The issue of whether and how much computers should be responsible for student grading has been around for decades, but the recent advent of MOOCs and the upcoming implementation of Common Core tests has brought the issue to the forefront yet again. One MOOC, edX, has recently developed software, which Read more
Through the influence of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has provided money for many different educational studies in recent years, Bill Gates has become an influential name in education. It might be expected that Gates would support educational reforms more along the lines of the privatization-corporatization model as Read more
TNTP, a national nonprofit committed to ending the injustice of educational inequality, has released a new report that seeks to help first year teachers become better teachers. TNTP was created by teachers in 1997, so the TNTP team has a vested interested in creating cohorts of new teachers who have Read more
Forty-five states, four territories, the District of Columbia and DoDEA are currently transitioning to full implementation of the Common Core State Standards. While some groups are further along than others, educators across the country are seeking high quality resources to facilitate this process. In this month’s issue brief, we explore Read more
In an update to the story that this blog has been tracking for some time (see our two past blogs about this subject here and here), the US Department of Education has given its strongest confirmation yet that it is willing to embrace a model of judging educational progress and Read more
Data from states that have recently begun using teacher evaluations aligned with student performance suggest that the numbers can be deceiving. Very high percentages of teachers are receiving “effective” or higher scores on their teacher evaluations—above 97% in Florida, Michigan, and Tennessee. Depending on whom you talk to, this can Read more
The Common Core State Standards are being introduced in all but five states, presenting the need for immediate and far-reaching instructional changes. This exclusive new online-only special report explores the ways classroom educators, in a variety of subjects and with a diverse range of students, are adapting to the new Read more
The Alliance for Excellent Education and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation are offering a first-of-its-kind online course for school district leaders. Last month, the Alliance for Excellent Education and Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University opened enrollment for a first-of-its-kind Massive Online Open Course for Read more
The U.S. Department of Education announced the start of the $150 million 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition with the release of the program’s invitation for pre-applications for the i3 “Development” grant category and the notice of final priorities for the i3 program overall. The announcement incorporates several improvements Read more
The Spencer Foundation, an organization that investigates “ways in which education, broadly conceived, can be improved around the world,” is seeking research studies to inform the current push for data-based educational reforms. Here is more from the press release: We announce a second-round Request for Proposals (RFP) to promote research Read more
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) announced the award of a contract to develop a Digital Library of formative assessment practices and professional learning resources for educators. Amplify Insight, formerly known as Wireless Generation, will work with Consortium member states and teachers to create professional development materials and instructional Read more
In “Flexibility for Fairness: Crafting Business Rules for Student Learning Objectives” AIR’s Amy Potemski explores the ways in which states are creating “business rules” to allow for flexibility in the SLO process. SLOs, or Student Learning Objectives, are being used across states as a way to provide a student growth Read more
In the current economic climate, with budget cuts a necessity and many states seeing their education budget battles going to state supreme courts, states and districts need help weathering the storm. DREAM hopes to help states and districts do just that with a “new way to explore school budgets.” DREAM Read more
Two big names in American Education, Diane Ravitch and Marc Tucker, have recently written several articles outlining their opinions on the imminent implementation of the Common Core standards. Ravitch, known as more of an advocate of local educational agency and as an opponent of standardization, kicked things off with a Read more
The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), created in 2006 as a $600 million plan to “support efforts to develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools” and bolstered in 2009 under the Obama Administration, has now been functioning long enough to evaluate some of its results. Five Read more
Michael Hansen of AEI Education, has penned a new report examining teacher evaluations systems. Hansen believes that, whether or not student test scores continue to be demanded as the gold standard for teacher evaluations, data analysis will be the crucial factor in the future of teacher evaluations. As more states Read more