When most people think of school reform in the District of Columbia, they probably remember the Time magazine cover photo of former Chancellor Michelle Rhee with a broom in her hand and a hard look on her face. In leading the school system from 2007 to 2010, she was the Read more
Andrew Wild, writing for Education Week Teacher, has offered a thoughtful examination of the metaphors utilized to speak about learning and suggests that changing our metaphors may help us to reimagine education. Excerpts of his piece appear below: Metaphors communicate the foundational ways we conceptualize others, our actions, and ourselves. Read more
Since January, the Walton Family Foundation has been on a video journey – traveling from Washington, D.C., to Oakland to Denver to New Orleans – visiting top innovators in education and producing a video series to share what they have found. “We look to brave leaders, such as the individuals Read more
Networked improvement communities (NICs) are gaining importance as a structure for identifying and solving complex educational problems. Tackling these problems requires taking specific steps to make sure the NIC is built to last. In the Carnegie Commons blog, Sarah McKay summarizes an article, “A Framework for the Initiation of Networked Read more
At a recent meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA), The Learning Policy Institute presented findings from a comprehensive study of teacher residencies across the nation. There are currently approximately 50 such programs. The best include the following key characteristics: Strong district/university partnerships Coursework about teaching and learning tightly Read more
EdSource’s John Fensterwald recently reported on a new multimeasure school rating system for California and the data it uncovers. The Oakland-based nonprofit GreatSchools analyzed these data and produced Searching for Opportunity, a fresh look at a stubbornly persistent problem: racial and ethnic gaps in student achievement in California schools. Among Read more
State policy plays a critical role in determining whether and how well local education improvement strategies can be implemented. As states rework their education policies under ESSA, state and local leaders need a way to assess their current policy environment and identify the changes needed to encourage local innovation and Read more
The Center on Great Teachers & Leaders (GTL Center) is out with the third report in a series designed to explore how great teachers have become the excellent educators they are today and what experiences and supports helped these teachers refine their practice over time. The first two reports explored Read more
Rick Hess, of the American Enterprise Institute, has released two 60-second videos discussing school reform. “The solution of little ‘r’ school reform” If onerous regulations don’t improve education, what will? Rick Hess, AEI’s Director of Education Policy Studies, says that empowering teachers to make decisions is the way to high-performing Read more
A new guide, co-created by the Council for Chief State School Officers, Collaborative Communications Group, Data Quality Campaign, ExcelinEd, Learning Heroes and National PTA, helps states break down the process for creating report cards that are easy for parents and the public to access and understand. The State Guide to Read more
The National Center for Education Statistics released The Condition of Education 2017 on May 25, a congressionally mandated report that summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. This year’s report provides new analyses on a wide range of issues, including homelessness in public schools and Read more
The National Council on Teacher Quality has followed its study of undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs with a new study focused on secondary teacher preparation, Landscape in Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate Secondary Education. Since rules and procedures for selectivity in admissions, student teaching, and classroom management cut across teacher prep programs Read more
Andy Smarick, writing for AEI, has penned a piece on the shortcomings of efficiency as an educational goal. Excerpts from his article appear below: There are very good reasons to resist (or at least be skeptical of) efforts to drive “efficiency” in public education. One of the biggest reasons is Read more
The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders has released a new Ask the Team Brief, Teachers Supporting Teachers: State Policies for Non-Classroom-Based Instructors. Across the United States, non-classroom-based positions have been added in districts and schools to provide instructional support to teachers. They go by various names–coach, mentor, teacher leader–but Read more
Matt Barnum of The 74 recently reviewed research on the importance of curricular materials for student achievement. Excerpts from his article appear below: The idea that schools can get better simply by improving the content of what they teach may seem at once novel and obvious in an education policy Read more
How best to reform K-12 education in America is the subject of passionate debate. Lagging test scores, dispiriting classroom environments, and growing fears about our nation’s international competitiveness have inspired a new cadre of reformers searching for ways to modernize and transform the US education system. At the same time, Read more