List of Figures Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. College and Career Competency Framework 2. Self-Efficacy 3. Self-Regulation 4. Goal Setting 5. Assertiveness 6. Conflict Management Conclusion Appendix Index
Education efforts are shifting from a focus on accountability and testing to better preparing students for higher education and the workplace by increasing the focus on "social/emotional", "employability" and/or "soft" skills. The trend of high academic expectations and measurement to the exclusion of all other skills is being displaced by discussions of meaning and relevance in rigorous education, allowing an opportunity for innovation and creativity in how and what we teach students. In response to this rising trend, this book covers competencies such as self-regulation, goal-setting, self-efficacy, assertiveness, conflict management and networking.
Pattie Noonan, Ph.D. is an associate research professor at the University of Kansas where she centers her work on providing and evaluating professional development related to improving education for all students. She holds a firm belief in the capacity of students with and without disabilities to achieve positive post-school outcomes through college and career readiness. Much of her work entails providing professional development to middle and high school leadership teams while working in close collaboration with state departments of education. Her research often focuses on measuring collaboration, then using the results to improve teaming-a critical yet elusive component of educational improvement. To this end, she has published books, articles, and an integrated framework, all of which translate research results into practical applications. Throughout this process, Dr. Noonan continually improves her interactive, adaptive professional development practices in both virtual and face-to-face settings. She lives in a 100-year old farmhouse in Lawrence, KS with her husband, John. Together they enjoy remodeling old homes and exploring the world. Amy S. Gaumer Erickson, Ph.D. is an associate research professor at the University of Kansas. Her work focuses on the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices, within a Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS), that empower students with and without disabilities to become socially and emotionally engaged, career-equipped, lifelong learners. Through her collaboration with state departments of education, Dr. Gaumer Erickson designs high-quality professional learning and implements evaluations that track the fidelity of implementation, as well as the short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes and impacts. Gaumer Erickson has taught at the middle and high school levels and within urban, suburban, charter, and alternative schools. She also has a passion for rural schools, growing up in a farming community of 1500 people. Gaumer Erickson has published numerous articles, measures, and books and has been providing high-quality professional development to thousands of secondary-level educators across multiple states for over a decade, learning from these educators through a practice-based research approach.