Teacher candidates are more likely to be effective and to stay in the profession when their preparation experiences are connected to classroom practice (Boyd, Lankford, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2009; Ronfeldt, 2012). Therefore, there has been considerable pressure and effort to strengthen candidate clinical experiences so that they happen early and Read more
Eight states are now on track to develop new statewide social and emotional learning (SEL) standards and policies – thanks to a new partnership with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). That two-year partnership is being funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. On April 11, 2016 Read more
The 74 recently released a piece titled, “9 Things Science Tells Us about How Kids Learn to Read and Think Critically.” The article makes a compelling argument for more exposure to science and social science content matter even in the face of easy access to information. The argument is that Read more
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers new opportunities for states and school districts. In general, ESSA’s new rules do not take effect until July 1, 2017,which gives state education agencies (SEAs) an opportunity to assess whether their current policies and practices related to federal formula grant funds are aligned Read more
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has released a synthesis of research it has funded on mathematics teaching and learning, Synthesis of IES- Funded Research on Mathematics: 2002-2013. This synthesis reviews published papers on IES-supported research from projects awarded between 2002 and 2013. The authors identified 28 specific contributions that Read more
With the enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states will now have greater control and increased opportunities when developing plans that are customized and targeted to address the needs of their students. As ESSA includes expanded guidelines and objectives that are new from what many states are familiar Read more
REL Central recently released a paper titled, “Understanding Field Experiences in Tradition Teacher Preparation in Missouri.” The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of field experiences in traditional teacher preparation programs completed by first-year teachers in Missouri and how experiences vary by teaching certificate type. This descriptive Read more
Sarah Sparks, writing for Education Week, explores the differences in teacher preparation for American elementary school teachers compared with teachers in four high-performing countries. Excerpts from her article appear below: U.S. elementary-grade teachers get far less training than teachers in high-achieving countries for deep understanding of the foundational math, reading, Read more
Anna Duncan, writing for New America, explores the power of teacher leaders to transform the debate around teacher evaluation and place the emphasis more squarely on professional development. Excerpts from the article appear below: That teacher leadership systems have to serve as a key link between teacher evaluation and professional Read more
Between 1991 and 2011, spending on compensation—including salaries and benefits—for public school instructional staff increased by more than 50 percent, with most of that increase going toward the cost of benefits, according to a new data point from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The new publication, Instructional Staff Read more
Against a statewide backdrop of sliding student achievement levels, widening education inequities, and high levels of teacher dissatisfaction, the CLASS Project—an Oregon nonprofit initiative—has made sharp gains in all of these areas while simultaneously improving the working relationships between various education system stakeholders. But what exactly IS the Creative Leadership Read more
Dick Startz, in the Brookings blog, provides comparative information on teacher pay around the world. It turns out, the U.S. doesn’t look so generous. Following are excerpts from the blog: American teachers are underpaid. More specifically, American teachers are underpaid when compared to teachers in the nations we compete with. Read more
Every day in classrooms across the country, dedicated professionals put in long hours educating students, preparing lessons, grading homework, engaging with families, collaborating with colleagues, and overcoming obstacles. Their work is vital to children, parents, communities, and our future, yet rarely do teachers receive the thanks they deserve. The new Read more
The Condition of Future Educators 2015 reveals that only 4% of the more than 1.9 million 2015 ACT-tested US high school graduates said they intended to pursue a career in education-as either a teacher, counselor, or administrator. This is down from 5% in 2014 and down from 7% in 2010. Read more
Recent research reveals that although districts spend large amounts of money on professional development, PD has a poor reputation for actually improving instructional practice, and teachers claim that current approaches are not meeting their needs. In this month’s issue brief, we focus on the problems with professional development, look to Read more
Merriam-Webster defines jargon as “the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity, group, profession, or field of study.” NPR Ed recently set out to define the most commonly used terms of education jargon in language regular people could understand, using a text editor that restricts you to the Read more