iBINDER—The Maine Way

With the pressure to keep up with state and national requirements for standards-based classrooms, many schools are looking for answers. One school district in Maine came to Measured Progress for help.

In standards-based classrooms, teachers must thoughtfully incorporate content and standards into their units and lesson plans. They also must gather appropriate evidence of student learning to determine that their instruction has been effective. Robert Coffill, the superintendent in Calais, Maine, looked to Measured Progress to help provide his teachers with Products and knowledge to accomplish that challenge effectively. The solution for Calais was iBINDER, Web-based software that provides teachers with training in developing effective standards-based units and lessons.

iBINDER changes teachers’ understanding of the relationships among state standards, classroom instruction, and student performance. The research-based tool helps teachers successfully make the critical transition by achieving change through process. Because iBINDER guides teachers through the instructional planning process time after time, significant change happens that greatly affects what and how they teach and, more importantly, what their students learn. Unlike Products that merely provide blank templates to be filled in, iBINDER guides teachers through the instructional planning process by posing carefully constructed series of questions.

In early January, Measured Progress staff trained more than 50 teachers in Calais to use iBINDER for their unit and lesson planning. Using this software is a major component of the superintendent’s plan to respond to the state and federal requirements of No Child Left Behind. “Thank you!” one of the Calais teachers told Superintendent Coffill, “I can replace a pile of documents with this software.”

“I’m proud to partner with Measured Progress,” said Coffill. “We are providing resources teachers and administrators need to improve teaching and learning.”

iBINDER is currently available in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. From those states, call Kristen Muglio at 800-431-8901, ext. 2193. From all other states, call Mark Wiley at 800-431-8901, ext. 2107 or visit our Web site.