Help our students with and without intellectual disabilities lead the way to socially inclusive schools Exclusion, discrimination, bullying—all are in the headlines on a daily basis, but change is ahead. It is time for an inclusion revolution, and our middle level students can help lead the way by becoming part of a unified generation. Ending
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How one school created a culture focused on improving student behavior Background For many years educators have used punishment, or fear of punishment, as the primary deterrent to student misconduct. We have tried zero tolerance, excessive use of in-school suspension (ISS) and out of school suspension (OSS), elimination of student privileges, and numerous other consequences
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Creating a school culture that champions innovation, rewards teamwork, and values feedback As a building principal whose days are filled with countless observations, emails, and student interactions, it’s easy to forget that there really is a world outside of my wonderful middle school. Over the last several years, I have been fortunate to have spent
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One school’s approach to rethinking advisory From our first days on campus, it was clear that the school had once been committed to an advisory program. There were dusty advisory binders in the corners of classrooms, and many teachers remained passionate about the aims and some features of the program, but it no longer had
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Engaging students in shaping school climate improvement pays off There is growing research demonstrating that students perform better academically, socially, and emotionally when they are meaningfully engaged, contributing members of a school with a positive, caring, equitable school climate. As adults, we often think we are the architects of a school’s culture, but we underestimate
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Changes in school or classroom practices unleash a variety of emotions. How can we support each other in the process? The faculty lounge crackles with disagreements about the new grading policies suggested by the standards-based grading committee. The English department debates whether or not grammar proficiency is a requisite for writing proficiency, and whether or
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