Promising results from new study of DC Impact Teacher Evaluations

Posted on November 12, 2013November 12, 2013 by coreeducation

Thomas S. Dee, of Stanford University, and James Wyckoff, of the University of Virginia, have sparked the debate on teacher evaluations with a new working paper which suggests that DCPS’ IMPACT teacher evaluations have proven effective to increase teacher performance and student test scores. IMPACT is the most radical of various teacher incentive plans tied Read more about Promising results from new study of DC Impact Teacher Evaluations[…]

Common Core in the Schools: A First Look at Reading Assignments

Posted on November 12, 2013November 12, 2013 by coreeducation

As forty-six states and the District of Columbia implement the Common Core State standards, questions abound regarding implementation, including the implications for curriculum and pedagogy. In Common Core in the Schools: A First Look at Reading Assignments, researchers analyze what texts English teachers assign their students and the instructional techniques they used in the classroom. Read more about Common Core in the Schools: A First Look at Reading Assignments[…]

Badges and Certifications – the new Degree?

Posted on November 11, 2013March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

As an increasing number of individuals realize the need for continued education, yet also face the realities of taking care of families in a tough economic climate, some Americans are asking if traditional college or graduate degrees are the solution. Perhaps these degrees do more to show how much money an individual has or how Read more about Badges and Certifications – the new Degree?[…]

Alternatives to State Assessments for Measuring Teachers’ Contributions to Student Achievement Growth

Posted on November 7, 2013September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Statistics show that an increasing number of school districts have adopted new teacher evaluation techniques. As opposed to what many have feared, districts have almost never used student test data alone to evaluate teachers. Even if they did, the typical measure of student growth—progress on state assessments from one school year to the next—usually covers Read more about Alternatives to State Assessments for Measuring Teachers’ Contributions to Student Achievement Growth[…]

Education Nation IV

Posted on November 6, 2013 by coreeducation

Education Nation, which we blogged about last year, is, according to John Merrow, the “Super Bowl” of education events. Most all of the big names in Education Policy either presented there or were at least present. Moreover, many of these figures, such as Education Secretary Arne Duncan or former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, were interviewed Read more about Education Nation IV[…]

EQuIP Peer Review Panel Seeking Members Through New Online Portal

Posted on November 5, 2013 by coreeducation

EQuIP (Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products) is an initiative of the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network designed to identify high-quality materials aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Achieve is very excited to announce the selection of a new round of EQuIP Peer Review Panel members. Below is a link to the Read more about EQuIP Peer Review Panel Seeking Members Through New Online Portal[…]

Online Professional Learning Communities

Posted on November 4, 2013September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Professional learning communities (PLCs)—teams of educators who meet regularly to exchange ideas, monitor student progress, and identify professional learning needs—reflect a growing interest in promoting professional development that engages teachers and administrators. Increasingly, teachers are able to participate in online and hybrid PLCs in addition to PLCs that meet face-to-face. A new report from the Read more about Online Professional Learning Communities[…]

Testing and ESEA Reauthorization: The Moment of Truth

Posted on November 3, 2013 by coreeducation

Linda Darling-Hammond, John Jackson, and Marc Tucker are calling for renewed attention to assessment in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act, of which the most recent iteration is No Child Left Behind. They write: The next version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) should require the use of tests that Read more about Testing and ESEA Reauthorization: The Moment of Truth[…]

What Every Child Can Learn from Kentucky

Posted on October 31, 2013 by coreeducation

Amidst all of the recent turmoil about Common Core, with some states changing the name of the standards, others considering pulling them, and others having already taken steps to pull back from the testing consortia, Kentucky stands out as a model state which has moved beyond any other state in piloting Common Core reform. We Read more about What Every Child Can Learn from Kentucky[…]

K-12 Teacher Evaluation is Broader than a Test Score

Posted on October 30, 2013 by coreeducation

Teacher evaluation systems today are more refined and useful for improving teachers’ skills and connecting teachers to student achievement than past models, a new national report that examines states’ teacher evaluation policies by the National School Boards Association‘s (NSBA) Center for Public Education (CPE) finds. “Trends in Teacher Evaluation: How States are Measuring Teacher Performance,” Read more about K-12 Teacher Evaluation is Broader than a Test Score[…]

Opportunity Culture

Posted on October 29, 2013October 29, 2013 by coreeducation

Teacher pay can often be the elephant in the room when it comes to discussion of the success of American education. Many believe that increasing teacher pay, or at least providing possibilities for teachers to earn more, would encourage more high-quality candidates to enter the profession and drive up the reputation of teachers. Others argue Read more about Opportunity Culture[…]

Risk and Rigor in the Classroom

Posted on October 28, 2013March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all students get excellent teachers, recently released the latest in its one-of-a-kind series of essays on effective teaching written by and for practicing teachers. Titled “Going Deep: Empowering Students to Take Risks, Make Mistakes and Master Difficult Material,” the new paper was written by some of the Read more about Risk and Rigor in the Classroom[…]

Bringing It All Together to Promote Student Learning

Posted on October 27, 2013 by coreeducation

Ever feel like education reform efforts are pulling educators in too many, often opposing directions? In a new special issues brief, authors Sheri Leo and Jane Coggshall lay out a suggested approach for creating meaningful coherence across three interdependent education reforms: Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluation, and professional learning. Their new paper is Creating Read more about Bringing It All Together to Promote Student Learning[…]

Tools for Transitioning to the Common Core

Posted on October 25, 2013 by coreeducation

The Achievement Network (ANet) is pleased to share its paper, “Focusing on the How: Guidance for School and District Leaders on Supporting Teachers Through the Transition to the Common Core,” recently released at an event co-sponsored with The Aspen Institute Education & Society Program in Washington, D.C. The insights of the paper are drawn from Read more about Tools for Transitioning to the Common Core[…]

How Bad is U.S. Education?

Posted on October 23, 2013September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Thousands of pages have been written this month alone on the failings of America’s education system and what to do about it. Diane Ravitch’s new book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools, tries to debunk some of the pessimism of those, like Paul Peterson, who Read more about How Bad is U.S. Education?[…]

How a Bachelor’s Degree could Cost $10,000

Posted on October 21, 2013September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

This blog typically covers topics related to helping students finish their K-12 education successfully, but what about after that? Can American students, once they are college-ready, afford that college tuition? Anya Kamenetz of Third Way offers 6 straightforward ideas for how the cost of a bachelor’s degree could be $10,000. That is the cost for Read more about How a Bachelor’s Degree could Cost $10,000[…]