ASCD Community in Action

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ASCD Commission on the Whole Child

Fredrick J. Bramante Jr., New Hampshire Board of Education
Peter Cobb, Cobb & Associates
James Comer, Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine's Child Study Center
Elliot Eisner, Professor of Education and Art, Stanford University
John Goodlad, Institute for Educational Inquiry
Stedman Graham, Chairman and CEO, S. Graham Associates
Jonathan Jansen, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Sharon Kagan, Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy, Associate Dean for Policy, and Director, Office of Policy and Research, Teachers College, Columbia University
Lawrence Kohn, Principal, Quest High School, Humble, Texas
Lloyd J. Kolbe, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Indiana University
Myles Miller, Student, Bronx Preparatory School
Monte C. Moses, Superintendent, Cherry Creek School District, Englewood, Colorado
Nel Noddings, Professor of Philosophy and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University; and the Lee L. Jacks Professor of Child Education Emerita, Stanford University
Pedro Noguera, Teacher Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Hugh B. Price, former President, National Urban League
Kate Quarfordt, Director, Artistic Program, Bronx Preparatory School
Doris Williams, Director, Capacity Building Program, The Rural School and Community Trust

Influencing Education Policy

Children need champions both in and out of the classroom. During ASCD's first annual Leadership for Effective Advocacy and Practice (LEAP) Institute in Washington, D.C., this September, more than 170 ASCD leaders and emerging leaders stepped up to the challenge of promoting education policy that focuses on the whole child.

The four-day invitational event was designed to enhance leadership development, policy knowledge, and advocacy skill building. Participants from 52 ASCD affiliates and from five countries, including the United States, represented a diverse pool of ASCD leaders and members. Attendees also included a cadre of leaders who are part of the new ASCD Emerging Leaders Program, which is designed to help educators who have been in the profession for roughly 5 to 15 years prepare for influence work and potential ASCD leadership.

As part of the Institute's Day on the Hill, U.S participants visited nearly 200 elected officials and their staffs on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The ASCD educators offered to serve as key experts on such issues as the achievement gap and high-stakes testing to help improve U.S. education. Canadian participants attended a workshop on provincial policymaking that focused on how attendees could influence education policy. Other leaders participated in a worldwide advocacy session that included a tour of several public schools in Washington, D.C.

ASCD Takes Top Awards

<EMPH TYPE="3">Whole Publication: Nonfiction (Adults)The Big Picture: Education Is Everyone's Business by Dennis Littky with Samantha Grabelle
<EMPH TYPE="3">Design: Cover Design (Adults)Totally Positive Teaching: A Five-Stage Approach to Energizing Students and Teachers by Joseph Ciaccio

ASCD Position Statement: High-Stakes Testing

Fair, balanced, and grounded in the art and science of learning and teaching.
Reflective of curricular and developmental goals and representative of content that students have had an opportunity to learn.
Used to inform and improve instruction.
Designed to accommodate nonnative speakers and students with special needs.
Valid, reliable, and supported by professional, scientific, and ethical standards designed to fairly assess the unique and diverse abilities and knowledge base of all students.

Tell Us About Your Favorite Teacher

Did one particular teacher help you on your road to success? Share a story about that teacher and be part of a special feature in the March 2006 issue of Educational Leadership.

To contribute to the special feature, write a brief piece (300–400 words) describing how a K–12 teacher influenced you. We are looking for a specific story that describes how this teacher inspired you, helped you meet a difficult challenge, gave you direction, changed your perspective, or opened your eyes to new possibilities.

Send your story by e-mail to elsubmit@ascd.org. Put “Teacher Story” in the subject line, and be sure to include complete contact information (name, address, phone number, and e-mail) in the e-mail body. The deadline is Nov. 28, 2005. We'll contact you if your story is selected for publication in the March issue of Educational Leadership. Questions? Contact Deborah Perkins-Gough, Senior Editor, at 703-575-5694 or dperkins@ascd.org.

Resources for “Assessment to Promote Learning”

Balanced Assessment: Enhancing Learning with Evidence-Centered Teaching Professional Inquiry Kit. (Developed by ETS, 2005). By Joseph Ciofalo. Eight activity folders and a CD-ROM. Stock No. 905057. Price: $189 (member); $220 (nonmember).

Balanced Assessment: Improving Student Achievement and Standardized Test Results. (2004). Three 30- to 40-minute video programs and a Facilitator's Guide. Stock No. 404451 (video); Stock No. 604451 (DVD). Price: $445 (member); $545 (nonmember).
How to Informally Assess Student Learning, Tape 22. (2005). One 15-minute videotape. Stock No. 405121. Price: $79 (member); $95 (nonmember).

Test Better, Teach Better: The Instructional Role of Assessment. (2003). By W. James Popham. Stock No. 102088. Price: $19.95 (member); $24.95 (nonmember).
The Truth About Testing: An Educator's Call to Action. (2001). By W. James Popham. Stock No. 101030. Price: $19.95 (member); $23.95 (nonmember).
Collaborative Analysis of Student Work: Improving Teaching and Learning. (2003). By Georgea M. Langer, Amy B. Colton, and Loretta S. Goff. Stock No. 102006. Price: $21.95 (member); $26.95 (nonmember).
Linking Teacher Evaluation and Student Learning. (2005). By Pamela D. Tucker and James H. Stronge. Stock No. 104136. Price: $20.95 (member); $26.95 (nonmember).
The Portfolio Organizer: Succeeding with Portfolios in Your Classroom. (2000). By Carol Rolheiser, Barbara Bower, and Laurie Stevahn. Stock No. 100046. Price: $20.95 (member); $24.95 (nonmember).
Using Data to Assess Your Reading Program. (2004). By Emily Calhoun. Stock No. 102268. Price: $27.95 (member); $34.95 (nonmember).