Turning Points - Transforming Middle Schools

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To download selected excerpts of the Turning Points Guides, click on the links below. If you would like to order the complete, published versions of any of our Guides, please use our Publications Order Form.

Understanding Learning: Assessment in the Turning Points School
Provides a framework for thinking about classroom assessment in the middle grades and challenges the paradigm of standardized tests. It offers strategies and tools for developing assessment practices that improve learning by involving students in every step of the process.

Creating Partnerships, Bridging Worlds: Family and Community Engagement
Features practical, research-based strategies for developing strong school, family and community partnerships that will result in more engaged students and higher student achievement.

At the Turning Point: The Young Adolescent Learner
Provides a foundation for understanding the needs of the young adolescent learner, and describes practices, strategies, and tools that can help schools address these needs in an academically challenging and caring environment.

Design Overview: An introduction to the principles, practices, research, and success behind the Turning Points design. (complete guide available for download)

Teaching Literacy in the Turning Points School: A detailed framework for a middle school literacy model. Includes tools for literacy education and classroom strategies.

Benchmarks to Becoming a Turning Points School: Specific rubrics for each of the Turning Points practices with accompanying narrative and guidelines for use. (complete guide available for download)

Guide to Collaborative Culture and Shared Leadership: A set of strategies for effective leadership and school-based professional development.

Guide to Curriculum Development: Defines an approach to curriculum, and provides a template for standards-based curriculum planning, a sample plan, and examples of rubrics, criteria, and other assessment tools.

Guide to Data-based Inquiry and Decision Making: Defines the sequence and steps of this practice and provides accompanying tools and agendas.

Looking Collaboratively at Student and Teacher Work: A collection of protocols with discussion and rationale for looking at student work to improve instruction.

School Quality Review: Outlines the process, tools and strategies of this intensive review of a school's progress in implementing Turning Points. (complete guide available for download)

School Structures that Support Learning and Collaboration: Discussion and strategies for creating small learning communities, grouping students for learning, creating flexible schedules, promoting personalized relationships between adults and students, and allocating resources to support learning.

E-Newsletter Excerpts

Family and Community Engagement