“The action briefs [give] school leaders a deeper understanding of the [Common Core State Standards] and spell out the leaders’ critical role in implementation. Based on feedback from school leaders who expressed a need for more guidance, the action briefs outline strategies and techniques that can be used … by school leaders to prepare their schools, teachers, and students for the standards and upcoming new assessments,” said Achieve’s director of content and instructional supports, Doug Sovde.

Achieve developed the guidance in partnership with College Summit, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals, with support from the MetLife Foundation.

All are available at no charge in the “Publications”  section at www.achieve.org.

Conference highlights include:

NEW @ FETC 2013
Tues., Jan. 29, at 2 p.m.

New to FETC or just want to hear about what is new this year? Attend the FETC 2013 First Timers’ Session to learn important information about the conference and maximize your professional development opportunities. Learn how to download our mobile app and build your personalized conference schedule. See how to interact and enhance your networking experience with Edmodo. Get the most out of FETC by following tips from veteran attendees! First time attendees will receive a special gift.

As schools implement the new standards, two multi-state consortia—the Partnership for the Assessment of College and Career Readiness (PARCC) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium—are developing next-generation assessment systems aligned with the Common Core. Schools in participating states can expect to administer these new tests beginning in the 2014-15 school year. One important feature shared by both the PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessment systems is that the tests will be technology-delivered.

At least 33 states currently administer one or more state tests online; however, for many schools and districts, the shift to computer-based assessment will be new.

“Policy makers and education leaders must undertake a proactive, systems [-based] approach to addressing school technology needs for the long term,” said Douglas Levin, SETDA’s executive director. “To meet present and future technology needs, any realistic approach must consider curricular, instructional, assessment, professional development, and school operations goals.”

To download the new guidance as a PDF, click here. The file is also available on the “Assessment Readiness” page of SETDA’s website, which contains additional information about the new online tests.

Here are some resources from the eSchool News archives that might help.

In the aftermath of the terrible tragedy in Newtown, Conn., that claimed the lives of 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School, school leaders are re-examining their school safety measures and procedures.

Here are some resources from the eSchool News archives that might help. (To read these stories, click on the headlines.)

Columbine’s lessons still sharp, a decade later

A decade after two students opened fire at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colo., killing 13 and injuring dozens more before turning the guns on themselves, the lessons in crisis communications and management gleaned from this tragic event still resonate for school leaders nationwide…

Schools turn to technology to bolster their security–but will it help?

Since Columbine, the terrorist attacks of 2001, and similar acts of violence, “the new normal is increasing the use of technologies to make campuses more secure,” says Ronald Stephens, president of the National School Safety Center in Westlake Village, Calif. But “no system is perfect, and despite all the high technology, the most effective strategy is the physical presence of a responsible adult,” says Stephens…

How to prepare for a crisis

Putting together a crisis management plan is no easy task, but if the school violence of the past few years has taught us anything, it’s that there is no excuse for a school not to have one. So where should you start, and what should your plan include?

Here’s a list of the 12 most popular stories we’ve published in the last year.

Recently, we published a special “year in review” digital edition in which we recapped what we thought were the 10 biggest ed-tech stories of 2012, and analyzed what these stories might mean for K-12 education in 2013 and beyond.

(You can access this special digital publication by clicking here.)

Now, we’ve assembled a list of the dozen most popular stories we’ve published in the last year, as measured by the number of page views each received. If you missed any of them before, here’s your chance to read them now, simply by clicking on each headline.

It’s clear from this list that our readers love to learn about new educational apps for iOS and Android devices—and stories about flipped learning were extremely popular this year as well.

What was your favorite eSN story from the past year, or the story you found most valuable? Tell us what you think in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

12. Bill Gates: Why ‘game-based learning’ is the future of education

In Bill Gates’ vision of the classrooms of the future, students are grouped according to skill set. One cluster huddles around a computer terminal, playing an educational game or working on a simulator. Another works with a human teacher getting direct instruction, while another gets a digital lesson delivered from their teacher’s avatar…

11. Seven iPad alternatives for schools

With their interactive touch screens, easy portability, and quick boot-up time, tablets are increasingly becoming schools’ classroom computers of choice. And while many schools have invested in Apple’s revolutionary iPad, which started the whole tablet computing craze, a number of other suitable options have emerged to give school leaders more choices…

10. Free websites help boost student engagement, teacher productivity

Cash-strapped schools can’t stop giving students the resources they need to learn and develop 21st century skills simply because budgets are tight. Luckily, educators can turn to free online resources to help them find and organize lesson plans, give students extra help in various subjects, and more…

9. Five key roles for 21st-century school librarians

Presenters at Alan November’s Building Learning Communities conference described how librarians today must curate, foster citizenship, forge connections—and more…

8. Nine useful lists for educators

As part of Connected Educator Month (CEM), social media-savvy teachers and education professionals are using Twitter, blogs, and publications to get information out as quickly and easily as possible, and are using lists in many ways. Browsing CEM’s Twitter feed, #CE12, we’ve highlighted some of the most popular lists that were tweeted, as well as some lists that might be most helpful to our readers…

7. A first-hand look inside a flipped classroom

There have been many school reform trends over the past few years: student response systems, video games for math, mobile phones for learning—but none have completely transformed the notion of learning like the flipped classroom…

Different observation tools are available to suit various needs.

Policy makers in states from coast to coast are demanding more rigorous teacher evaluations that lead to real improvements in instruction—and school systems are changing their practices as a result.

Central to this effort are software tools that help school leaders record their observations during classroom walkthoughs and share this information with teachers to foster their professional growth.

Many programs include free apps for conducting walkthroughs using a mobile device—though not all solutions can be used both online and offline. Other features to compare include the software’s flexibility (can it be customized to meet each school’s evaluation needs?) and what sharing and reporting capabilities it includes.

To help school leaders compare some of the leading options, we’ve assembled this handy guide.

eCOVE Observer

Platform: Runs on Windows and Macintosh laptops and netbooks; each computer license includes a free license to an iOS or Android app.
How it works: The system can be used in walkthroughs, sit-downs, and in-depth observations. Evaluators can create objective data collection tools, plus checklist and scale tools. Observers can take notes or check off from a checklist.
Sharing: Users can print or eMail reports to teachers and other stakeholders.
Customization: Users can choose from a number of add-on tools for further customization.
Cost: Each license for a computer-based eCOVE edition includes one complimentary syncing license for an iPad, iPhone, or Android device; licenses for additional devices syncing to the same computer are available. A single license for the basic edition is $189, with bulk licensing available.
http://www.ecove.net

eWalk (Media-X)

Platform: Web-based, with free offline clients for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Playbook, Mac/Windows laptops, Palm, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile.
How it works: Users can collect data through web-based forms or use a handheld device to perform walkthroughs, assessments, building audits, and more. An authoring system allows users to create their own data collection templates for observations or surveys. The system includes more than 15 question types, such as rubrics, checklists, drop-downs, and a selection of pre-built counters and timers. Built-in graphs, charts, and dashboards can be updated and aggregated instantly.
Sharing: Data collection templates can be shared across an entire district or with individual schools and users. Users can attach photos as part of an observation, or attach a PDF or other files.
Customization: Yes; see above.
Cost: Varies; contact Media-X for details.
http://www.media-x.com