Raising Student Achievement Professional Development Study Set

With the introduction of standards-based education, the idea of raising student achievement has never been more important. The Ventures Educators’ Classroom Challenge™ set on Raising Student Achievement focuses on research-based ideas and instructional strategies that have been proven to raise effectively student achievement across all ages and in all content areas.

The Ventures Educators’ Classroom Challenge™ Raising Student Achievement program focuses on the characteristics of improving schools and how they can be applied to your school or classroom. Other topics include classroom management, assessment and planning that prioritize teaching and learning for understanding and high academic standards, rather than just curriculum coverage. Teachers also learn a variety of student-centered instructional strategies that develop students' communication and higher-order thinking skills that can be used with all age
groups and curriculum areas.

The Ventures Educators’ Classroom Challenge™ Raising Student Achievement program provides a rich and rewarding professional development opportunity for either individual teachers, or a group of educators working together to turn their school or classroom around.

As they engage in the various activities, participants will use a variety of interactive strategies; these strategies are very simple but highly structured. These same strategies can be used with students in the classroom to develop their communication and higher-order thinking skills.

Self or Group Guided Agenda
Agenda/Week 1: Being a Turnaround Teacher, Being a Turnaround School
Agenda/Week 2-3: Planning
Agenda/Week 4: Classroom Management
Agenda/Week 5: Assessment
Agenda/Week 6: Teaching for Understanding
Agenda/Week 7-8: Instructional Strategies

Book#1: Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices 2nd Edition; by Belinda Williams; published by ASCD

Book#2: Student Achievement Through Staff Development, 3rd Edition; by Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers; published by ASCD

Book #3: Understanding by Design; by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe; published by ASCD

Book #4: Administrators Guide to Student Achievement and High Test Scores; by Marcia Kalb Knoll; published by Jossey-Bass (not pictured)

Book #5 and #6: Constructive Communication and Structured Thinking in the Classroom with Graphic Templates for Structured Thinking Skills, Vol. 1 (2 book set); published by VESC

Book/Guide #7: Ventures Educators’ Classroom Challenge™ 8-12- Week Self- or Group- Guided Toolkit with Agendas, Exercises, and Classroom Instructional Materials; published by VESC

Book/Guide #8: Ventures Educators’ Classroom Challenge™ Implementation Strategies for Constructive Communication and Structured Thinking; published by VESC