If you are like us, the summertime schedule allows you to catch up on some reading. Here are two recommendations for your consideration.
Supporting Beginning Teachers: Recommended by Connie
“Beginners in the Classroom: What the Changing Demographics of Teaching Mean for Schools, Students, and Society” finds that new teachers leave the profession in large numbers mostly because they don’t get the support they need. Comprehensive induction can improve retention and new teacher performance, the report says, but it is rarely provided. The report, by Carnegie Senior Associate Susan Headden, explores the causes and consequences of what may be a permanent shift toward a less experienced profession. And it looks at some promising ways of addressing the problem, including intensive mentoring and residency programs.Smarter Balanced Digital Library: Recommended by Sherry
Iowa is currently part of the Smarter Balanced consortium, an organization supporting a BALANCED assessment system: summative measures, interim tests and formative assessment. Many of you may have been involved in the summative test pilot that occurred this year. Also happening this year somewhat behind the scenes was a team of AEA, LEA and Department of Education teachers and consultants working to build the Smarter Balanced Digital Library. This library represents the FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT piece of SBAC. It is designed to support teachers in using practices that target the Core in English/Language Arts or Math and garner formative assessment information. It is filled with two kinds of resources:- Instructional Resources that are lessons or strategies or activities that teachers can use in their classrooms, and
- Professional Learning Resources that are designed to help educators learn more about formative assessment.
As of June 2, the Digital Library is now OPEN to Iowa Educators. Superintendents recently received information on how to get their employees set up to use the Digital Library. Educators are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity, as it is available for only a limited time. As of the end of September, Iowa's membership in Smarter Balanced will end, and therefore your access to the library will also be terminated. If the Iowa legislation decides to continue to be a part of the SBAC and if they decide to subscribe to the digital library, that access will resume. We will not know Iowa's status as a SBAC member for some time.
If you have questions about the library, or how to navigate it, or how it is organized, please contact Sherry Huffman. There are some great things in the Digital Library that the State Network of Educators have worked hard to get posted. Please use it as much as you can during this limited time!
