This blog has written previously about the much-touted edTPA teacher licensing exam, which promises to serve as a “bar exam” for teachers. The goal of this performance assessment is to set the bar higher for teacher certification and to be able to provide accountability across state lines and among teacher Read more
The U.S. is on track for a 90 percent high school graduation rate by 2020 after hitting a record high 81 percent this year. That’s according to the GradNation campaign’s sixth annual report released by America’s Promise Alliance, the Alliance for Excellent Education and others. The 10 largest states, including Read more
In a newly released survey of the 2015 State Teachers of the Year (STOY), this new class of accomplished teachers shared their views on topics affecting educators across the country. Forty-six of the 56 STOYs responded to Scholastic’s online survey, and while this is not a nationally representative sample Read more
With all of the recent focus on college and career-readiness, some educators are feeling that they are being diverted away from fostering social and emotional learning in students. The fact is, however, social and emotional learning, or SEL, is critical for student success in the 21st century. In this month’s Read more
The revised version of the SAT college entrance exam won’t be offered until March, but students can start preparing for it with a new, free online study program affiliated with the test. The College Board and Khan Academy are announcing a new partnership offering free online test preparation resources for Read more
Steven Hodas of the Center on Reinventing Public Education recently wrote a report describing the crucial role of what he called “DOS,” short for District Operating System. Hodas defines DOS as “a set of unsexy, below-the-radar functions like procurement, contracting, IT, and HR that determine the look and feel of Read more
About 39 million people ages 16 to 29 across the globe were not employed and were not participating in any kind of education or training in 2013. That’s 5 million more than before the economic crisis of 2008, a new OECD report stresses, and 2014 predictions don’t look much better. Read more
State and district leaders need more than high-quality measures of teacher effectiveness to make their evaluation policies stick. They also need communications and engagement strategies, ongoing professional learning and support opportunities for teachers, and a plan to combine and use evaluation data to inform decisions at the school, district and Read more
Teacher employment policies — tenure, dismissal and seniority — have been debated for years, but with recent cases playing out in the courts the disputes have been elevated to new levels. What is best for students and teachers is a complex topic with varying view. This Education Commission of the Read more
When President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law in 2002, the U.S. national high school graduation rate was 72.6 percent. Today, the national high school graduation rate has reached an all-time high of 81 percent and the number of low-graduation-rate high schools has declined Read more
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) released a new tool to help middle and high schools meet their students’ most critical needs. The 2015 CASEL Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs–Middle and High School Edition provides a framework for examining social and emotional learning (SEL) programs Read more
On Thursday, May 28, Acting Commissioner Peggy G. Carr, National Center for Education Statistics, released The Condition of Education 2015. The indicators presented in The Condition of Education 2015 provide an update on the state of education in America and include findings on the demographics of American schools, U.S. resources Read more
With an estimated 1.5 million new teachers entering schools over the next decade, what can policymakers do to ensure that the next generation of teachers is ready to teach on day one? A new brief released by the Education Policy Center at American Institutes for Research (AIR), A Million New Read more
A new report by the education reform organization Achieve finds large “honesty gaps” between state-reported proficiency rates in math and reading compared to those on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which is also known as the Nation’s Report Card. The report, Proficient vs. Prepared: Disparities Between State Tests Read more
When looking at education issues today, it is interesting to review the events and people involved in shaping federal education policy over time. There is rich history of landmark events that directly influenced today’s education policy climate, including the debate over appropriate roles for states and the federal government. The Read more
As many of you know, Grant Wiggins suddenly passed away on Tuesday this week. He was a giant in the field of education, transforming the way many educators think about teaching, learning, thinking, and assessment. Grant’s work on Understanding by Design and Essential Questions have influenced our work as educators, Read more