How do you solve big problems in education in a way that honors the knowledge and expertise of educators in a methodologically rigorous way? How can what’s working in individual classrooms and schools be used to address problems on a larger scale? Educator Networks, or Networked Improvement Communities, are groups of educators who assemble to Read more about November Issue Brief: Educator Networks[…]
A recent response to the Nation’s Report Card results by the Obama Administration calls for a reduction of redundant tests, in order to improve the nation’s scores in reading and mathematics. Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, believes that this action is “an unfortunate and tragically oversimplified response to the challenges facing our Read more about Opinion: Schools need to Improve, not Tests[…]
The National Association of State Boards of Education’s fall issue of its journal, The State Education Standard explores the many ways policymakers can ensure that those who teach and lead our children in public schools are better prepared and better supported to do their jobs well. Research shows that teacher quality makes the biggest difference Read more about A Fresh Look at Preparing Teachers and Leaders[…]
New results from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), or Nation’s Report Card, show a slowing or drop of both fourth-grade and eighth-grade students scores for 2015. This is the first recorded decline in scores since the assessment started being administered in 1990. The new results — on a scale of Read more about The Nation’s Report Card shows U.S. Scores Slipping for Reading and Math[…]
The states that make up the PARCC Consortium released last year’s test items to better inform and enhance instruction in the areas of mathematics and ELA (English Language Arts). These items were released in order to demystify the questions and assessment items being asked of students and for parents to become better informed. The ultimate Read more about PARCC Releases Test Items for Use[…]
A recent comparison of data about states, conducted by Wallet Hub, ranked states based on a number of factors. The factors compare data on two category subsets that include: Job Opportunities and Competition and Academic and Work Environment. This study looks at subset factors that examine: Average Starting Salary for Teachers (adjusted for cost of Read more about Best and Worst States for Teachers for 2015[…]
Probably the most politically-charged issue in American education in recent years has been the Common Core State Standards. This blog has covered CCSS over that time, here and here and here and here, just as a few examples. This issue has again come to the fore because of the Presidential election season. Some Republican candidates, Read more about Common Core’s Surprising Conservative Roots[…]
The Sustainability Rubric for Local Educational Agencies is a tool developed by the United States Education Department for LEAs to assess the sustainability of a specific priority reform that they are undertaking. This rubric is flexible enough to help LEAs with wide-ranging reform goals, but also will help the Agency create practical ways to evaluate Read more about Sustainability Rubric for Local Educational Agencies[…]
Teachers know that motivation matters. It is central to student learning; it helps determine how engaged students are in their work, how hard they work, and how well they persevere in the face of challenges. Though we hear mostly about the “achievement gap” between demographic groups, researchers have also identified an “engagement gap,” which the Read more about Using New Research to Improve Student Motivation[…]
School leaders, especially those serving in school turnaround contexts, play an important role in shaping access to excellent educators for all students. As states move forward with Equitable Access Plan implementation, the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) is offering two new resources that help to identify the standards and competencies that principals Read more about What do School Leaders Need to Succeed?[…]
The Obama administration, this past week, asked the Education Department to review its policies and determine any places where it may have contributed to overemphasis on testing and the loss of instructional time. The key actions set forth by the Administration are as follows: Financial support for states to develop and use better, less burdensome Read more about Obama Administration and ED Publish Guidelines to Reduce Over-Testing[…]
The third and final phase of a new national survey released by Achieve – Rising to the Challenge: Are Recent High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work – shows that better communication between high schools and parents is needed to address the disconnect between parents and students, faculty, and employers in perceptions of recent Read more about Parent Perceptions of College and Career Readiness[…]
We first blogged about Networked Improvement Communities (NICs) here: https://www.coreeducationllc.com/blog2/using-the-wisdom-of-educators/ But what exactly is an NIC, and how does it differ from a Professional Learning Community, Action Research group, or Community of Practice? The Carnegie Foundation offers a helpful guide: Networked improvement communities (NICs) are scientific learning communities distinguished by four essential characteristics: FOCUSED ON Read more about What is a Networked Improvement Community?[…]
GTL Center’s latest Professional Learning Module is Supporting Principals Using Teacher Effectiveness Data (September 2015). It discusses practical strategies principals and district leaders can use to make hiring, staffing, teacher leadership, and professional development decisions. Teacher effectiveness data can help school and district leaders to make informed and evidence-based talent management decisions, but too many Read more about Supporting Principals Using Teacher Effectiveness Data[…]
There is a proposal going around about a new type of charter school, one that is very low risk and modeled on the 4.0 Schools project in New Orleans, called tiny schools. These are small schools that are started in a library or classroom with volunteer students who are willing to learn. The students can Read more about Tiny Schools: Models of Innovation[…]
A study conducted by the National Center on Education Statistics finds that new teachers who have mentor support, participate in an induction program, and have a higher starting base pay are more likely to remain in the field. NCES undertook the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS), which is a nationally representative longitudinal study Read more about School Characteristics that Keep Teachers in the Field[…]