Allison Zmuda

Allison Zmuda worked for seven years as a public high school social studies teacher in Sandy Hook, Conn. Her first book, The Competent Classroom: Aligning High School Curriculum, Standards, and Assessment, jointly published in 2001 by Teachers College Press and NEA, launched her work as a consultant and designer of professional development trainings. Zmuda's focus is to help every educator create a competent classroom—a learning environment where all participants believe it is possible for them to be successful and that what teacher and students are expected to know and be able to do is challenging, feasible, and worthy of the attempt. Her second book, High Stakes High School: A Guide for the Perplexed Parents, published by Kaplan in 2001, welcomes parents into the conversation about standards, assessment, and high-stakes testing. Zmuda's third book, Transforming Schools: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement, was published by ASCD in 2004.

Area of Expertise: Understanding by Design