I'm delighted that Western Kentucky University's College of Educational and Behavioral Sciences will host Dr. Mike Schmoker, author of Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning, on February 13 and 14.
I've used Focus as a required text in EDAD 683 (along with portions of Schmoker's previous book, Results Now), and regularly recommend his work to practicing and aspiring school leaders.
Schmoker's argument is provocative and compelling. He contends there are a handful of time-proven educational strategies that, if implemented deeply and consistently, would yield significant gains in student achievement. Schmoker also argues that, until these core essentials are mastered, schools should avoid all new initiatives and programs.
The essentials require a lot of determination and risk, however, given today's mandate-driven education environment. For one thing, Schmoker is a passionate advocate for power standards, and argues that we should make significant, intentional reductions in the scope of curricula we attempt to "cover." He also argues for meaningful formative assessment strategies, text-task-talk lesson plan design, and a heavy focus on literacy across the curriculum. Read more on Focus here.
Schmoker will speak at Gary Ransdell Hall Auditorium on February 13, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Central time. Recommended parking in the Chestnut Street South Lot.
He will speak again from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. on February 14 at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center on WKU's South Campus.
Both events are free and open to the public. I strongly recommend all aspiring and practicing school leaders attend, listen to Schmoker's ideas, and then try to find the appropriate "focus" for their schools.
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