Blog
23 blog posts in 2018
The School Year in Review: Choosing High-Success Academic and Behavioral Strategies (Part I)
Committing to Educational Excellence by Learning from Hattie’s and SEL’s LimitationsDear Colleagues,Introduction The holidays. . . the New Year. . . a time of reflection. . . a time of hope and joy...
Read Full ArticleReconsidering What Effective High Schools Do, and What Failing High Schools Miss
Credit Recovery Programs Should be Strategic, Selective, Student-Focused, and Not the Only Game in TownDear Colleagues,Introduction: What Really is an “Effective” High School? I cons...
Read Full ArticleIt’s Not Too Late to Change: The School Year’s Not Even Half Over
Why Schools Fail to Act When their Students Fail to LearnDear Colleagues,Introduction In the past few weeks (or months), a number of professional and college coaches (especially...
Read Full ArticleThe SEL-ing of Social-Emotional Learning: Education’s Newest Bandwagon. . . Science-to-Practice Goals, Flaws, and Cautions (Part II)
Why Schools Need to Re-Think, Re-Evaluate, Re-Load, and Re-BootDear Colleagues,Introduction All students need to learn and demonstrate—at an appropriate developmental le...
Read Full ArticleLooking for District/School Partners: Collaborating on a U.S. Department of Education "School Climate Transformation Grant" Proposal
How this Five-Year Grant Can Support Your School's Climate & Student Discipline NeedsDear Colleagues,Introduction According to my sources in Washington, D.C., a new Request for Proposals (RFP) will s...
Read Full ArticleSocial-Emotional Learning: Education’s Newest Bandwagon. . . and the History of How We Got There (Part I)
Why Most Schools are not Implementing Scientifically-Sound SEL Practices—Wasting Time and ResourcesDear Colleagues,Introduction It seems that educators can’t go anywhere on their on-line news feeds...
Read Full ArticleThe U.S. Department of Education Wants to “Rethink Special Education,” But Is It Willing to Look at Itself First?
The Department Needs to Change the Office of Special Education Programs at the “Top” in Order to Successfully Impact our Classrooms at the “Bottom”Dear Colleagues,Introduction La...
Read Full ArticlePreventing School Shootings and Violence
States (Wisely) Not Waiting for the Federal Commission on School Safety Report: The Guidance You Need is Here and AvailableDear Colleagues, As we begin the 2018-2019 school year...
Read Full ArticleStudents’ Mental Health Status, and School Safety, Discipline, and Disproportionality: An Anthology of Previous Blogs
Integrating Successful Research-to-Practice Strategies into the New School Year (Part II of II)Dear Colleagues,Introduction: Change is Hard As I continue to collaborate with educators across the co...
Read Full ArticleSchool Improvement, Strategic Planning, ESEA, and Multi-Tiered Services: An Anthology of Previous Blogs
Integrating Successful Research-to-Practice Strategies into the New School Year (Part I of II)Dear Colleagues,Introduction While some of you are starting to “trickle” back to your schools, districts...
Read Full ArticleHattie Haters and Lovers: Both are Still Missing the Effective Implementation Steps that Practitioners Need
Critical Questions to Ask your “Hattie Consultant” Before You Sign the ContractDear Colleagues, Over the past five years especially, John Hattie has become internationally-known for his meta-analyti...
Read Full ArticleElementary School Principals’ Biggest Concern: Addressing Students’ Behavior and Emotional Problems
The Solution? Project ACHIEVE’s Multi-Tiered, Evidence-Based Roadmap to SuccessDear Colleagues,Introduction While most students and staff are off on vacation and not thinking about homework and tea...
Read Full ArticleLearning from Another Gates Failure: It’s Not Just the Money—It’s What You Accomplish With It
How to Spend ESEA’s Title IV Money WiselyDear Colleagues,Introduction During the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of working on-site with new clients outside of Seattle, in Philadelphia, out...
Read Full ArticleMaking Mountains Out of Molehills: Mindfulness and Growth Mindsets
Critical Research Questions the Impact of Both Dear Colleagues, One of my biggest professional frustrations is when districts and schools say that they do not have time for professional developmen...
Read Full ArticleSolving the Disproportionate School Discipline Referral Dilemma: When will Districts and Schools Commit to the Long-term Solutions? (Part III)
There are No Silver Bullets— Only Science to Preparation to Implementation to Evaluation to CelebrationDear Colleagues,Introduction: Another Study on Disproportionality—Integrating the Four Studies P...
Read Full ArticleDecreasing Disproportionate School Discipline Actions with Black, Male, and Special Education Students: A Roadmap to Success (Part II)
Taking a Hard Look at Our Practices, Our Interactions, and OurselvesDear Colleagues,Introduction: Back to the Future Almost immediately after writing Part I of this Blog series a few...
Read Full ArticleNew Federal Government Report Finds that Disproportionate School Discipline Actions Persist with Black, Male, and Special Education Students (Part I)
Manipulating Policy, Buying Programs, and Following Federally-Funded Technical Assistance Centers Do Not WorkWhy be Surprised. . . about Why We Aren’t Succeeding?Dear Colleagues,Introduction On Apri...
Read Full ArticleSchool Climate, Student Voice, On-Campus Shootings, and now Corporal Punishment??? (Part III)
Listening to Students—When They Make Sense; and Not Listening to Students—When They’re Ready to KillDear Colleagues,IntroductionI honestly was not planning a Part III to this Series—a Series that was...
Read Full ArticleSchool Shootings, Comprehensive Prevention, Mandatory (Mental Health) Reporting, and Standardized Threat Assessments (Part II)
What Schools, Staff, and Students Need to Do, and The Help that They Need to Do ItDear Colleagues,IntroductionToo many times during my career, I have heard school staff members across the country stat...
Read Full ArticleSchool Shootings: History Keeps Repeating Itself (Part I)
What We Already Know, and What Schools, Staff, and Students Need to DoDear Colleagues,IntroductionJanuary 3: St. John’s, MI (East Olive Elementary School)January 4: Seattle, WA (...
Read Full ArticleThe Folly and Frustration of Evaluating Schools and Staff Based on the Progress of Students with Significant Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges
Understanding the Student, Home, and Community Factors that Impact Challenging StudentsDear Colleagues,“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but...
Read Full ArticleHow Strategic Planning and Organizational Development is Done by Every School . . . Every Year [Part II of II]
An Introduction to Successful School-based Strategic Planning Science-to-PracticeDear Colleagues,IntroductionThe Elementary and Secondary Education/Every Student Succeeds Act(ESEA/ESSA) requires every...
Read Full ArticleWhy Strategic Planning and Organizational Development Must be done by Every School . . . Every Year [Part I of II]
Preparing for ESEA/ESSA:What Effective Schools Do to Continuously Improve....and What Ineffective Schools Need to do to Significantly ImproveDear Colleagues,IntroductionHAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!As I fly ove...
Read Full Article
