We are entering a very busy time of year that is challenging for just about every educator in the country. Deadlines need to be met, uncertainty is in the air with next year's plans, and teachers are doing all they can to meet the needs of their students in the remaining weeks of the school year. Typically February, March, and April are difficult months with a fair amount of negativity in the air, as educators often ask, "Will winter ever come to an end, where am I going to b

Recently we were given the results of Iowa Assessments (the standardized test in our state) for third and fourth grade students. I spent some time with teachers reviewing this data while examining areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, a routine exercise that we go through every year. As I was looking at the data and the blue, green, and red colored cells on the spreadsheets, I couldn't help but think of a conversation that I had with one our instructional coa