Micro-Credentialing: A New Look at Teacher Professional Development

Posted on April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent blog post from Education Week takes a look at the current state of professional development for teachers and finds a brave new world of “micro-credentialing.” The following example shows just how it works: Last year, Kay Staley and Jessica Scherer, literacy coaches in the Kettle Moraine district in Wisconsin, led groups of teachers in Read more about Micro-Credentialing: A New Look at Teacher Professional Development[…]

Shifts in the National Assessment Landscape

Posted on April 12, 2016April 12, 2016 by coreeducation

An Education Week survey of states’ testing plans in English/language arts and math—the two subjects covered by the Common Core—found that states have continued in 2015-16 to drift away from the tests designed by the assessment corsortia, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, and Smarter Balanced tests. Here’s how Read more about Shifts in the National Assessment Landscape[…]

ESSA Accountability: Don’t Forget the High Achievers

Posted on April 11, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In the early days of the accountability movement, Jeb Bush’s Florida developed an innovative approach to evaluating school quality. First, the state looked at individual student progress over time—making it one of the first to do so. Then it put special emphasis on the gains (or lack thereof) of the lowest-performing kids in the state. Read more about ESSA Accountability: Don’t Forget the High Achievers[…]

Improving Observer Training: The Trends and Challenges

Posted on April 8, 2016March 31, 2021 by coreeducation

Observations of teacher performance are a critical component of most teacher evaluation systems, and, if done well, they can help teachers better understand and improve their practice. Yet, as critical as observations are to ensuring quality instruction, not much is known about how districts are training and supporting their observers. This report examines recent research Read more about Improving Observer Training: The Trends and Challenges[…]

Duckworth: Do not Grade Schools on Grit

Posted on April 7, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In a recent New York Times opinion piece, Angela Duckworth, founder and scientific director of the Character Lab and the author of the forthcoming book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, recommends against using the results of character surveys for school accountability. A short excerpt from Mrs. Duckworth follows: Over the past few years, Read more about Duckworth: Do not Grade Schools on Grit[…]

Policy Report from New Teacher Center says Beginning Teachers Need More Support

Posted on April 5, 2016April 1, 2016 by coreeducation

New Teacher Center (NTC) has released a national report showing that most states provide insufficient mentoring and support for teachers and principals as they start their careers. The report—Support From The Start: A 50-State Review of Policies on New Educator Induction and Mentoring—shows only limited progress in most states since 2011. Just four states meet Read more about Policy Report from New Teacher Center says Beginning Teachers Need More Support[…]

Improving Teacher Prep Data: Policy Statement from Deans for Impact

Posted on April 4, 2016April 1, 2016 by coreeducation

Deans for Impact recently looked at nearly two dozen educator preparation programs and found that only six have access to student achievement data connected to the teachers they prepared. Less than a third have access to other kinds of data about their graduates’ performance, like classroom observations. The organization, in a new policy agenda, says Read more about Improving Teacher Prep Data: Policy Statement from Deans for Impact[…]

How to Make the Most of an Opportunity for Teacher Voice

Posted on April 1, 2016March 23, 2016 by coreeducation

There’s lots of talk about getting more teacher voices into public discussions about education. As there should be. What we don’t talk about as often, however, is this: Just because someone puts a microphone in front of you doesn’t mean you’re ready to represent your profession – or even yourself – in a public forum. Read more about How to Make the Most of an Opportunity for Teacher Voice[…]

150th Set of Common Core-Aligned Materials from EQuIP Panel

Posted on March 31, 2016March 23, 2016 by coreeducation

The availability of high-quality and aligned instructional materials is central to successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Achieve is proud to make publicly available the 150th set of instructional materials found to be of high quality and aligned to the CCSS by the Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) Peer Read more about 150th Set of Common Core-Aligned Materials from EQuIP Panel[…]

Teacher Leadership Roles and the Effect on Instruction

Posted on March 30, 2016March 23, 2016 by coreeducation

For years, education leaders have sought to pinpoint how teachers become effective in order to better leverage teachers’ impact on student learning and improve student outcomes. Teacher leadership is receiving increased attention as a potential lever for improved instruction, recruitment and retention of effective teachers, and improved student outcomes. This is the driving force behind Read more about Teacher Leadership Roles and the Effect on Instruction[…]

What Teachers Need to Make Professional Learning Work

Posted on March 29, 2016March 22, 2016 by coreeducation

Learning Forward and the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) recently released a white paper on the role that teacher agency plays in creating successful professional learning opportunities. The white paper, Moving from Compliance to Agency: What Teachers Need to Make Professional Learning Work, defines teacher agency as “the capacity of teachers to Read more about What Teachers Need to Make Professional Learning Work[…]

Teachers Speak Out on Education Reform and Use of Technology

Posted on March 24, 2016March 18, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent survey by the Association of American Educators asked its members about how they felt about education reform. The survey asked its members about current issues in education including School Choice, Virtual Education and Technology, Testing and Assessments, Teacher Preparation and Leadership, and the 2016 Presidential Election. The results were surprising: The organization’s 2016 Read more about Teachers Speak Out on Education Reform and Use of Technology[…]

Evaluation Systems as Tools for Professional Development

Posted on March 23, 2016March 18, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent report released by New America called Beyond Ratings examines state teacher evaluation systems and evaluates their usefulness as tools for teacher growth. The report highlights what actions states have taken so far to ensure evaluation systems are being used to develop teachers’ practice, and what more needs to be done. In particular, the Read more about Evaluation Systems as Tools for Professional Development[…]

March Issue Brief: Teacher Professionalism

Posted on March 22, 2016March 18, 2016 by coreeducation

Teachers often know best when it comes to helping their students achieve academic success, but districts and schools are not set up to capitalize on the wisdom of teachers. In this month’s issue brief from Core Education, we explore ideas related to increasing teacher professionalism, including changed teacher roles, teacher-powered schools, and ideas borrowed from Read more about March Issue Brief: Teacher Professionalism[…]

Teachers and Professional Collaboration

Posted on March 21, 2016March 18, 2016 by coreeducation

Recently guest author on the Shanker Institute blog, Andy Hargreaves, reflected on research-proven methods for promoting professional collaboration among teachers. An excerpt appears below: When teachers collaborate rather than work entirely alone, they show greater confidence and competence in teaching and stronger commitment to their profession. This is because they have access to their colleagues’ Read more about Teachers and Professional Collaboration[…]