Sharon V. Kramer

Many articles, blogs, books, podcasts, and webinars have been written and shared for the purpose of reiterating the need to close student achievement gaps. And yet, the process and progress in closing the gaps has been out of reach.

Closing the Learning Gaps is designed to speed up learning for all students to grade level and beyond by focusing collaborative team actions in a PLC at Work® and teacher instructional practices in the classroom. This institute is led by renowned authors, thought leaders, and practitioners with proven track records of results in closing the achievement gap.

Teams are invited to a working two-day conference where they share the acceleration pathway, providing practical instructional strategies to ensure high levels of learning for all. Time will be allotted throughout the conference for teams to develop their own acceleration plans with the support of our expert practitioners.

Effective assessment leadership on the part of teachers is crucial for student success. This book helps teachers develop skills in formative assessment, data analysis, and evidence-based decision making. It emphasizes strategies for fostering a growth mindset, promoting self-regulation and aligning assessments with learning goals to accelerate learning and improve student achievement.

We know the pandemic has significantly affected learning results for students. However, there are ways of working differently in schools that will overcome these deficits and prove that our work in schools can be more powerful than a pandemic! A new mindset is needed to achieve new results.

Through the examination of specific and practical strategies that administrators, teachers, teams, and schools can implement, Sharon V. Kramer takes the participants on an alternate journey through the acceleration pathway that closes the achievement gap quickly enough to access grade and course level learning for all students.

Despite the many articles, blogs, books, podcasts, and webinars that focus on “closing the achievement gap,” the progress made in ensuring equity in educational outcomes has been slow and, in some instances, non-existent. This is not because teachers, schools, and districts are not working to increase achievement for students. This is not due to a lack of effort or caring.

Closing achievement gaps is an urgent goal for all schools, not just priority schools. The authors show that remediation is not the answer. Instead, they offer educational strategies for acceleration that will level up learning for all students, as well as a framework for implementing accelerated learning schoolwide.

Closing student achievement gaps requires specific actions focused on acceleration and leveling up strategies to achieve grade-level proficiency or beyond. Acceleration is the pathway; we cannot continue to go backward if our goal is to move forward. Discover how to erase inequities in student learning while building hope and confidence in both teachers and students. This is equity in action.

Transform education from inside the classroom. This book delivers best practices of collaborative teacher leadership, supporting the strategies with research and real classroom stories.