Rigor in the 6–12 ELA and Social Studies Classroom

Barbara R. Blackburn, a Top 30 Global Guru in Education, has taught early childhood, elementary, middle and high school students and has served as an educational consultant for three publishing companies. In addition to speaking at international, national and state conferences, she also regularly presents workshops for teachers and administrators in elementary, middle and high schools. She is the author of numerous books, including the bestseller Rigor Is Not a Four-Letter Word. Melissa Miles is currently back in the classroom teaching middle school language arts after serving as Director of Educational Resources at a school in Charlotte, NC. She has almost 20 years of classroom teaching experience. She is also twice credentialed as a National Board-Certified teacher for young adolescents, works as a SpringBoard Curriculum consultant to College Board, and is a certified member of the site visitation team for the Schools to Watch award.

1. Introduction 2. Creating a Rigorous Environment 3. Expectations 4. Support and Scaffolding 5. Demonstration of Learning 6. Assessment 7. Collaborating to Improve Rigor