Kim's writing


For more details on these super-curations of the best article summaries from the first 17 years of the Marshall Memo, click on the book cover.

 

Below are Kim’s classroom materials, articles, books, and graphic displays. Almost all are available in full (free) by clicking on the title. Here’s the table of contents - click and you�ll zip to each grouping.

  1. Teacher supervision, coaching, and evaluation

  2. Rubrics for end-of-year evaluation of teachers and principals

  3. School leadership and effective schools

  4. Improving classroom teaching

  5. Assessments and accountability

  6. Classroom materials

  7. Pandemic articles

  8. Sex education

  9. Kim's Books

  10. Graphics on teaching and the K-12 big picture

  11. Reflections on teaching, race, and the Boston Public Schools

  12. Book reviews


1. Teacher supervision, coaching, and evaluation

  • 22 Frequently-Asked Questions About Mini-Observations, March 2024

  • "Rethinking the Way We Coach, Evaluate, and Appreciate Teachers" in The Education Gadfly, February 20, 2019

  • "The Critical Importance of Good School Leadership" in Journal of Jewish Day School Leadership, December 2018

  • "Mini-Observations: A Keystone Habit" (with Dave Marshall) School Administrator, December 2017

  • The Truth About Teacher Evaluation, American School Board Journal, April 2017

  • "Should Supervisors Intervene During Classroom Observations?" Phi Delta Kappan, October 2015

  • "How to Make Teacher Evaluations Accurate, Fair, and Consistent" in Education Week, July 19, 2013

  • Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Collaboration, and Close the Achievement Gap (Jossey-Bass, 2013) - Available on Amazon

  • "Let's Cancel the Dog-and-Pony Show" Phi Delta Kappan, November 2012

  • "Fine-Tuning Teacher Evaluation" Educational Leadership, November 2012

  • "Teacher Observation: Tech or No Tech?" in Education Week, October 31, 2012

  • "Visit Classrooms Early and Often, and Give New Tools to Principals", Boston Globe, March 25, 2011

  • "'Mini-Observations' - Seven Decision Points for the Principal" Education Week, Feb. 4, 2009

  • Jon Saphier and Kim Marshall on Teacher Supervision and Evaluation, July 2008

  • "Is Supervising the Heck Out of Teachers the Answer?" Education Week, May 7, 2008

  • "What's a Principal To Do?" Education Week, September 20, 2006

  • "It's Time to Rethink Teacher Supervision and Evaluation" Phi Delta Kappan, June 2005

  • "Recovering from HSPS (Hyperactive Superficial Principal Syndrome): A Progress Report" Phi Delta Kappan, May 2003

  • "A Principal Looks Back: Standards Matter" Phi Delta Kappan October 2003

  • "How I Confronted HSPS (Hyperactive Superficial Principal Syndrome) and Began to Deal with the Heart of the Matter" Phi Delta Kappan, January 1996


  • 2. Rubrics for end-of-year evaluation of teachers and principals

  • Marshall Teacher Evaluation Rubric, revised March 2024

  • Marshall Principal Evaluation Rubric, revised March 2024

  • "How the Danielson Rubric Could Be More Effective for New York City Teachers and Principals" in Chalkbeat, April 11, 2014, revised November 28, 2018

  • Principal Evaluation Rubrics (revised July 31, 2017)

  • "Getting Teacher-Evaluation Rubrics Right" in Rubric Nation: Critical Inquiries on the Impact of Rubrics in Education (Tenam-Zemach and Flynn eds., Information Age Pubishing, 2015)

  • Teacher Evaluation Rubrics (revised January 2014)

  • Principal Evaluation Rubrics (revised May 2013)

  • Comparison of Danielson and Marshall Teacher Evaluation Rubrics, February 2013

  • "The How's and Why's of Teacher Evaluation Rubrics" Kappan EDge, September/October 2006


  • 3. School leadership and effective schools

  • "Fit to Learn: Sharing What Works" by Kim Marshall in Principal Leadership, January 2023

  • "Pushing Back on Outmoded Beliefs" in Leaderboard, Michigan Association of School Boards, Spring 2019

  • "The Big Picture: How Many People Influence a Student's Life?" Phi Delta Kappan, October 2017

  • "How Principals Can Reshape the Teaching Bell Curve" in Journal of Staff Development, August 2015

  • "Putting Supervisors on a Steep Learning Curve" Kappan Learning on the EDge, Oct. 28, 2014

  • "Quality Assurance: How Can Superintendents Guarantee Effective Teaching in Every Classroom?" in The Councilgram, March 2013

  • "Improving Teachers and Principals Go Hand in Hand" in Gotham Schools, January 14, 2013

  • "A How-to Plan for Widening the Gap" Phi Delta Kappan, May 2009

  • "The Big Rocks: Priority Management for Principals" Principal Leadership, March 2008

  • "No One Ever Said It Would Be Easy: A Response to Parish and Aquila" Phi Delta Kappan, December 1996

  • "Teachers and Schools: What Makes a Difference" Daedalus, Winter 1993

  • "Who Should Make Curriculum Decisions? The Boston Experience" The Harvard Principals' Center Newsletter, January 1983

  • "How Effective Is Our School?" Harvard Graduate School of Education Alumni Journal, September 1980 (from Larsen Day speech at Harvard Graduate School of Education in May 1980)

  • "Getting Your Fair Share of the School Dollar" Learning, May 1974

  • "Who's Afraid of Christopher Jencks?" Learning, January 1974


  • 4. Improving classroom teaching

  • "Rethinking Differentiation: Using Teachers' Time More Effectively" Phi Delta Kappan, September 2016

  • Let's Clarify the Way We Use the Word 'Curriculum', Education Week, Sept. 1, 2004

  • "Reading Recovery" East Zone Journal, June 1991

  • "Social Studies Curriculum Revision K-8: The Boston Experience" Social Education, April 1985

  • "Eight Common Myths About Remediation" in Boston Public Schools Elementary School Newsletter, June 1985

  • "The Reading Problem: Some Sensible Solutions" Learning, April/May 1983

  • "'Teachers, Always Use Your Judgment' - An Interview with Jeanne Chall" Learning, November 1981

  • "Making Marking Meaningful" Learning, September 1981

  • "Speak and Spell: A Classroom Hit" in Learning, November 1979

  • "Minicourses: A Way to Add Spice to the Basics" Learning, April 1979

  • "Uniformity in Textbooks the Wrong Approach" Boston Globe, October 20, 1978

  • "You Can Turn Around the Failing Student" Learning, October 1977

  • "Tracking: An Indictment" The Teacher Paper, December 1974

  • "The Learning Station Way" Learning, January 1974

  • "Love, Hate, Change and Hope in Grade 6-G" Harvard Bulletin, September 1971

  • "Law and Order in Grade 6-E" Harvard Bulletin, September 1970


  • 5. Assessments and accountability

  • "Using Student Learning in Teacher Assessment" (with Douglas Reeves) in Edutopia, April 30, 2018

  • "In Praise of Assessment (Done Right)" Phi Delta Kappan, March 2018

  • "Merit Pay or  Team Accountability?" Education Week, Sept. 1, 2010

  • "Is Merit Pay the Secret Sauce for Improving Teaching and Learning" Education Week, Dec. 16, 2009

  • "Interim Assessments: A User's Guide" Phi Delta Kappan, September 2008

  • "Interim Assessments: Keys to Successful Implementation" April 12, 2006, a report for New Leaders for New Schools

  • "Test Prep, the Junk Food of Education" Education Week, Oct. 1, 2003

  • "MCAS Has the Potential to Change Education for the Better" Boston Globe, Nov. 15, 1999

  • "No Surprises, No Excuses: Tests Our Kids Can Study For" Boston Globe, August 31, 1997


  • 6. Classroom materials

  • Linear Curriculum Calendar for 2023-24

  • "Guns, Germs, and Steel" summary - A 14-page synopsis of Jared Diamond's Pulitzer Prize winning explanation of the fates of human societies, with a teacher's guide and online resources (Dropbox link)

  • The Story of Life, from the Big Bang to You by Kim Marshall, illustrated by Ingrid Johnson (revised edition, 2019)

  • Reading Stories, Book 1 - 92 high-interest stories with comprehension questions originally written for my Boston sixth graders

  • Reading Stories, Book 2 - 94 high-interest stories with comprehension question, originally written for my Boston sixth graders

  • English: 36 Cumulative Units in Grammar, Writing Skills, and Word Analysis, Book A

  • English: 36 Cumulative Units in Grammar, Writing Skills, and Word Analysis, Book B

  • English Books A and B Teacher's Manual

  • Math: 35 Cumulative Unit in Concepts and Skills, Book A

  • Math: 35 Cumulative Units in Concepts and Skills, Book B

  • Math Book A and B Teacher's Manual

  • Vocabulary: 36 Units in Spelling and Word Meaning (Educators Publishing Service, 1981)

  • Asterix and Lucky Luke Worksheets by Kim Marshall

  • Tintin Series Worksheets - One-page comprehension questions on each of the 20 books in the Hergé Tintin graphic novels, with an "expert test" at the end and answer sheets (1980)

  • Covers of all the Tintin books


  • 7. Pandemic articles

  • Ideas for the New Normal, updated August 30, 2021

  • Full Compendium, updated May 31, 2021


  • 8. Sex education

  • "Teaching Sex Education: Seven Key Questions" in Phi Delta Kappan, October 2018

  • Sex Education Pre/Post-Test, revised 2016

  • Sex Ed Pre/Post-Test Answers (revised 2016)

  • 12 Lesson Summaries from Kim Marshall Sex Education Course, revised 2020

  • Sex Education Curriculum (revised 2020) - 12 one-hour lessons in PowerPoint with clicker questions providing a comprehensive, "abstinence-plus" learning experience for middle-school students. For information on piloting this curriculum and an introductory workshop, please contact Kim Marshall at [email protected]. Kim offers a 2-hour workshop for teachers who will be implementing this curriculum.

  • "Newest Book, Touchy Subject" an interview by Katie Liesener in Brookline Magazine, February 2007

  • The Great Sex Secret (Sourcebooks, 2007), a tasteful exploration of the history and current status of male-female sexual inequality (out of print but available on Amazon)

  • "Preventing Sexual Abuse: A Pilot Curriculum in 22 Boston Schools" in Boston Public Schools Newsletter, 1986

  • "Sex Education in Action - Rated PG" Learning, October 1980


  • 9. Kim's Books

    The Best of the Marshall Memo, Book Two: Ideas and Action Steps to Energize Leadership, Teaching, and Learning
    This book is a distillation of high-impact ideas from the first 17 years of the Memo, available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Each chapter has 8-10 article summaries on a major topic, followed by solution-oriented professional learning suggestions. This highly practical set of insights, research findings, and strategies will energize leadership, teaching, and learning.

    For an overview, table of contents, suggested uses, reviews, and pricing, click here:

    Chapter Six of this book - What Makes Learning Stick - is being offered as a free PDF. Just click here.


    The Best of the Marshall Memo: Book One: Ideas and Action Steps to Energize Leadership, Teaching, and Learning
    This book is a distillation of high-impact ideas from the first 16 years of the Memo, available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Each chapter has 8-10 article summaries on a major topic, followed by solution-oriented professional learning suggestions. This highly practical set of insights, research findings, and strategies will energize leadership, teaching, and learning. For a free download of Chapter 2 (Managing Time for Impact), click here.
    For an overview, table of contents, suggested uses, 24 reviews, and pricing, click here:



  • The Best of the Marshall Memo: Book Two: Ideas and Action Steps to Energize Leadership, Teaching, and Learning   Kim Marshall & Jenn David-Lang   Amazon, Barnes and Noble

  • The Best of the Marshall Memo: Book One: Ideas and Action Steps to Energize Leadership, Teaching, and Learning   Kim Marshall & Jenn David-Lang   Amazon, Barnes and Noble

  • Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation, Second Edition (Jossey-Bass, 2013)

  • The Story of Life: From the Big Bang to You (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1980), out of print, but available free under Classroom materials above

  • Opening Your Class With Learning Stations (Education Today Company, 1975), out of print

  • Law and Order in Grade 6-E: A Story of Chaos and Innovation in a Ghetto School (Little, Brown and Company, 1972; paperback 1973), out of print but used copies are available on Amazon


  • 10. Graphics on teaching and the K-12 big picture

  • 900 lessons a year - Part I: The 900 lessons a teacher teaches every year (about five a day times 180 days) - a lot of work, and a daunting supervision/evaluation challenge. How ineffective it is to observe only one lesson, which is often what happens? How can that have any impact?

  • 900 lessons - Part 2: Imagine that we could observe every lesson and rate it on a 4-3-2-1 scale. Here are hypothetical graphics for a highly effective, effective, mediocre, and ineffective teacher. Notice that they all have their ups and downs, but on a day-to-day basis, the first two have a much, much more positive impact on students than the last two. Looking at those four teachers side by side, we see what the best teacher fears most - being evaluated on a not-so-good lesson - and what the ineffective teacher prays for - being evaluated on a "glamorized" lesson that's not representative of day-to-day instruction.

  • 900 lessons - Part 3: Here is the supervision and evaluation challenge faced by a principal with 30 teachers - 27,000 lessons a year! Next we look at what a successful intervention with an ineffective teacher might look like - a month in, after lots of support and an improvement plan, things go from horrible to mediocre, then with more support the teacher moves to effective.

  • 900 lessons - Part 4: Finally, we see the four teachers with ten randomly spaced mini-observations to get a sense of how accurate a picture we can get of 900 lessons with only ten classroom visits.


  • 11. Reflections on teaching, race, and the Boston Public Schools

  • Kappan Authors Recommend Their Favorite Books in Phi Delta Kappan, December 2020

  • "Reporting for Duty" in Phi Delta Kappan, November 2020

  • "Race or Class?" Boston Observer September 1984

  • "Busing: Is it Curing or Poisoning Public School System?" Boston Globe, February 15, 1980

  • "The Making of a Magnet School" Boston University Journal of Education, May 1978

  • "The Desegregation of a Boston Classroom" Learning, September 1975

  • "A Magnet School with No Magnetism" Boston Globe, August 8, 1975

  • "Class Warfare in the Boston Schools" Harvard, February 1975 (reprinted in the Boston Globe March 7, 1975)


  • 12. Book reviews

  • Teacher Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon, Learning, May 1975

  • Instead of Education by John Holt, Learning, December 1976

  • Acting Out by Roland Betts, Boston University Journal of Education, Summer 1979

  • Hucksters in the Classroom by Sheila Harty, Learning, July/August 1980

  • America Revised by Frances FitzGerald, Learning, February 1980

  • Leadership and Learning; Personal Change in a Professional Setting by Barry Jentz and Joan Wofford. Harvard Educational Review, February 1982

  • Illiterate America by Jonathan Kozol Harvard, July/August 1985

  • Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution by Tom Peters Wisdom in Practice, Harvard School of Education, Summer 1989

  • Losing My Faculties: A Teacher's Story by Brendan Halpin Boston Globe, August 31, 2003

  • No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning by Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom Boston Globe, November 2, 2003