Navigating Achievement for Struggling Students with the Common Core State Standards

The Common Core State Standards are now a reality in most states in the US, and educators are grappling with the implications as they wait for new high-stakes assessments to take effect. Educators are weighing in with their concerns, chief among them the worry that struggling students will struggle even more in the era of the Common Core. This fifth handbook in the Getting Ready for the Common Core Series, Navigating Achievement for Struggling Students with the Common Core State Standards will help teachers and administrators reflect on the needs of students who struggle, whether from poverty, language acquisition, ineffective feedback, reluctance to engage, or other reasons, and it offers multiple and flexible examples for educators to take away and adapt to their unique situations. This collection of strategies and research-based information provides user-friendly guidance for implementation of the Common Core State Standards with the leverage needed for success. The premise of the contributing educators is that all students can find success when instructed well. Topics, such as the prior knowledge students bring with them into the classroom, the power of the feedback they get from teachers, and student vocabulary acquisition and use, help generate teacher ideas for classroom instruction. Concepts, such as scaffolding learning, effective differentiation in secondary schools, and direct instruction for all learners in light of Response to Intervention processes, it help guide teacher thinking and planning. This handbook provides multiple views on the very complex subject of what to do better to serve struggling students as we embrace the Common Core State Standards.

Thomas Hierck has been an educator since 1983 in a career that has spanned all grade levels and many roles in public education. His experiences as a teacher, administrator, district leader, department of education project leader, and executive director have provided a unique context for his education philosophy. He lives in Gibsons, British Columbia. Brian McNulty is Vice President of Leadership Development for The Leadership and Learning Center. He served as the Vice President for Field Services at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) and was an Assistant Superintendent for Adams County School District 14 and the Assistant Commissioner of Education for the Colorado Department of Education. He lives in Lone Tree, Colorado. Chris Weber is a consultant and administrative coach. He delivers trainings and presentations on Pyramid Response to Intervention, an approach to RTI centered on Professional Learning Communities at Work concepts and strategies. He lives in Forest Park, Illinois. Lillian A. Hawkins is the Vice President of the Princeton City School District Board of Education, located outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Lillian offers more than 30 years of experience as an educator and principal. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Angela Peery is a Senior Professional Development Associate for The Leadership and Learning Center. Previously she was a Teacher Specialist with the South Carolina Department of Education and worked with a chronically low-performing middle school as part of a turnaround team. Angela was also a consultant for the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education. She lives in Beaufort, South Carolina. Linda Gregg is the Director of Education for a residential treatment center in New Mexico. Linda is the author of Response to Instructional Strategies and Interventions: Scenarios for K 12 Educators (2012). She holds professional credentials in general education, special education, and school administration. She has taught elementary through high school and has served as an elementary and high school principal. She is a former Associate Superintendent of Federal Programs and Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Special Education Program at the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico. She lives in Tijeras, New Mexico. Polly Patrick has been involved in the Instructional Leadership Team and the Grading and Reporting Committee that have been at the core of creating a learning culture at Minnetonka High School. Polly has traveled to multiple districts and national conferences promoting the value of creating grading systems that give an accurate reflection of what students know and can do. She lives in Burnesville, Minnesota. Deborah M. Telfer is Director of the University of Dayton s School of Education and Allied Professions Grant Center in Dublin, Ohio. She serves as principal investigator/project director of several federally funded initiatives, including the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) technical assistance and dissemination effort called Moving Your Numbers. As part of this work, she authored several publications, including Moving Your Numbers: Five Districts Share How They Used Assessment and Accountability to Increase Performance for Students with Disabilities as Part of District-wide Improvement. She lives in Dayton, Ohio. Mary Piper has worked for more than 35 years in public education, most recently serving as the Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the Hazelwood School District. She also served one year as the interim superintendent for the district. Prior to becoming the Associate Superintendent in 2008, Dr. Piper served two years as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Professional Development and five years as an elementary school principal. She lives in Ballwin, Missouri."