Developing Successful K-8 Schools: A Principal's Guide » (New Edition)

Jon Wiles is a highly experienced educator who has provided curriculum leadership to schools and educational agencies for over thirty years. His specialty is the creation and implementation of curriculum plans. Wiles's work as an educational consultant has taken him to hundreds of agencies in more than forty states and a dozen foreign nations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Wiles is the author or coauthor of twelve widely used books addressing curriculum and educational leadership. His text, Curriculum Development: A Guide to Practice (Seventh Edition), has been used for nearly thirty years in colleges and universities throughout the world to train curriculum leaders. Other areas of publication by Wiles include teacher training, administration, school supervision, theory of change, politics of education, middle grades education, and technology.

Offers practical strategies and a step-by-step plan for developing or transitioning to a K-8 school, including methods for curriculum design, student assessment, and more.

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiii

About the Author xv

1 Here Comes the New K-8 School 1

Origins of the New K-8 School 1

Rationale for Changing the School Design 5

Bedrock Beliefs About Educating Children 8

An Initial Look at the New K-8 Program We Need 10

Some Issues Associated With K-8 Education 12

Questions for Study Groups 13

Summary 14

References 14

2 Using Standards to Define K-8 Programs 15

Origins of Standards 15

National Standards for K-8 Education 16

Subject Matter Standards in K-8 Schools 17

Extending Standards in K-8 Schools 25

Learning Targets for Standards-Based Schools 26

Managing Standards-Based Programs 31

Nurturing Intellectual Competence 33

Transfer of Knowledge 34

Questions for Study Groups 35

Summary 35

References 36

3 Using Skills to Create the Seamless Curriculum 37

Two Conceptions of Ends 38

The Curriculum Design Tasks 40

What Kind of Skills Should Be Taught? 43

Sample Tasks for Each Learner 44

Collaborative Emphasis 46

A Final Word About Content 47

Questions for Study Groups 48

Summary 48

References 49

4 Instructional Patterns for the New K-8 School 51

General Design 51

Organization Patterns 52

Modifying Standards-Based Curriculum 54

1 Acceptance of Multiple Intelligences 55

2 Using Learning Styles 57

3 Curriculum Differentiation 58

4 Cooperative Learning 59

5 Interdisciplinary Learning 59

6 Problem-Based Learning 60

7 Mentoring 60

8 Service Learning 61

9 Flexible Block Schedules 61

10 Looping 62

New Uses for School Buildings 62

New Deployment Patterns for Teachers 63

New Ways of Assessing Students 64

New Patterns for Involving Parents in Instruction 64

Questionsfor Study Groups 65

Summary 65

References 66

5 A Return on Investment 67

Parents 67

Students 70

Teachers 74

Administrators 76

Questions for Study Groups 79

Summary 80

References 80

6 Implementing the New K-8 Program 81

The Unfolding Process 81

Prerequisite Conditions 83

Clear Mission Statement 84

Concise Description of the Curriculum 85

New Parental Roles 88

Different Roles for Teachers 89

Acquiring Resources 91

Assessment 93

Putting It All Together 94

Questions for Study Groups 95

Summary 96

References 96

7 Validating Progress 97

Resources

A Summary of K-8 Research Findings 105

B Content Standards Organizations 111

C Teaching Through the Internet 115

D Glossary 117

E Instructional Components for K-8 Education 123

F Suggested Reading 127

Index 129