Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post has posted an article by a prominent Finnish education policy expert, Pasi Sahlberg, which argues persuasively that the American focus on teacher effectiveness is missing some key components. Without a shift in thinking about how to reform American education, Sahlberg, who admits some of the large differences between the Read more about Finnish Educator Refutes U.S. Approach to Education Reform[…]
One policy response to the challenge of attracting high-performing teachers to low-achieving schools is offering teachers monetary incentives to transfer. This report examines impacts of transfer incentives — including the willingness of teachers to transfer when offered an incentive, teacher retention in the schools to which they transferred, and the impact of transfer incentives on Read more about Effects of Incentives for High-performing Teachers to Transfer to Low-achieving Schools[…]
There have been rumblings for the last couple of years about a new “bar-exam” for teachers entering the teaching profession, which this blog has discussed here and here and here. The organization that is spearheading one of the chief candidates to fill the void of more rigorous teacher licensing tests is the edTPA. The edTPA Read more about edTPA: The New Standard for Teacher Certification?[…]
A new report from Education Next demonstrates the academic differences between those entering the teaching profession in recent years and those entering in decades past. The numbers suggest that the teaching profession is benefiting from higher numbers of academic high achievers than has been the case in the past. Dan Goldhaber and Joe Walch, writing Read more about New teachers outpace their veteran peers on SAT scores[…]
For the last two years, the Education Department has been using waivers to grant states lenience in the face of the looming repercussions of No Child Left Behind (2001). This process seems likely to continue until Congress does a re-write of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the most recent version of which is NCLB. Read more about A Rollback on ED waivers[…]
How well educators manage to adjust the Common Core to the needs of each student could prove pivotal academically, but also politically, as the standards themselves face skepticism in the states. This special report looks at the challenges educators face in adapting the standards for students with disabilities, English-learners, and gifted students. The special report Read more about Special Report on Diverse Learners and the Common Core[…]
The U.S. Department of Education announced that 31 applications have been selected as finalists for the Race to the Top-District (RTTT-D) competition. The 2013 RTTT-D program will provide close to $120 million to support locally developed plans to personalize and improve student learning, directly increase student achievement and educator effectiveness, close achievement gaps, and prepare Read more about ED Announces 31 Finalists for $120 Million RTT-D[…]
Much has been made of the discrepancies between American students and foreign students in terms of their performance on key tests of academic performance. There has also been an ongoing argument between two sides of American education policy about whether the results that show American students falling behind are a condemnation of American education or Read more about U.S. States in a Global Context: Results from the NAEP-TIMSS Linking Study[…]
In lieu of Congress re-authorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the most recent version of which is No Child Left Behind (2001), the Education Department under Arne Duncan has used waivers to allow states to avoid the repercussions associated with not meeting the demands of NCLB. This is essential because no state is really Read more about Advocacy Groups Ask Duncan For More Rigorous Waiver Reviews[…]
Applications and nominations are now open for the 2014 Fishman Prize. TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all students get excellent teachers, recently opened the third annual application period for the Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice. The prestigious award is given to four public school teachers a year who demonstrate exceptionally effective Read more about TNTP Seeks Superlative Teachers for $25,000 Fishman Prize[…]
Seven states announced ambitious efforts to make it tougher to get into teacher training programs – and tougher to get a license after graduating. Under a two-year pilot program created by the Council of Chief State School Officers, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Washington will pilot the teacher preparation changes. Among the steps Read more about Seven States will Pilot Teacher Preparation Changes[…]
With Common Core (CCSS) in various stages of implementation in 46 states, one might expect the majority of teachers to be making changes that align with the standards, even if testing for CCSS will not start until next year. A new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which supports Common Core, considers this expectation. Read more about Teachers Are Supposed to Assign Harder Books, but They Aren’t Doing It Yet[…]
At the core of the transformation of education toward student-centered learning is the ability to personalize learning for each student, to open student pathways and encourage student voice and choice in next generation education models. To aid classroom, school and state leaders in their pursuit of this goal, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning Read more about Defining Personalized Learning[…]
Teachers now have more education data at their fingertips than ever before. Through powerful technology solutions, they can aggregate, disaggregate, and parse data; generate reports; and examine trends. But what should educators do with the data now that they have it? In this month’s issue brief, we focus on data-driven instruction, pulling together resources for Read more about November Issue Brief: Data-Driven Instruction[…]
As usual, Marc Tucker offers some incisive commentary on how to improve American schools. What is not so typical about his recent blog post, “The American System for Improving Our Schools,” is that his formula for improvement does not involve any new teaching methods, grant proposals, or changes to teacher preparation. Marc Tucker wants education Read more about The American System For Improving Our Schools[…]
As schools, classrooms, and districts move toward more sophisticated instructional technologies to successfully implement higher college- and career-ready standards, educator preparation programs must equip future educators with the necessary skills to use technology effectively to personalize instruction and increase student engagement. A new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education’s Center for Digital Learning, Expert Read more about How to Prepare Teachers in the Digital Age[…]