*Self-paced distance learning graduate course offered in conjunction with this text (Course #706). Visit our home page for more details. 

If new standards and accountabilities are making your job more complicated than ever, here's a book that cuts through the confusion.

Based on their 10 years of research in more than 300 schools, the authors lay out a blueprint for curriculum, instruction, and assessment that includes

• Four clear and manageable standards that enable students to meet all the various standards dictated by districts, states, and regions
• Research-based learning strategies that help students meet the standards in any content area and grade level
• Assessments that evaluate how well students are doing and reveal what students need to meet the standards

Lesson plans, teaching practices, and assessment tools from real classrooms show how to ensure that standards stay focused on meaningful education.

*Self -paced distance learning graduate course offered in conjunction with this text (Course #746). Visit our home page for more details.

This book is grounded in the research shown to increase student motivation and learning through improved classroom assessment. This combination text and workbook:

• is user-friendly with practical examples of what assessment for learning looks like in everyday instruction
• helps educators increase knowledge and skill in student-involved classroom assessment
• comes with hands-on practice for the classroom and is presented in a format for use in collaborative learning teams
• contains additional resources on a CD-ROM, and video segments on the accompanying DVD

*Self-paced distance learning graduate course offered in conjunction with this text (Course #665). Visit our home page for more details. 

Differentiated instruction is a nice idea, but what happens when it comes to assessing and grading students? What's both fair and leads to real student learning?

Fair Isn't Always Equal answers that question and much more. Rick Wormeli offers the latest research and common sense thinking that teachers and administrators seek when it comes to assessment and grading in differentiated classes. Filled with real examples and “gray” areas that middle and high-school educators will easily recognize, Rick tackles important and sometimes controversial assessment and grading issues constructively. The book covers high-level concepts, ranging from “rationale for differentiating assessment and grading” to “understanding mastery” as well as the nitty-gritty details of grading and assessment, such as:

• whether to incorporate effort, attendance, and behavior into academic grades;
• whether to grade homework;
• setting up grade books and report cards to reflect differentiated practices;
• principles of successful assessment;
• how to create useful and fair test questions, including how to grade such prompts efficiently;
• whether to allow students to re-do assessments for full credit.

This thorough and practical guide also includes a special section for teacher leaders that explores ways to support colleagues as they move toward successful assessment and grading practices for differentiated classrooms.