Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

New ASCD Publication Sets New Standards for Project Based Learning

  • 06/10/15

Alexandria, Va. — ASCD released a new professional development publication, Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning: A Proven Approach to Rigorous Classroom Instruction, that explores project based learning and how to fully prepare students for college and career. Copublished with the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), this book provides a step-by-step process for how to create, implement, and assess projects that meet state standards, increase students’ motivation to learn, and offer a more satisfying experience for teachers.

Authors John Larmer, John Mergendoller, and Suzie Boss showcase a classroom-tested framework for the highest quality of project based learning, referred to as Gold Standard Project Based Learning. When teachers use this comprehensive, rigorous framework to plan instruction, they enable their students to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the real world, so they are better prepared for college, careers, and citizenship.

“Project based learning is gaining traction around the world, and a growing number of educators are recognizing the need for new approaches to teaching and learning in the 21st century,” said Larmer. “But projects can't just be hands-on activities, so in the book, we discuss design principles for a gold standard project—how to make it rigorous, align it to state standards, and include authenticity and student voice and choice. We want teachers to create a new standard for project based learning in their classrooms and create lasting experiences for students to excel in the real world."

The book shares examples from K–12 teachers in all content areas and offers advice on how school leaders can use project based learning in informal settings and implement the model systemwide.

Educators can order a print version of Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning: A Proven Approach to Rigorous Classroom Instruction from ASCD’s online store. ($20.95 for ASCD members; $27.95 for nonmembers)

To learn more about our books or to read sample chapters from these and other publications, visit www.ascd.org/books. For more information about ASCD, visit www.ascd.org.

Featured

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.