The Leader's Guide to Standards: A Blueprint for Educational Equity and Excellence

by Douglas B. Reeves

In today's school environment educational leaders are mandated to use academic standards to measure the progress of their school's teachers and students. Despite the wealth of material that addresses the topic of academic standards there is little written for those who must lead the effort to put in place an effective standards system. The Leader's Guide to Standards is a landmark book-- written by Douglas Reeves, an expert in academic standards, performance assessment, and accountability-- that shows school principals, assistant principals, teachers, and district-level administrators how to build a comprehensive accountability system for standards-based reform that focuses on leadership skills. Reeves offers practical recommendations for assessing and nurturing teacher performance, setting up balanced assessment and accountability policies, and making the case for standards to the public. In addition, the book addresses the vital role that policymakers from the local school board to state and national leaders play in the successful implementation of educational standards.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Stuart Macalpine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text has the best contrast between traditional grading and standards based assessment that I have read. There is an excellent chapter spelling out the differences in detail and with subheadings. Overall the text is a useful outline of the major structural differences between traditional grading and standards-based assessment. There are also many suggestions for leadership at higher levels that do not really apply to our context.