My Solution Tree Book

By

By Brian M. Stack and Jonathan Vander Els, 2017
Published by Solution Tree

Foreword by Chris Sturgis
Shifting to a competency-based curriculum allows educators to revolutionize education by replacing traditional, ineffective systems with a personalized, learner-centered approach. Throughout the resource, the authors explore how the components of PLCs promote the principles of competency-based education and share real-world examples from practitioners who have made the transition to learner-centered teaching. Each chapter ends with reflection questions readers can answer to apply their own learning progression.
By reading this book, K-12 administrators, school leaders, and teacher leaders will:
  • Evaluate the qualities of true competency-based schools and the flaws in traditional schooling.
  • Consider the foundational role that PLCs have in establishing the competency-based approach and promoting learning for all.
  • Gain tips for successfully implementing student-centered practices for learning competencies and performance assessment and grading.
  • Explore real school experiences that highlight the processes and challenges involved in moving from traditional to competency-based school structures
  • Access reproducible school-design rubrics appropriate for the five design principles of competency-based learning.

Contents: 

Introduction
Chapter 1: Understanding the Components of an Effective Competency-Based Learning System
Chapter 2: Building the Foundation of a Competency-Based Learning System Through PLCs
Chapter 3: Developing Competencies and Progressions to Guide Learning
Chapter 4: Changing to Competency-Friendly Grading Practices
Chapter 5: Creating and Implementing Competency-Friendly Performance Assessments
Chapter 6: Responding When Students Need Intervention and Extension
Chapter 7: Sustaining the Change Process
References and Resources
Index

Reviews:

“This terrific book is authentic, thoughtful, and practical. It serves as an anchor in a stormy sea of policy changes by expertly laying out what school leaders can do right now to create a firm foundation for student learning.”
Douglas Reeves, founder, Creative Leadership Solutions

“A user-friendly resource for school leaders, leadership teams, and teacher leaders looking for a systematic and achievable approach to implementing competency-based learning.”
Paul Cone Jr., middle school principal, Canisteo-Greenwood Central School, New York

“Breaking With Tradition is written by educators for educators who want to learn about competency-based education. ... Your first steps toward creating a system where every student is learning and progressing can start right now. Brian Stack and Jonathan Vander Els will be wonderful guides for your journey.”
From the foreword by Chris Sturgis, cofounder, CompetencyWorks


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Speech to the NHS Inductees on Scholarship

By
Image
Tonight, I will be speaking to you about scholarship, one of the four pillars of the National Honor Society. Scholarship is one of those words that we all can identify with, but it isn’t that easy to define. Dictionaries often define it to mean “academic achievement, learning; or the qualities of a scholar.” The qualities of a scholar --- well my ninth grade English teacher Mr. Tomallo never would have allowed me to use the word I was trying to define in the definition, so I have to dig deeper. What is a scholar? Again I turn to the dictionary, and I find the following: “A scholar is a learned person, someone who attends school or studies with a teacher.” I’m still not satisfied with this result. It seems the online dictionaries that Google has offered me are not helping me summarize what should be an easy-definable concept, scholarship. Perhaps I will need to research some examples of scholarship to help us better understand the concept.   In preparation for this speech I d
Read more

Does Your School Facility Need a Makeover?

By
Image
Does your school facility need a makeover? According to this 2012 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, 53% of American schools are due for such an upgrade. Upgrades can be done in ways to fit almost any school budget. The key for school principals is to stretch the financial resources they have to provide the biggest rate of return possible to enhance student learning and overall school culture.   At a recent visit to my child’s middle school, the principal took me on a tour of recent upgrades made to their front entrance lobby. The building, built quickly and cheaply in the 1970’s has long since reached the status of obsolete in our community, yet we as a voting community just aren’t ready to support a project to build a new middle school. Like so many other principals from coast to coast in this situation, the principal had to look for small ways to make facility upgrades that would have a big impact. The lobby project was this kind of a project. Much to
Read more

My Speech to the NHS Inductees on Character

By
Image
Character is perhaps the most abstract of the four National Honor Society pillars, and that perhaps makes it the most difficult to quantify and speak about. Most of us would say that we know good character when we see it. We identify with examples of strong character. Consider this situation: Four friends from out of state are passing through Kingston on their way to a vacation in the White Mountains. Their names are Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer. Yes, for those of you who recognize this story I am talking about the 4 main characters from the television series Seinfeld and this is the famous “final episode.” They witness a robbery in broad daylight. The robber has his hand in his pocket, and the victim shouts that the man has a gun. As soon as the robber runs away, a Kingston policeman appears on the scene; but instead of pursuing the robber, he arrests Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer for having violated the "Good Samaritan" law. Since the four of them spent
Read more