What Works Clearinghouse: School Turnarounds

Posted on October 10, 2012 by coreeducation

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse identifies practices that can improve the performance of chronically low-performing schools — a process commonly referred to as “turnaround.” The report, Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools, makes four recommendations based on current research into school turnaround efforts: Schools signal the need for dramatic Read more about What Works Clearinghouse: School Turnarounds[…]

Education Nation: Year Three

Posted on October 9, 2012September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

In a recent blog post, John Merrow reflects on this year’s “Education Nation” summit, an annual conference organized and hosted by NBC News: NBC News put on its third iteration of Education Nation earlier this week and did an even better job this year. I suppose that could be considered faint praise, because year one Read more about Education Nation: Year Three[…]

Arne Duncan Speaks at National Press Club

Posted on October 8, 2012October 8, 2012 by coreeducation

Last week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan addressed an audience at the National Press Club. His remarks were focused on current education reforms and the estimated success of programs already in place. “Today, we are asking much more of ourselves and much more of each other – and everyone is stepping up – parents, teachers, administrators, Read more about Arne Duncan Speaks at National Press Club[…]

Unlocking Student Effort

Posted on October 3, 2012 by coreeducation

TNTP, a national nonprofit organization working to ensure that all students get excellent teachers, recently released a first-of-its-kind resource on effective teaching written by and for practicing teachers. The resource, Unlocking Student Effort , is a paper that includes five essays written by the winners of TNTP’s 2012 Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice, a Read more about Unlocking Student Effort[…]

The Hangover: Thinking About the Unintended Consequences of the Nation’s Teacher Evaluation Binge

Posted on October 3, 2012February 5, 2013 by coreeducation

Last week, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) released a new paper focused on the “teacher evaluation binge” that has swept the country. The paper, authored by Sara Meade, Andrew Rotherham, and Rachael Brown, argues that “there are pitfalls in states’ rush to legislate new systems, and there are real tensions and trade-offs in their design.” Read more about The Hangover: Thinking About the Unintended Consequences of the Nation’s Teacher Evaluation Binge[…]

Free Webinar: The Comprehensive Assessment Consortia

Posted on October 2, 2012February 5, 2013 by coreeducation

Two state consortia—Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium—have made great strides to develop new assessment systems ready for use in two years. Over the summer, for example, they released sample items and tasks and are putting together teams of educators to help prepare districts and Read more about Free Webinar: The Comprehensive Assessment Consortia[…]

2012 Teacher Incentive Fund Grantees Announced

Posted on September 30, 2012February 5, 2013 by coreeducation

The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday 35 grants awarded to improve pay structures, reward great teachers and principals and provide greater professional opportunities to teachers in high poverty schools. Winning applicants comprise districts, partnering districts, states, and nonprofits that together serve nearly 1,000 schools in 150 urban, suburban, and rural school districts in 18 Read more about 2012 Teacher Incentive Fund Grantees Announced[…]

The Debate Over Test-Based Measures of Teacher Effectiveness

Posted on September 28, 2012 by coreeducation

The teachers’ strike in Chicago has generated considerable interest in the use of test-based measures of teacher effectiveness in personnel decisions. For a clear discussion of the uses, value, and limitations of test-based measures check out the CADLER Conversation on the issue. The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) has Read more about The Debate Over Test-Based Measures of Teacher Effectiveness[…]

Should Teachers Be Allowed to Sell Their Lesson Plans?

Posted on September 27, 2012September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Last week Andrew Rotherham from Time magazine wrote about whether teachers should be able to sell their lesson plans. He talks about kindergarten teacher Deanna Jump, who has made more than one million dollars selling her lesson plans online. That is what teachers are looking for, since the new Common Core standards are in effect; textbooks Read more about Should Teachers Be Allowed to Sell Their Lesson Plans?[…]

Five Recommendations For Reporting On (Or Just Interpreting) State Test Scores

Posted on September 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Matthew DiCarlo of the Albert Shanker Institute has developed five recommendations for reporters who write stories on state test scores. But these recommendations are not only useful for reporters – educators also would benefit from understanding the nuances of these numbers that are increasingly used to judge worth. 1. Look at both scale scores and Read more about Five Recommendations For Reporting On (Or Just Interpreting) State Test Scores[…]

Leading State Education Agencies Focus on Data, Worry about Access to Talent

Posted on September 24, 2012 by coreeducation

As both the federal government and states face unprecedented challenges in raising standards and increasing outcomes for all students, state education agencies (SEAs) need to take a new approach; one focused less on compliance and more on performance management. For most SEAs this is a daunting and complicated task. A new study from the Center Read more about Leading State Education Agencies Focus on Data, Worry about Access to Talent[…]

Education at a Glance 2012

Posted on September 23, 2012 by coreeducation

At 69 percent, the United States ranks twenty-eighth in the percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood education, according to Education at a Glance 2012: OECD Indicators, released earlier this month by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report also finds that the odds of a young person in the United States continuing Read more about Education at a Glance 2012[…]

Selecting Growth Models for School and Teacher Evaluations

Posted on September 21, 2012 by coreeducation

The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) has released a paper that explores the growth models available for school and teacher evaluations. The specifics of how growth models should be constructed and used to evaluate schools and teachers is a topic of lively policy debate in states and school districts Read more about Selecting Growth Models for School and Teacher Evaluations[…]

AIR Releases New Tools and Assessments to Turn Around Educator Quality

Posted on September 19, 2012 by coreeducation

Few efforts are as pressing this school year as those of identifying issues and creating new approaches to improve educator quality. In support of these imperatives, (AIR) has released new resources to ensure that leaders have the capabilities and tools needed to successfully improve teaching and learning. The online destinations for these new resources can Read more about AIR Releases New Tools and Assessments to Turn Around Educator Quality[…]

CRPE Introduces Tools and Strategies to Help States Develop Great Principals

Posted on September 18, 2012September 18, 2012 by coreeducation

Discussions about human capital and school improvement typically center on teachers. Yet the principals who select those teachers are a critical driver of school success. Just as states are beginning to address the weaknesses in their principal pipelines, a new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) offers a set of powerful new Read more about CRPE Introduces Tools and Strategies to Help States Develop Great Principals[…]