Overall, given the attention to student and family rolesin homework and a regular schedule of weekly, standards-basedinteractive homework, it was hypothesized that the students andfamilies in the TIPS groups would experience more positive emo-tional homework interactions and higher achievement than thestudents and families in the control group.

For secondary grades, homework should work towardimproving standardized test scores and grades. Teachers reportthat the homework process needs to improve, and that they wouldlike time to ensure that assignments are relevant to the courseand topic of study; build in time for feedback on assignmentsdaily; and establish effective policies at the curriculum, grade,and school levels

For example, students in the elementary andmiddle grades should be assigned roughly 10 minutes multipliedby the grade level (i.e., 30 minutes for a third-grade student),while high school student assignment time varies by subject.

Many schools have adopted the 10-minute rule as ageneral guide for developmentally appropriate time on homework

Some studies conducted on the rela-tionship of time on homework and achievement find that the ageof the student moderates the relationship. Specifically, the home-work and achievement relationship is stronger and positive forsecondary students and negative or null for elementary students

In one study of middle school students, parentshelped their children with homework, on average, between oneand three times per week and checked homework four times perweek

Three aspects of homework that entail costs and or producebenefits for home and school contexts are time, homework design,and family involvement. A common complaint about homework,and one of the most studied factors, is time on homework. Dataon the time students spend on homework vary based on whoreports it

The Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) interactivehomework process draws on the theory of overlapping spheres ofinfluence, which stipulates that students do better in school whenparents, educators, and others in the community work togetherto guide and support student learning and development.

On a positive note, 90% of teachers, students, and parentsbelieve homework will help students reach important goals. Yet,26% of students, 24% of teachers, and 40% of parents reportthat some homework is just busywork, and 29% of parentsreport homework is a “major source of stress

f homework serves a clearbenefit for students, it is puzzling why there are persistent discus-sions and contention about its practice

Physical restraint of students with disabilitiesStudents with disabilities served by IDEA represent 12% of students enrolled in public schools, but 75%of the students who are subjected to physical restraint during scho

The inclusion for the first time in theCRDC of preschool data confirms thatdiscipline begins in the earliest yearsof schooling. Of the school districtswith children participating inpreschool programs, 6% reportedsuspending out of school at least onepreschool child. Racial disparities inout-of-school suspensions also startearly;

School administrators must be prepared to work with CLD students who(a) differ racially and ethnically; (b) speak different languages; (c) have different be-liefs; and (d) have different ways of expressing their cultural distinctiveness (Bak-ken, O’Brian, & Shelden, 2006).

The minor challenges were revealed as difficulty collabo-rating with more experienced teachers (feeling intimidated);

When administrators were asked to comment on the strengths andweaknesses of these teachers, nine out of ten administrators stated that a majorstrength was the teachersí ability to meet studentsí needs by adjusting andaccommodating instruction.

When schools partner with universities in theinduction process and teacher reflection is a primary focus, increased teacher retentionrates have been demonstrated

teachers whocan theoretically justify their actions are more successful in making change intheir classrooms. Similarly, Korthagen and Kessels (1999) posit that the connec-tion between theory and practice must be made explicit to teacher candidates inorder to empower them to act based on knowledge; this can only occur throughreflection on practice

. In fact, a study has shown that using criticalreflection throughout the teacher education experience has resulted in a markedability of first year teachers to reflect on critical level

There has been some promising research that suggests that novice teachers willuse critical reflection as a problem-solving tool if educated to think in tha

However, few opportunities are available for novice teachersto reflect deeply on their teaching practices thus schools may unintentionally thwartthe development of an in-ward sense of self-as-teacher (Conway & Clark, 2003). Thus,teachers need knowledge of how to reflect as well as time to think about their practice,both of which are essential to oneís ability to problem-solve and cope with challenges.

An important aspect of this research on self-efficacy is its relationship to a noviceteacherís ability to effectively think about, cope with, and solve problems that arisein the classroom setting.

The school culture literature points out that teacher retention decreases whenteachers are confronted with inadequate support by administrators, lack of re-sources, and the mismatch between the traditional practices of teacher educationprogram curricula and schools

Teacher retention has been the subject of much study, yet recent estimates ofteachers who choose to leave the profession within the first three years to pursueother careers remains at an unacceptably high level of 33.5 percent

States must commit themselves to increasing the supply ofeducators—including teachers, administrators, counselors, andothers—who are prepared to offer high-quality, student-centeredinstruction in high-poverty scho

Educator standards: States should set standardsthat require teacher education programs to prepareeducators who understand how to support students’academic, social, and emotional development. Thesestandards should be enforced through accreditation andstate licensing processes that look carefully at whethercandidates have the opportunity to learn these skills andcan demonstrate them in practice (through teacher andadministrator performance assessments)

Analysis of reform policies in New York, Toronto, and London haveshown successful change occurs when policymakers focus uponcapacity building as the primary driver of change rather than high-stakes testing and top-down accountabilit

A Policy Agenda for Equitable Access to DeeperLearningFunding Policies1. Adequate and flexible K-12 funding based on pupilneeds2. Incentives to develop new school designs that cansupport deeper learning3. Resources for wraparound services that supportstudent successHuman Capital Policies4. Educator standards that focus preparation programson how to engage students in deeper learning5. Supports for educator preparation and induction thatenable strong pedagogical skills6. Time for collaboration7. Meaningful professional development and evaluationinstruction and Assessment Policies8. More supports and fewer constraints for instruction sothat schools can innovate9. New systems of assessment and accountability thatsupport deeper learning10. Systemic learning that enables educators, schools, andagencies to learn from one another

Creating and sustaining a shared vision of what effectivelearning and teaching look like is an ongoing processthat begins with establishing a school-wide set of normsor habits, as well as competencies educators will worktogether to develop for students. These are then reflectedin the assignments, assessments, rubrics, and feedbackstudents receive, much of which occurs in a public fashionthat involves teachers (and often students) scoring worktogether at public exhibitions or defenses. This begins tobuild a culture of deeper learning

Teachers need to balance high expectations for all students with asensitivity to individual real-life challenges, so that they can providestrong support based on their relationships with and knowledge ofeach student, and within the context of the school’s personalizationstructures.

Students often enter high school underprepared for acollege preparatory curriculum and lacking confidence intheir own abilities. The numerous academic and personalchallenges they face provide multiple points for potentialfailure.

Research has shown that group work is particularly effective, withhundreds of studies finding significant learning benefits whenstudents are asked to work together on learning activities rather thanon their own.

Inquiry-based pedagogy and group learning preparestudents for college, career, and life by promotingtransferable skills such as critical thinking, problem solving,collaboration, and communication

Authentic instruction and assessment in the form ofproject-based learning, performance-based assessment,collaborative learning, and connections to the worldbeyond school

As numerous studies have shown, family income andparental education are two of the strongest predictors ofstudent achievement and educational attainmen

Fifteen years ago, a national poll found 90 percentof NBCTs reported that the advanced certificationprocess boosted their “credibility” with otherteachers.32 More recently researchers have foundthat NBCTs were more likely to be instructionallyhelpful than their non-NBCT colleagues.33 However,other investigators found that few principals knowmuch about how the certification process can beused for professional development.3

ack of commitment from top-level policymakers. And eventhough teachers have been “looked to with increasing regularity as agents of schooland classroom change,” the stark reality has been that their leadership potential hasbeen tamped down by administrators who “appoint or anoint” them to serve in narrowroles.30 Their training is often as confined as the roles they play, restricted to a slimnumber of technical skills. And even when teachers have opportunities to lead in slightlymore ambitious ways, their roles are often financed by grant funding, and as a result,typically short-lived.How teachers learn to leadHow teacherslearn to leadTeacher Wendi Pillars shares her teacher leadershipstory with CTQ researcher Jon Eckert.

merica’s education policymakers have a long historyof ignoring the time and resources needed forteachers to sustain deeper learning for their students.

Soon teachers, whoare increasingly going publicwith their own pedagogicaland policy ideas via socialmedia, will take more controlover the reform narrativethat defines their profession.

One in four of ournation’s teachers is“extremely” or “veryinterested” in servingin a hybrid role wheres/he can both teachstudents and leadreforms.

The roles of teachersmust be transformed.

Deeper learning isinstead rooted in preparing students to think andsolve problems as well as develop agency andconfidence.

In many schools,the curriculum has been narrowed in pursuit ofincreasing test scores.3 “Value-added” test scoreshave failed to accurately measure which teachersare effective. 4 Analysts point out that chartershave not been more effective than traditionalpublic schools.

Instruction designed around deeperlearning involves student voice and choice, incorporates feedback and revision,and typically culminates with a publicly presented product or performance. F

t is time for policymakers and practitioners to createthe system of teacher leadership necessary for them to do so