Building State Capacity to Support Districts and Schools
Over the past years, MACC has been a partner with the state education agencies in the mid-Atlantic region in building their capacity to address a major national priority: improving k-12 student achievement, particularly among low-performing students. This new report on building state capacity to support districts and schools provides highlights of MACC's first three years working with the mid-Atlantic states in this endeavor. Click here to view or download a copy of the report.
Strengthening the Transition from Middle Grades to High School
This new study by MACC and partner SREB identifies and evaluates state policies and practices implemented in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and provides recommendations that can help to--
- Raise statewide middle grades curriculum and assessment standards to align with challenging high school standards
- Communicate the importance of literacy, mathematics, science and social studies at the middle grades level
- Prepare teachers to teach challenging content in the middle grades. Enable middle grades students to receive extra help when they have difficulty mastering challenging academic core content
- Prepare school leaders to lead practices that improve students' transition into challenging high school courses
- provide the technical assistance that low-performing middle grades schools need to turn around
- Provide the necessary guidance and advisement opportunities that middle grades students and their parents need to plan for high school, postsecondary learning and a career
To view or download the study, Strengthening the Transition from Middle Grades to High School in the Mid-Atlantic region: State Efforts to Improve Middle Grades Students' Preparation for High School, click here.
Patterns of Practice School Review
MACC and the Center on Innovation and Improvement (CII) in partnership with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) developed a planning process/protocol for conducting annual school reviews. This process uses research-based standards and indicators to assess local educational agencies in the areas of academic and organizational performance as outlined in NCLB. OSSE has named this process Patterns of Practice School Review (also known as POP). To view or download POP click here.
Tier 1 Literacy Instruction and Classroom Assessment Strategies for Adolescent
English Language Learners: An Annotated Bibliography
This annotated bibliography (currently still in draft) identifies and locates ideas and information at the intersection of three topics: (1) items which address students who are from linguistically diverse backgrounds and who are late learners of English; (2) items which incorporate ideas in the field of literacy instruction in middle and high school; and (3) items related to the response to intervention (RTI) model, specifically the initial level of intervention commonly termed “Tier 1.” RTI represents a comprehensive effort for schools to discern the degree of academic need of students and then systematically provide instruction most appropriate to assist students in learning. [See the National Center on Response to Intervention at www.RTI4success.org for a more detailed explanation of RTI].
To view or download the study, Tier 1 Literacy Instruction and Classroom Assessment Strategies for Adolescent English Language Learners: An Annotated Bibliography click here.
Consolidated Planning for School Districts: Developing a Planning Process
This Info Brief focuses on state efforts to implement district “consolidated planning” for school improvement, and provides a description of consolidated planning, a rational for doing it, how to get the process started, what the process looks like, and key lessons from seven states. The accompanying document provides a summary of promising practices. To view or download the Info Brief or the Accompanying document click on the report covers.
