As a supplement to the Essentials for Achieving Rigor book series, this guide gives teachers a big-picture view of the Essentials model and its research-based strategies. Its valuable tips and guidance empower educators and leaders to increase classroom rigor and transform their schools into thriving, sustainable communities of practice.
An experienced professional developer, literacy coach, teacher, and administrator, Carla Moore, MSEd, oversees product and content development for Learning Sciences International, with a special emphasis on teacher and administrator effectiveness. She is nationally recognized for her commitment to K-12 education. In her current role as a thought leader at Learning Sciences International, she is coauthor with Dr. Robert J. Marzano of
Creating & Using Learning Targets & Performance Scales: How Teachers Make Better Instructional Decisions, and a number of research papers.
Michael D. Toth is founder and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Learning Officer of Learning Sciences International, iObservation, and Learning Sciences Marzano Center for Teacher and Leader Evaluation. Formerly the president of the National Center for the Profession of Teaching, a university faculty member, and director of research and development grants, Mr. Toth transformed his university research and development team into a company that is focused on leadership and teacher professional growth and instructional effectiveness correlated to student achievement gains.
Robert J. Marzano, PhD, is a nationally recognized education researcher, speaker, trainer, and author of more than 30 books and 150 articles on topics such as instruction, assessment, writing and implementing standards, cognition, effective leadership, and school intervention. His practical translations of the most current research and theory into classroom strategies are widely practiced internationally by both teachers and administrators.