The principal objective of this report is to conceptualize and articulate a product plan for EvoLesson, a hosted application for supporting the implementation of the standards-based lesson cycle. EvoLesson is a lesson planning application that supports the creation of efficient, effective and aligned assessments and daily lesson plans without restricting teacher autonomy. EvoLesson's lesson design process creates shared resources for objective driven, backwards-planned lesson development that facilitates the creation of teacher-generated daily objective student mastery data. EvoLesson's mission is to provide public school teachers and administrators with a platform to find, create, edit and share lesson planning resources and generate student data to improve teacher effectiveness and drive student performance. EvoLesson was created as a means of solving the daily challenge teachers face in attempting to implement standards-based lesson plans effectively. EvoLesson's teacher centered design creates values for both teachers and administrators by offering the following lesson planning benefits to impact student achievement. EvoLesson addresses the critical need of providing teachers and administrators with essential resources to support effective planning and drive student achievement. EvoLesson is positioned to compete in the rapidly growing education technology market, with specific emphasis on the content and instructional support segments. This report outlines a comprehensive strategy for marketing EvoLesson to both teachers and school districts. EvoLesson's future role in providing critical support for the implementation of standards-based learning has wide-ranging education policy implications, including increased student performance, improved teacher quality, and data support for improved teacher evaluation methods. At the state level, the ability to aggregate daily objective student mastery data can provide quality data feedback on standards alignment and testing. / text

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This qualitative study sought to identify the common behaviors and practices of principals in high achieving standards-based schools. Three schools were examined in the study. These schools were selected from a ten county area and had demonstrated consistent and unusual growth on the Academic Performance Index (API). The practices of principals were identified through a phenomenological study of the experiences of successfully implementing a standards-based instructional system. Principals were interviewed individually, and focus groups of teachers were interviewed separately. Both groups were asked about the principal behaviors and practices that led the school to achieve academic success. Principals and teachers across the three sites identified similar practices including high expectations of students and staff, planning and goal setting based on student achievement data, frequent monitoring of student achievement, teacher collaboration, principal classroom visits, principal visibility on campus, principal accessibility, and a school culture that promoted trust and team work.