Improving teacher effectiveness relies on effective professional learning experiences for in-service, induction and veteran educators. With so much in flux — standards, curriculum, assessment, and evaluation — professional learning is more important than ever. In this month’s issue brief, we focus on professional learning, pulling together various resources and offering Read more
As states and districts transition to the more rigorous Common Core State Standards, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) has released a new paper, “Preparing Teachers for the Common Core: Aligning Standards for Teaching with Standards for Learning”, outlining how the TAP Teaching Standards clearly align to the Read more
As teachers and students are heading back to school, Jenny DeMonte at the Center for American Progress has penned a timely piece about teacher professional development. DeMonte argues that there is a general consensus that most current systems of educator professional development (PD) are not effective, and calls for reforms Read more
Coursera, one of the larger MOOC’s (massive open online courses), will begin offering free online teacher development courses this summer. And for a set of courses that are just beginning, a rather impressive list of traditional universities including the College of Education at University of Washington and John Hopkins University Read more
WestEd believes that the Common Core State Standards offer educators a unique opportunity to use formative assessment to help raise student achievement. They hope to help make this happen with the release of three new papers about formative assessment. WestEd, an agency that works with education and other communities to Read more
Two years ago, active classroom teachers working temporarily at the U.S. Department of Education launched a national dialogue with their classroom colleagues to talk openly and honestly about the challenges and aspirations of America’s teachers. The Education Department engaged more than 5,700 educators nationwide to develop and refine a vision Read more
Forty-five states, four territories, the District of Columbia and DoDEA are currently transitioning to full implementation of the Common Core State Standards. While some groups are further along than others, educators across the country are seeking high quality resources to facilitate this process. In this month’s issue brief, we explore Read more
If the Common Core initiative is to have a chance to take off, a new strategy of professional development, coupled with thoughtful evaluation is necessary. This is according to Peter Youngs, writing under the auspices of the Center for American Progress. This new strategy requires reform of the current system Read more
Free Webinar from All4Ed: Building on the Common Core State Standards to Improve Learning for English Language Learners Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education on Tuesday, February 26, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (ET), for a webinar on how the transition to Common Core State Standards and Next-Generation Read more
A new partnership between the non-profit group New Leaders and Pearson Education seeks to improve the performance of school leadership through the use of technology-backed professional learning opportunities. New Leaders, the non-profit organization whose mission is to develop school leaders and promote system-wide conditions for student success, is partnering with Read more
Digital Learning Day was February 6th (see https://www.coreeducationllc.com/blog2/digital-learning-day-2013-is-february-6/ ), and educators throughout the nation joined together to imagine the possibilities for technology facilitated learning. In this month’s issue brief, we explore competency-based education and recommendations for virtual schooling and technology-facilitated learning. What elements of digital learning hold the most promise Read more
Update: Although the forum has ended, it is worthwhile to click on each “Issue” for an archived copy of the forum, and a record of the rich discussion. Original Post: Join the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) for Teacher Professional Development in Crisis: How Can We Give Teachers Read more
The Alliance for Excellent Education is sponsoring its second annual “Digital Learning Day 2013” on February 6 to “promote digital learning and spotlight successful instructional technology practice in the classroom.” 46 states and DC, including a total of over 16,000 teachers have signed up to participate. Bob Wise, former governor Read more
The National Center for Education Statistics, in conjunction with the Institute of Education Sciences and the U.S. Department of Education, has recently released the Forum Guide to Taking Action with Education Data. The goal of the new Forum Guide is to give educators practical ideas about how they can process Read more
Memphis City Schools has partnered with Teachscape to install a city-wide system of video capture systems that will allow for improved teacher professional growth. The city expects to use the system for teacher development, support, as well as evaluation. Each school will have at least one device as part of Read more
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $3 million “Investing in Innovation” grant to a partnership of educational organizations that will aid in two major educational initiatives: better preparing new teachers and bolstering math and science instruction. The project will operate under the leadership of the National Board for Read more