More than 3 million students in grades three through eight won’t have to take older standardized tests this spring while trying out new exams aligned to the Common Core. Thanks to a long-awaited waiver granted by the Education Department, California doesn’t have to collect and report statewide assessment data in Read more
In recent years a substantial number of policy makers, educators, corporate leaders and other concerned citizens have sought to find ways to narrow academic achievement gaps. Some view this task as a matter of basic fairness and equity – assuring that all students have the opportunity to compete on a Read more
On March 20, the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) is hosting a free webinar entitled “Getting Ready for the Assessment Consortia Field Tests.” The live webinar, which can also be viewed as a recording afterward, will be from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST and the panelists will include: Jacqueline Read more
Joshua Starr, the superintendent of the Montgomery County, MD, school system in suburban Washington, is no stranger to controversy over mandated testing. This blog covered his past attempt to delay testing aligned with Common Core in order to give his district teachers more time to prepare students for the changes Read more
A high school diploma is no longer the ticket to the middle class that it used to be. To earn a family-sustaining income and enjoy opportunities for career advancement at a time of rapid change, some kind of postsecondary education – whether at four-year institutions, community colleges or training programs Read more
Following on the heels of the announcement by the AFT about a “bar-exam for teachers” and announcements by states of prospective teacher tests that include practical teaching elements, the educational testing giant ETS will begin offering their own version of this sort of test. Field-testing began last month for the Read more
The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders has a running, “Ask the Team” series of briefs in which they dilute detailed research into concise and readable form. Three briefs released recently focus on performance-based compensation, tiered licensure, and alternate certification. Performance-Based Compensation: Linking Performance to Teacher Salaries This Ask the Read more
“I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing especially tough odds to stay on track and reach their full potential.” President Barack Obama, January 28, 2014 President Obama is taking action to launch My Brother’s Read more
An oft-cited question in education circles is how much poorly-performing teachers are able to continue to collect paychecks because of tenure systems and powerful teachers’ unions. This question becomes even more contentious when it is combined with the argument that more poorly performing teachers usually teach at underprivileged schools. In Read more
The Alliance for Excellent Education invites education professionals to attend an upcoming webinar entitled: “The Postsecondary Success Collaborative: Partnerships to Increase College Enrollment.” The free webinar will be held on March 24, 2014 from 1-2 pm, EST. The panelists for the event will be: Maud Abeel, Associate Director for Strategic Read more
Florida has joined New York and Ohio as states to publicly release value-added data on teachers’ performance, despite litigation from the Florida teachers’ union and opposition from such notable education heavyweights as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. What is most contentious is that 70% Read more
Wisconsin, a state of stark political contrasts, is the most recent state to face a contentious debate about whether to move forward with Common Core. A state with a strong base of liberals as well as one of the most notable conservative governors in Scott Walker, Wisconsin adopted Common Core Read more
According to a new issue brief by Taylor White of the Carnegie Foundation, many states and districts have begun to alter their original, one-size-fits-all evaluation processes to bring greater quality and efficiency to their evaluation systems. Evaluating Teachers More Strategically: Using Performance Results to Streamline Evaluation Systems explores differentiation strategies Read more
The Education Department has recently released news of extensions given to states which had previously received NCLB waivers. So, in essence, ED is providing another year to states to achieve the changes they agreed to achieve when they first obtained waivers. This blog has written extensively in the past about Read more
ASCD, the global education community, announced new features available on its free common core implementation tool ASCD EduCore. For the new year, the updated EduCore website features simpler navigation and expanded resources. Launched in August of 2012, the free EduCore digital tool is available for educators implementing the Common Core Read more
School administrators serve as instructional leaders and set the tone for the culture of a school. The principal’s influence is pivotal. In this month’s issue brief, we explore effective school leadership and recommendations for improving the training, support and evaluation of educational leaders. What essential skills should principals master in Read more