Perhaps one of the most important 21st century skills that teachers can impart is that of focus-devoted concentration to a task.
Articles on Instruction
(PDF 83kb)
Dr. Douglas B. Reeves (biography)
September 18, 2009, The Chronicle of Higher Education
The difference between the student who earns A’s and B’s and the one who earns D’s and F’s is not necessarily a matter of work ethic, organization, high-school preparation, or class attendance. The difference is the professor’s grading policy.
(PDF 49KB)
Dr. Douglas B. Reeves (biography)
February 2008, Educational Leadership
If you wanted to make just one change that would immediately reduce student failure rates, then the most effective place to start would be challenging prevailing grading practices. How can I be so sure? Try this experiment in your next faculty meeting. Ask your colleagues to calculate the final grade for a student who receives the following 10 grades during a semester: C, C, MA (Missing Assignment), D, C, B, MA, MA, B, A. I have done this experiment with thousands of teachers and administrators in the United States, Canada, and Argentina. Every time—bar none—I get the same results: The final grades range from F to A and include everything in between.
(PDF 1.19mb)
Wayne D’orio
April 2005, District Administration
If you do one thing different in your district to improve children’s performance, teach more nonfiction reading.
(PDF 69kb)
Dr. Douglas B. Reeves (biography)
December 2004/January 2005; Educational Leadership
Listening to the voices of elementary school students learning English can give teachers a new perspective.
(PDF 233kb)
Dr. Douglas B. Reeves (biography)
December 2004, Phi Delta Kappan
Even those who subscribe to the “punishment” theory of grading might want to reconsider the way they use zeros, Mr. Reeves suggests.
(PDF 55kb)
Dr. Douglas B. Reeves (biography)
February 2002 Research Abstract
Five year nationwise longitudinal study, following more than 11,000 students from grade 8 through grade 12. The researchers meadured initial academic and psychological variables and then followed these students through high school.
(PDF 35kb)
Laurel Shaper Walters
May/June 2000; Harvard Education Letter
While studies link cooperative learning with higher achievement, defining the term and implementing the concept is a challenge.
(PDF 27kb)
Dr. Douglas B. Reeves (biography)
May/June 2000; Educational Leadership
Those who have been running the standards race must persevere and complete the journey toward excellence and equity for our students.
