More support for educators and increases in student achievement are among signs of progress at the anniversary of President Obama’s signature education reform, at least according to the U.S. Education Department. In the four years since the Obama Administration announced its first Race to the Top grants, the President’s signature Read more
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is now recruiting! Help shape the future of National Board Certification and experience a sample of the process that thousands of teachers have called transformative. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is seeking PreK-12 grade teachers to volunteer to participate in Read more
The U.S. Department of Education announced the start of the $134 million 2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition with the release of the program’s invitation for pre-applications for the i3 “Development” grants (up to $3,000,000 each). In its fifth round of competition, the i3 program continues to develop and 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
The U.S. Department of Education announced that 31 applications have been selected as finalists for the Race to the Top-District (RTTT-D) competition. The 2013 RTTT-D program will provide close to $120 million to support locally developed plans to personalize and improve student learning, directly increase student achievement and educator effectiveness, Read more
Applications and nominations are now open for the 2014 Fishman Prize. TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all students get excellent teachers, recently opened the third annual application period for the Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice. The prestigious award is given to four public school teachers a Read more
EQuIP (Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products) is an initiative of the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network designed to identify high-quality materials aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Achieve is very excited to announce the selection of a new round of EQuIP Peer Review Panel members. Below Read more
TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all students get excellent teachers, recently released the latest in its one-of-a-kind series of essays on effective teaching written by and for practicing teachers. Titled “Going Deep: Empowering Students to Take Risks, Make Mistakes and Master Difficult Material,” the new paper was Read more
Two recent studies have shown that Race to the Top, the Obama Administration’s signature education initiative to help states close achievement gaps, has not lived up to its billing. The first, by Elaine Weiss of the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education, argues that a lack of time, resources, and tools Read more
The first of the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top District grantees proposed reforms for personalized learning environments that challenge every aspect of the traditional school culture, including what is taught, how it is taught, and where it is taught. Now, as the Department of Education invites districts Read more
Did you have a teacher who inspired you? One who changed your life? Is there a teacher you credit with helping you become the person you are today? Do you remember a specific interaction with your teacher that proved to be a moment of inspiration and transformation? Share your story. Read more
The Department is currently seeking applications for the Advanced Placement (AP) Test Fee Program and the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program. The AP Test Free Program awards grants to states to enable them to pay all or a portion of AP test fees on behalf of low-income students. Applications Read more
The U.S. Department of Education announced the start of the $150 million 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition with the release of the program’s invitation for pre-applications for the i3 “Development” grant category and the notice of final priorities for the i3 program overall. The announcement incorporates several improvements Read more
The Spencer Foundation, an organization that investigates “ways in which education, broadly conceived, can be improved around the world,” is seeking research studies to inform the current push for data-based educational reforms. Here is more from the press release: We announce a second-round Request for Proposals (RFP) to promote research Read more
The GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy are partnering to present their first-ever Music Educator Award. The award is open to U.S.-based music teachers from kindergarten through college, in public and private schools. Anyone can nominate a teacher, and teachers may nominate themselves. Nominated teachers will be notified and invited Read more
Big changes may be coming in the way the Department of Education selects grant recipients. Last year, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo to federal agencies requiring them to demonstrate the use of evidence in their fiscal 2014 budget requests. This new requirement signals a shift of Read more