Close the Achievement Gap: Simple Strategies That Work

by Brian Mitchell Pete, Robin J. Fogarty

Overview

The idea that the person doing the talking is the person doing the learning seems counter-intuitive. Yet, that is exactly the case. When students put their thoughts into words, they internalize the learning. As they dialogue with peers, articulate their ideas, and express themselves, their oral language skills translate directly into written language skills. Explore six strategies that address the challenges of the achievement gap:

1) Set High Expectations: Get Kids Emotionally Involved
2) Challenges Students to Think: Teach Higher Order Thinking
3) Require Rigor: Require Complete Sentences, Standard English, Formal Register
4) Leave Nothing to Chance: Revisit! Review! Re-teach! Revise!
5) Make No Excuses: Encourage At-Risk Participation
6) Insist on Results: Emphasize Reading

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483361062
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	01/01/2005
Series:	In A Nutshell Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	104
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Brian M. Pete, co-founder of Robin Fogarty & Associates, comes from a family of educators-college professors, school superintendents, teachers and teachers of teachers. He has a rich background in professional development. Brian has worked with the adult learner in districts and educational agencies throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand and the GCC in the Middle East.  He has an eye for the “teachable moment” and the words to describe what he sees as skillful teaching. He delivers dynamic, humor-filled sessions that energize the audiences with engaging strategies that transfer into immediate and practical on site applications. Comments from school leaders often say that it is the best PD the staff  has ever had.
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Brian is co-author of: How to Teach Students to Think Within the Common Core, School Leaders Guide to Common Core Achieving Results,Supporting Differentiated Instruction: A PLC Approach, From Staff Room to Classroom: A Guide to Planning and Coaching Professional Learning, From Staff Room to Classroom II: The One-Minute PD Planner and  The Right to Be Literate: 6 Literacy Strategies for the 21^st Century. His works in progress include two pieces, one on inquiry learning with a focus on Problem-based Learning and the other on how to explicitly teach thinking skills in IB International Schools.

Robin Fogarty is President of RFA: A Robin Fogarty Company, a Chicago-based, minority-owned, educational publishing/consulting company. Robin received her doctorate in curriculum and human resource development from Loyola University of Chicago. A leading proponent of the thoughtful classroom, Robin has trained educators throughout the world in curriculum, instruction and assessment strategies.

She has taught at all levels, from kindergarten to college, served as an administrator, and consulted with state departments and ministries of education in the United States, Puerto Rico, Russia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Great Britain, Singapore, South Korea, the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Robin has published articles in Educational Leadership, Phi Delta Kappan, The Journal of Staff Development and The Middle School Lournal. She is the author of numerous publications, including Brain-Compatible Classrooms, Literacy Matters, Ten Things New Teachers Need, How to Integrate the Curricula, The Adult Learner, A Look at Transfer, Close the Achievement Gap, Twelve Brain Principles, Nine Best Practices, and From Staff Room to Classroom: Planning and Coaching Professional Learning, How to Teach Thinking Skills Within the Common Core: 7 Key Student Proficiencies of the New National Standards, Invite! Excite! Ignite! 13 Principles for Teaching, Learning and Leading K-12 classrooms

Robin received her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education at SUNY, Potsdam, NY, and her Masters in Instructional Strategies from National Louis University in Evanston, IL.  She is known as the teachers’ teacher and has mentored numerous colleagues in the art and science of working with the adult learner. She brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to all endeavors, has a wealth of knowledge in the field and conducts highly interactive PD sessions.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Introductory Comments
Achievement Gap Facts
A Story: Through the Cracks
The Matthew Effect
The Field Trip
Heads Together
Six Simple Strategies to Close the Achievement Gap
1. Set High Expectations: Get Kids Emotionally Involved
Quote: "They don′t teach us enough."
Strategies:
Brain Principles
Student Choice
TESA -- Teacher Expectations, Student Achievement
Facing the Day with Feelings
The Right Way
Reflection: What Teachers Make
Film: Dead Poets Society
2. Challenge Students to Think: Teach Higher Order Thinking
Quote: "Make kids think."
Strategies:
Three-Story Intellect
Fat and Skinny Questions
Unpack the Language
The Threaded Model
Nine Best Practices
Reflection: The Average Child
Film: Saturday Night Live: The Best of Jerry Seinfeld "World War II 101"
3. Require Rigor: Require Complete Sentences, Standard English, Formal Register
Quote: "Good Morning, Class. I′m Miss Hobbs!"
Strategies:
Down Memory Lane
Diagramming Sentences
Put Words in My Mouth
The Sentence Squad
Mr. Pete′s Questions
Reflection: Mr. Parnes′ Questions
Film: To Sir, with Love
4. Leave Nothing to Chance: Revisit! Review! Re-teach! Revise!
Quote: "I told them what they′re supposed to know."
Strategies:
Revisit with a Two-Minute Buzz
Review by Dialing 4-1-1 and Connecting
Re-teach the MI Way
Revise for Precision and Accuracy
Reflection: Invitation to Learn
Film: Teachers
5. Make No Excuses: Encourage At-Risk Participation
Quote: "What is it about me you can′t teach?"
Strategies:
Fishbowl, Card Game, and TAG
Co-operative Learning Strategies
Whole Group Strategies
Partner Strategies
Reflection: You′re a Hero to Someone
Film: Mr. Holland′s Opus
6. Insist on Results: Emphasize Reading
Quote: " When kids can′t, won′t or don′t read, nothing else matters."
Strategies:
Learning to Read
Loving to Read
Getting Kids to Love to Read
Self-Selected Reading
Vocabulary Building
Comprehension Strategies
Delve Into Data
Reflection: Let the Data Tell the Story
Film: Pay It Forward
References
Bibliography
Poem

Editorial Reviews

"Society must come to believe that it is possible for all students to achieve. When a given population decides it is possible, children not only learn but they also thrive. "

 

From the Introduction