R&L Education / American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
Pages: 168
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Trim: 6½ x 9½
978-1-61048-723-8 • Hardback • January 2012 • $83.00 • (£64.00)
978-1-61048-724-5 • Paperback • January 2012 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
978-1-61048-725-2 • eBook • January 2012 • $42.50 • (£35.00)
Dr. Smith- Collins analyzes educational policies, trends, solutions, and innovations that are intended to improve the state of public education. She applies practical experience, educational expertise and knowledge to translate implications for schools, families, communities, educators, and students
Preface 6Introduction 12Chapter 1:Identifying the NeedThe Optimal Mix: Responding to the Needs of Students 25 From Parts to Whole 30 Revisiting Past Practice 33 Chapter 2 Understanding the NeedDelving Deeper into Response to Intervention 42Adoption Trends 44 The Promise of RtIChapter 3:A Glance into the “Regular” Classroom 52 Sharpening the Focus 53 Teacher Assessment 56 Leadership Matters 59Chapter 4: Meeting the Need Promising Practices Snapshot: High School 63
Snapshot: National/State Pre-K Network 70
Snapshot: School District 71 Snapshot: An Affective Model 77 Snapshot: RtI and Gifted Education 79Chapter 5: The Black Male Agenda An Out-of-School Snapshot: The Bridge 84 Expanding the Agenda: Building a New System 87 of Opportunity for Youth Implications for Today 93Chapter 6: Assessing the Outcomes 97 National Outcomes (Academic) 98 National Outcomes (Behavioral) 99 Measuring Success 100Chapter 7: The Learning Target Teach, Test, and Hope for the Best 102
Moving from Random Acts of Curriculum and Instruction 105
Common Language, Common Mission 107
Optimizing Curriculum for All 109
Fitting the Pieces Together 112
The Design Process 114
Curriculum Architects 116
Deeper Levels of Knowledge and Thinking 119
Chapter 8: Avoiding Struggles and Pitfalls 122
Refining the Plan 123
Evaluating the Impact and Results 124
Planning to Make Change Happen: The Payoff 126
Unexpected Outcomes 127
Chapter 9: Queries and Opportunities 133
Recommendations 134
Chapter 10: Transitioning to Schools of the Future 144
Teaching This Generation of Students 148
The Moral Imperative 150
Chapter 11: Understanding the LandscapeLessons Learned: Bringing Order to the Potential of Chaos 153 Parallel Modeling 155
Chapter 12: Meet the Kids 161
The Beginning of Shortcomings 164
A Recipe for Potential 166
Final Thoughts 172
References 174
Appendix: Resources A Curriculum/RtI Framework Design Tool 179
"An Agenda for Equity: Responding to the Needs of Diverse Learners examines how a successful school improvement process must address teaching and learning from the perspective of our students. The book provides a pathway from a series of disjointed school improvement initiatives to an evaluative process that can impact the outcomes of public education for each student. The book is philosophical yet practical; reflective yet vigorous and guides the reader from planning through practice. It changes our journey from the static “one size fits all” approach to one of actively examining school data; providing targeted and appropriate instruction; and engaging and supporting each student to achieve maximum learning."
— Judith Richardson, Director, Diversity, Equity, and Urban Initiatives, NASSP
" This is a thought provoking treatise by an experienced educator who chronicles the past twenty years of public education in trying to include diverse and lower income students in the race toward success in their endeavors. The author has taught, led and advised on the topic she now writes about. From her rich experience comes this book chronicling her ideas on the subject. "
— Herbert Berg, Ed.D.
“This is an important book which conscientiously addresses the need for effectively educating all students by using Response to Intervention strategies. I highly recommend Dr. Smith-Collins’ book for use by all educators including those primarily concerned with minority and gifted students. This rigorous and humanistic approach to teaching all students should have a profound effect upon improving the current state of the public schools by helping students to attain their maximum achievement levels.”
— Maurice D. Fisher, Ph.D., Publisher, Gifted Education Press and Gifted Education Press Quarterly
" In An Agenda for Equity, Searetha Smith-Collins lays out a thoughtful case for why merely “sprinkling magic dust” on a system that uses “random-act approaches" to educating students well, will not miraculously transform that system into one that meets the needs of all students. She shows that the path to equity involves addressing the educational system’s logical, historical, and evidence-based errors in ways that expand the capacity of educators, and refine the nature of classrooms and schools through the ever more-precise use of data
matched to appropriate innovations, interventions, and responses."
— Mark E. Weston, Ph.D is the co-author of The Learning Edge: What Technology Can Do to Educate All Children
"Dr. Smith-Collins is a distinguished scholar/practitioner who has adeptly captured the essence of what it takes for parents, policy makers, leaders, and on-line practitioners to make significant differences in the lives of children for whom they are responsible. An Agenda for Equity: Responding to the Needs of Diverse Learners is a timely and thought provoking book that should not only be read but practiced."
— Jim Hager, Ph.D
Searetha Smith-Collins gets right to heart of things. She has written a courageous book that highlights innovation in teaching and learning for social justice. Infused with hope, her ideas will prompt deep change for the sake of our most challenged students.
— Margaret Grogan, Professor and Dean,School of Educational Studies, Claremont Graduate University