Tools for Schools, August/September 1998, Vol. 2, No. 1 Newsletters Student learning grows in professional cultures By Joan Richardson An article in a professional publication describes how a variety of schools have used study groups to explore topics of interest to teachers. Two teachers reading the article react quite differently. One says, “Great idea. The…

Tools for Schools, April/May 1998, Vol. 1, No. 5 Newsletters Applause! Applause! Recognize actions you want to see more often By Joan Richardson “Super Pats” are the highlight of weekly faculty meetings at Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. The “Super Pats’’ recognize exemplary actions by any staff member. The principal or another staff…

Tools for Schools, February/March 1998, Vol. 1, No. 4 Newsletters Continuous improvement: Monitoring the quality of student learning By Joan Richardson Some teachers and principals think ‘quality’ and immediately see run charts and Pareto diagrams. Principal Mary Jo Taylor thinks ‘quality’ and has visions of sitting in green Jell-O. Taylor will plop herself into a…

Tools for Schools, December 1997/January 1998, Vol. 1, No. 3 Newsletters Family matters: Student learning improves when families get involved By Joan Richardson When the school improvement team at Curtis Bay Elementary School in Baltimore decided the school needed to focus more attention on family involvement, the first challenge was educating parents and teachers about…

Tools for Schools, October/November 1997, Vol. 1, No. 2 Newsletters Consensus: Tap into a powerful decision-making tool By Joan Richardson The meeting ended and the participants headed home, most of them believing they had reached consensus on the issue.   Defining consensus This process enables group members to clarify their understanding of a vague concept….

 Tools for Schools, August/September 1997, Vol. 1, No. 1 Newsletters If you can envision it, you can create it By Joan Richardson  Close your eyes for just a moment. Now, imagine how you’ll look after you’re dressed for work tomorrow morning. Stretching to create a vision This activity highlights the importance of visions that can…

Tools for Schools, August/September 1997, Vol. 1, No. 1 Newsletters If you can envision it, you can create it By Joan Richardson Close your eyes for just a moment. Now, imagine how you’ll look after you’re dressed for work tomorrow morning.   Stretching to create a vision This activity highlights the importance of visions that…

Tools for Schools, October/November 1997, Vol. 1, No. 2 Newsletters Consensus: Tap into a powerful decision-making tool By Joan Richardson The meeting ended and the participants headed home, most of them believing they had reached consensus on the issue. Defining consensus This process enables group members to clarify their understanding of a vague concept. It…