Motivation 3.0

Rigorous, Comprehensive Curricula and Assessments in Louisiana

In this report, Education Resource Strategies (ERS) examines Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE)’s efforts to develop high-quality, standards-aligned curricula as a tool to help teachers implement new, rigorous college- and career-readiness standards (CCRS).

Effective Teacher Professional Development

Based on review of 35 studies on professional development, this Learning Policy Institute (LPI) report identifies seven characteristics of effective professional development, which the authors define as structured professional learning that result in improvements to teacher practices and student outcomes. 

From Good to Great: A Study of Teacher Perspectives on Factors Influencing Effectiveness

This research brief and accompanying discussion starter tool are based on the insights of 300 National and State Teachers of the Year collected through a first-of-its-kind exploratory survey. The report includes teachers’ reflections on the professional experiences and supports that have made them highly successful teachers, and provides education leaders and policymakers with needed information about the professional experiences that help teachers move from good to great.

Roll Call: The Importance of Teacher Attendance

Based on the premise that teacher attendance is directly related to student outcomes, this report examines teacher absenteeism in schools across the United States and calculates how costly absenteeism can be for schools and districts. The report explores whether high-poverty schools experience more absenteeism than low-poverty schools, and proposes some simple and creative ways for school leaders to create a climate that encourages high teacher attendance. 

The Principal Story: Learning Guide

Based on Wallace Foundation research on what effective school principals do well, these five Web-based video learning guides use excerpts from The Principal Story, a documentary produced by PBS, to illustrate five key practices of effective principals. A facilitator guide is available on the website and offers ideas for using the tools, as well as links to supporting resources produced by The Wallace Foundation.

Rethinking Leadership: The Changing Role of Principal Supervisors

This study, published by the Council of the Great City Schools and The Wallace Foundation, provides districts with recommendations (based on surveys and site visits) for building highly effective principal supervisory systems that are most likely to produce stronger leaders and higher student achievement. The recommendations include providing clear, timely, and actionable evaluation data to principals; and committing district resources to, and engaging external partners in, the process of developing future leaders.

Make Room for the Principal Supervisors

This case study, published by The Wallace Foundation, delves into Denver Public Schools’ rethinking of principal supervisors, which resulted in the district hiring more people to coach and evaluate leaders, thereby reducing supervisors’ “span of control” (i.e., the number of people a supervisor manages). Within 18 months of implementing this change, principal satisfaction with human resources increased from 43 percent (prior to implementation) to more than 90 percent.

Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation

In this TED talk, Daniel Pink, career analyst and former Al Gore speechwriter, dissects the puzzle of motivation, starting with the fact that most social scientists know the answer to this puzzle while most managers do not. Pink explains that traditional rewards are not always as effective as we think they are. True motivation can be defined by three elements: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. He emphasizes this by providing anecdotes coupled with facts. 

The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Challenges for School Leadership

This annual survey conducted by MetLife examines the views of teachers and principals on the responsibilities and challenges facing school leaders, including the changing roles of principals and teachers, budget and resources, professional satisfaction, and implementation of the Common Core State Standards for college and career readiness. The 2012 report finds the following:

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