2014-2015 was the first year in which states rolled out Common Core aligned, value-added tests. These tests promised to be better at evaluating the real progress (or lack of progress) that students are making than previous tests because they would be computerized and therefore able to include more interactive types Read more
Michael J. Petrilli of the Fordham Institute has put together a very handy table showing us where things currently stand on ESEA re-authorization. Remember, the most recent version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (first passed during the Johnson Administration) is No Child Left Behind, which was passed in Read more
It is hard to tell if states are doing anything about poor teacher education programs, since many are not evaluating them like they are required to do. Even the federal government’s watchdog arm seems a bit stumped by the absence of performance information on teaching programs. At least seven states Read more
Chester Finn of Education Excellence has written a post on the Common Core Watch blog where he broaches the issue that many education professionals have been contemplating but not talking openly about much: are we actually going to get anything useful out of the first batch of Common Core aligned Read more
More and more states, communities, school districts, colleges and universities are focused on helping students get to and through college. Increasingly we understand that to have the strongest impact, K-12 and higher education must work together. Greater alignment and shared ownership of college readiness and success can lead to more Read more
Christopher Cross has written an insightful piece for Teachers College Record, focusing on the need to establish a national policy on education so that there is a clear understanding of our national priority and appropriate roles for states and the federal government. An excerpt: We have no stated national commitment Read more
The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) explores key elements of policies that support deeper learning in schools – including policies that state boards of education must seriously consider to ensure their state’s students are prepared for college, career and civic life. In Deeper Learning: Policies for a Read more
Most colleges can’t keep their doors open without an accreditor’s seal of approval, which is needed to get students access to federal loans and grants. But accreditors hardly ever kick out the worst-performing colleges and lack uniform standards for assessing graduation rates and loan defaults, according to The Wall Street 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
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
The PARCC Governing Board, made up of the state education commissioners and superintendents, voted recently to consolidate the two PARCC testing windows into one and to reduce total test time by about 90 minutes beginning in the 2015-16 school year. The vote came in response to school district and teacher Read more
Implementing, revising, adapting, or adopting new academic standards is a significant undertaking that requires extensive support, planning, and resources. Where do state policymakers begin? A new NASBE resource, New Science Standards: A Readiness Assessment for State Boards of Education, guides state boards of education through the complex process of reviewing, Read more
The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) unveiled a video series that features business and education leaders discussing why college- and career-ready standards benefit students and employers. The series consists of three videos and is part of the nonpartisan, business-led public policy organization’s work to support the Read more
Education professional Steve Peha has a new newsletter out discussing the ongoing fears and debates surrounding the Common Core. While Peha is in no way one of the more vocal and enthusiastic backers of the Common Core, he does still support it because “we may end up at least one Read more
In honor of the fact that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed 50 years ago this month, Alyson Klein at Education Week has a lengthy article out describing its legacy and the current challenges related to passing a re-authorization of the bill (whose most recent version was Read more