Free, downloadable publications from NWREL

By Request...

These booklets contain an explanation of the topic, how Northwest schools are dealing with the issue, suggestions for adapting these ideas to schools, selected references, and contact information. Download at www.nwrel.org/request/

Most recent issues!

  • Culturally responsive practices for student success: a regional sampler (By Request series)

    Culturally responsive practices for student success: a regional sampler (By Request series)

    Major demographic shifts in classrooms today have led to increasing numbers of culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students in our schools. While recent reports indicate that some progress is being made in closing the gaps, significant inequities continue to exist. Closing achievement gaps and correcting inequities are compelling reasons for schools to become more culturally responsive. Perhaps most important is the need for teachers and learners to be able to live effectively in a multicultural society with a rich variety of perspectives and worldviews. (2005)

    Online at:
    http://www.nwrel.org/request/2005june/

  • Leadership practices of successful principals (By Request series)

    Leadership practices of successful principals (By Request series)

    Principals play a critical role in school improvement. And yet, school leaders in the Northwest continue to report that too little of their time is spent on teaching and learning. This booklet seeks to provide an introduction to leadership practices that affect student achievement. It profiles five Northwest principals who are leading their schools to make significant, sustained improvement in student achievement. The profiles are followed by summaries of recent research that offer additional strategies for principals to strengthen their leadership skills. (2005)

    Online at:
    http://www.nwrel.org/request/2005nov/

  • Increasing student attendance : strategies from research and practice (By Request series)

    Increasing student attendance : strategies from research and practice (By Request series)

    Although the importance of attendance is well understood, effective strategies for increasing it are not so definitive. Much of the research in this area has looked at the effectiveness of intervention programs— programs that are put into place once a student has been identified as chronically absent. Although promising practices exist across the country, there are no "silver bullet" approaches proven to keep children in school. Other research has investigated how school disengagement relates to decreased attendance. In addition to asking "How can we help students deal with their problems in coming to school?" many researchers, schools, and community members are also asking, "How are the schools contributing to absenteeism and how can schools work with communities and parents to keep youngsters engaged, in school, and learning what they need to know to be successful?"  (2005)

    Online at:
    http://www.nwrel.org/request/2004june/

  • Writing to learn, learning to write: revisiting writing across the curriculum in Northwest secondary schools (By Request Series)

    Writing to learn, learning to write: revisiting writing across the curriculum in Northwest secondary schools (By Request Series)

    The goal of this issue of By Request is to offer educators, parents, and policymakers a brief introduction to writing across the curriculum and the two approaches most commonly associated with it: writing in the disciplines and writing to learn. We provide a brief overview of the theories and research of how writing affects learning, describe common WAC strategies, and take a look at how middle and high schools in the United States are implementing them today. While there is a lack of gold-standard research that definitively points to specific curricula or practices that work absolutely, the existing research does provide some guidelines on practices that show promise. The Northwest Sampler section offers more detailed examples of how middle and high school educators in the region are working to promote writing across the curriculum. (2005)

    Online at:
    http://www.nwrel.org/request/2004dec/

 

Issues from 2003 and earlier

Content last updated: 3/2/2007