Jay McTighe brings a wealth of experience developed during a rich and varied career in education. He served as Director of the Maryland Assessment Consortium, a state collaboration of school districts working together to develop and share formative performance assessments. Prior to this position, Jay was involved with school improvement projects at The Maryland State Department of Education where he directed the development of the Instructional Framework, a multi-media database on teaching. Jay is well known for his work with "thinking skills," having coordinated statewide efforts to develop instructional strategies, curriculum models, and assessment procedures for improving the quality of student thinking. In addition to his work at the state level, Jay has experience at the district level in Prince George's County, Maryland as a classroom teacher, resource specialist, and program coordinator. He also directed a state residential enrichment program for Gifted and Talented students. Jay is an accomplished author, having co-authored eleven books, including the best-selling Understanding by Design series with Grant Wiggins. He has written more than thirty articles and book chapters, and has published in a number of leading journals, including Educational Leadership (ASCD) and The Developer (National Staff Development Council). Jay has an extensive background in professional development and is a regular speaker at national, state, and district conferences and workshops. He has made presentations in forty-six states in the U.S., seven provinces in Canada, and eighteen countries outside of North America on six continents. Visit Jay's website -- jaymctighe.com