CISI Resources & e-Bulletins
Study: Too Many Structured Activities May Hinder Children’s Executive Functioning
Research in Brief
(Education Week)
A recent report in the journal Frontiers in Psychology
found “that the kids who spent more time in less-structured
activities had more highly-developed self-directed executive
function.” However, the children who spent more time in
structured activity showed a decrease in ability to set goals,
make decisions and self-regulation.
Cops and No Counselors
Research in Brief
According to a new nationwide report by the ACLU on the
presence of police and mental health services in schools,
“400,000 K-12 students in California attend a school that has a
police officer but not a counselor.”
Book Resources
Research in Brief
Bryk, Anthony S. Organizing Schools for Improvement : Lessons from Chicago. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2010. Print.
Campbell, Davis W., and Michael Fullan. The Governance Core : School Boards, Superintendents, and Schools Working Together. Corwin Press. 2019.
Building Instructional Capacity Ann Jaquith: A Research Brief
Legislation & Policy
The ideas in this brief were initially developed in The Creation and Use of Instructional Resources: The Puzzle of Professional Development (2009). This research brief presents a conceptual framework to illuminate the conditions that enable professional development resources to get used by teachers and schools.
EdSource Database of California Smarter Balanced Test Results Spring 2017
Assessment
The California Department of Education (CDE) released test score results from the 2017 Smarter Balanced assessments of math and English language arts on Sept. 27. This was the third year of testing based on the Common Core State Standards, using assessments created with input from several states in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The tests form part of the state’s California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP.
Fullan Report on California’s Education System: State is on Track to Improve Education Recommended Strategies for Improvement by Michael Fullan
Curriculum & Instruction
(September 2017)
In a recent report on policy changes in California since LCFF,
LCAP, SBAC and CCSS, Michael Fullan, with colleague Santiago
Rincón-Gallardo, writes of promising developments in the state’s
education system. The 30-page report outlines positive shifts in
the system and makes recommendations for “staying the course” in
order to see positive outcomes for students. Following are
excerpts from the report:
Fullan’s right drivers are now a focus of California’s education
system.
New Rand Report on personalized learning
Curriculum & Instruction
A July 2017 report from Rand report identifies four approaches to personalizing learning (excerpted from the report Insights on Personalized Learning Implementation and Effects):
Continuous Improvement in Practice
Legislation & Policy
(Policy Analysis for California Education)
This policy brief presents research-based information on
“continuous improvement” and identifies characteristics present
in organizations that are successful in building a culture of
continuous improvement. It also identifies some areas that
district and school administrators have identified as challenging
within the current context.
While acknowledging that continuous improvement holds promise as
a means for improving educational outcomes, the brief states,
Mindset Kit
Curriculum & Instruction
The Mindset Kit is a free set of online lessons and practices
designed to help you teach and foster adaptive beliefs about
learning.
https://www.mindsetkit.org
Good Leaders Make Good Schools
District Leadership
(New York Times)
In a March 2018 article for the New York Times, David Brooks
cited examples of how school leadership has made a significant
impact on school improvement. In short, Brooks points to dramatic
improvement in Washington, New Orleans and Chicago schools that
have increased graduation rates since 2011.
“These improvements are proof that demography is not destiny,
that bad things happening in a neighborhood do not have to
determine student outcomes,” writes Brooks.
Formative Assessment Research
Assessment
Dr. James Popham references two studies of formative assessment
that point to areas of impact for educators. Several focal
areas are identified in the articles (excerpts follow):
1) Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through
Classroom Assessment
Getting Down to Facts II
Legislation & Policy
“The research evidence suggests that state leaders should focus
on:
Building on current reforms:
During the past decade, California’s education system has
undergone major reforms that have resulted in improvements, but
the system is still in need of capacity building.
Addressing achievement gaps:
Large achievement gaps by race, ethnicity, income and English
learner status persist in California and need a continued focus
through multiple approaches, including enhanced early childhood
education.
CISI Colleagues Visit Highline Public Schools in Seattle, WA
District Leadership
In October 2018, a group of California school district
superintendents and staff visited a lab school/district to see
how the district is working with Dr. Meredith Honig on
transforming the central office. As we imagine it, an opportunity
like this might strengthen and add depth to the work SELF and the
Superintendents Network as well as providing participating
California SELF alumni school districts to learn from a district
that is implementing central office transformation with fidelity
and
success.
Teaching Resources
Curriculum & Instruction
Betterlesson
https://betterlesson.com/home
NSRFHarmony.org
Resources and training promotes effective collaboration
among educators, developing best practices that result in
increased student learning and a stronger school culture.
Growth Mindset for Educator Teams
https://www.mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset-educator-teams
NSRF Protocols
Learning Communities
Equity
Inquiry
Team-building and trust-building
Good for classroom use
Good for administration use
Administrative Resources
Curriculum & Instruction
Jo Boaler Online. Jo Boaler, educator and
author, focuses on promoting mathematics education reform and
equitable mathematics classrooms. She serves as a professor of
Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of
Education.
https://www.youcubed.org/
Leading for Learning: Reflective Tools for School and District
Leaders and Leading for Learning Sourcebook: Concepts and
Examples
(Center for Study of Teaching and Policy, University of
Washington).
California Department of Education (CDE) Information on rights of immigrant students and their families
Legislation & Policy
Following is information provided by the CDE on protections for
immigrant students.
What are the laws protecting schools and students with regard to
student records and immigration status?
There are several legal protections in place, including:
From the Sept 6, 2018 State Board of Education.
Legislation & Policy
The California Department of Education (CDE) is proposing changes to prepare for the inclusion of two new indicators for the 2018 Dashboard—the Chronic Absenteeism Indicator and the College/Career Indicator (CCI)—and to report a five-year graduation rate for high schools. In addition, the CDE is proposing Status and Change cut scores to the one-year graduation rate for schools with Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS).
Rethinking Bilingual Education
Curriculum & Instruction
(Patricia Gandara, Educational Leadership – March 2015) — “Research shows that bilingualism not only boosts individuals’ academic and social achievement, but also strengthens the workforce. So why don’t schools foster this strength?”
Cognitive Advantages: The Evidence Grows
Labor Market Advantages: The Picture Becomes Clearer
How Schools Can Foster Bilingualism
RESOURCE — Program Implementation
Assessment
National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) - http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu
With schools faced with so many new initiatives, it can be helpful to have access to resources that frame analysis of the work. The National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) has resources that can be used to evaluate progress toward implementation. One such tool is the brief report (with implementation rubric) entitled Stages of Implementation Analysis: Where Are We? Access the pdf HERE.
Developing Social Capital and Organizational Mapping in the Vista Unified School District
Legislation & Policy
(Albert Shanker Institute, August 19, 2015) —Devin Vodicka, superintendent of Vista Unified, a California school district serving over 22,000 students, recently wrote an article describing the process of developing, and mapping, human capital in his school district. Vista Unified was recently accepted into the League of Innovative Schools.
