What Every Parent Should Know About Schools, Standards, and High Stakes Tests

by Donna E. Walker Tileston

Overview

"Full of wonderful information, and very thought provoking!"
-Susan E. Fisher, NBCT
Douglas County School District, CO

"Cuts through all the jargon."
-Stephanie A. Slowik, NBCT, Nationally Certified School Counselor
Wake County Public Schools, NC

"Gives a better understanding of what the standards mean, what to do with the standards, and what to do if standards aren′t being met by a school."
-Shannon Journell, Teacher
Enon Elementary School, OH

"Not only am I an educator, but I am also a single mom of two. I read this book from both perspectives and was enlightened by the information. Every parent should be aware of the information in it, especially those who move frequently."
-Stacy Slomko, Teacher
Perth Amboy High School, NJ

The essential resource for parents who want to help their children succeed in school!

Expert educator and award-winning author Donna Walker Tileston helps parents take the guesswork out of understanding educational standards, mandated tests, No Child Left Behind, and the myriad other issues affecting their children′s schools today. Within this concise, reader-friendly guide, parents will find a wealth of easy-to-understand information, including:

• How to understand and access local and national standards
• Five things parents can do to improve standards-based teaching and testing
• Ten guides to asking the right questions at open-school events and parent-teacher conferences
• Three ways to help children master high stakes tests
• What to do if schools don′t achieve adequate yearly progress
• A glossary that defines the buzzwords that mystify non-educators

With this one handy guide, all parents can become active, informed, and involved participants in their children′s education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483361451
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	10/13/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	88
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Donna Walker Tileston is a veteran teacher and administrator. She is currently the president of Strategic Teaching and Learning, a consulting firm that provides services to schools throughout the United States and worldwide. Donna’s publications include Ten Best Teaching Practices: How Brain Research, Learning Styles, and Standards Define Teaching Competencies (2000), which has been on Corwin′s bestseller list since its first year in print, in addition to the ten-volume award-winning series What Every Teacher Should Know, now in its second edition. Other recent titles are Teaching Strategies for Active Learning (2006), Teaching Strategies that Prepare Students for High Stakes Tests (2008), and Closing the Poverty and Culture Gap (2009). Donna received her BA from the University of North Texas, her MA from East Texas State University, and her EdD from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She may be reached at www.whateveryteachershouldknow.com

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter One: Whose Standards?
The History Behind School Standards
No Child Left Behind
How To Access The Standards For Your Child’s School
National Standards
Chapter Two: Why Standards Are Important to Education
How Standards Help Produce Alignment That Leads to Equity
Alignment in the Classroom
Standards as a Measuring Rod for Schools
Why Adequate Yearly Progress Matters
What To Do If Adequate Yearly Progress Is Not Being Achieved
Why Alignment Is Important
The Reality of Alignment
Five Things Parents Can Do
Chapter Three: Standards and Alignment
The Format Of Standards and Benchmarks
How Standards Are Used as a Guide for What Teachers Teach
Why The Instructional Practice Is Important to Student Success
How Standards Are Used as a Guide for What Teachers Assess
What Does The Research Say is the Best Way to Teach Vocabulary?
What Processes Will Students Need To Know?
Chapter Four: Asking the Right Questions
What are the Standards and Benchmarks for My State’s Schools?
How do I Know That My Child’s School is Teaching to the State Standards?
What Do I Need to Know About the High Stakes Test Given in My State?
What Information Do I Need at the Local School Level?
What Other Information is Important to Examine on the School’s State Report Card?
How Can I be Sure That My Child’s School Keeps Current With Quality Research on Learning?
What Questions Should I Ask When Adequate Yearly Progress Is Not Being Achieved?
What Can We Do To Improve the Education System?
Where Can I Go For More Information?
What If?
Chapter Five: Helping Your Child Master High Stakes Tests
Know the Vocabulary
Practice Compare and Contrast
Pay Attention to Your Child’s Stress Levels
Glossary
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Gives a better understanding of what the standards mean, what to do with the standards, and what to do if standards aren't being met by a school. "

Shannon Journell

"Parent friendly and an easy read.The material is useful as it explains not only what the standards are, but how to read them. "

"The author did an adequate job of explaining the standards so that the lay person could not only read them, but also apply them by using the questions to check the standards at their school. "

Sandra Kraynok

"Very timely with the push of the 'No Child left Behind' legislation, which has really highlighted school standards and the attainment of these standards. It seems to cut through all of the language/jargon and give a clearer understanding of standards and what is going on in education. "

Stephanie A. Slowik

"Not only am I an educator but I am a single mom of two. I read this book from both perspectives and was enlightened by the information. Every parent should be aware of the information in it, especially those who move frequently. "

Stacy Slomko

"Very informative to me – both as an experienced teacher and a parent. It was an easy read, full of wonderful information, and very thought provoking! "

Susan E. Fisher

"A definite contribution to this field...it relays the facts of the past and the wave of the future. "

Melanie Sitzer-Hedges