcomes for English learners and at-risk students.
Joe DiMartino is founder and president of the Center for Secondary School Redesign, (CSSR) a nationally recognized provider of technical assistance to districts and schools that are personalizing learning for adolescents. For the past two decades, CSSR has been a strong advocate for including student voice and choice in their education. Mr. DiMartino has been named the national expert on high school redesign by ASCD and received the Distinguished Service to Education Award by NASSP.
Summary
This book was written for K-12 practitioners and researchers, school administrators, aspiring teacher leaders, teacher teams, and community leaders who strive to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
Additional text
As the parent of three children who attended Springdale Schools, I celebrate the arrival of this book as a validation of high expectations held for a district explicitly and demonstrably committed to teaching “all students”!! The implementation of student-focused learning, in all its schools and at all levels, is the logical outcome of a district led at the top by a team driven to find ways to support the success of ALL students. As an advocate for students receiving special education, I have been acutely aware that success means playing to the strengths of students rather than their deficits. This book paints a clear picture of a method and a process that leads to the implementation of education focused on supporting each student’s strengths and interests. Such “personalized learning,” as described here, and the concept of student “voice and choice” make clear student success requires all stakeholders, not just teachers and students, but parents and community members to buy in and to participate. Reading this book has given me such a sense of hope that public education, as practiced in Springdale, is on the right track to student success.
