The folks over at Shanker Blog have been writing recently about how education reform cannot happen in a vacuum. Schools and the people in them are inherently social, so approaching education reform through a social lens makes sense. Here is a piece from one of their recent blogs: For the past few months, we have Read more about Resources on the Social Side of Education Reform[…]
The American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think-tank that covers education issues, has a new series of videos out addressing the course of education reform in the United States. Following is an excerpt from their description of the series: Our schools are failing the most vulnerable kids. Everyone’s heard the scary statistics. But the dollars we Read more about Three new videos from AEI Vision Talks[…]
As employers and postsecondary institutions increasingly demand students and workers equipped with high-level skills, many states are exploring performance assessments as part of their K-12 education strategies. Unlike multiple-choice tests, these assessments require students to construct answers, produce products, or perform activities; they allow educators to assess student performance meaningfully and foster deeper Read more about Performance Assessments: How State Policy Can Advance Assessments for 21st Century Learning[…]
In a new report, Skills for Success: Supporting and Assessing Key Habits, Mindsets, and Skills in PreK-12, Melissa Tooley and Laura Bornfreund highlight trends and raise important considerations for schools supporting and assessing a more comprehensive set of student “skills for success” and explore how assessments of these skills could be used to inform school Read more about Supporting and Assessing Key Habits, Mindsets, and Skills in PreK-12[…]
ASCD has a new bulletin out about teacher leadership that is an excellent jumping off point for anyone looking to both advance the role of teachers and improve student achievement. It first explores the teacher leadership landscape by featuring recent data on the primary characteristics of teacher leaders, identifying states that offer formal teacher leader Read more about ASCD’s newest Policy Points on Teacher Leadership[…]
Stuart Butler of the Brookings Institutions has some bold predictions for changes to higher education in coming years. He bases his predictions on signs that have become more evident in recent years, but as of yet have not significantly disturbed the four-year college education establishment. His 4 key predictions are: Tuition will begin to fall Read more about Reimagining College in 2015[…]
Education Evolving is launching, in partnership with the Center for Teaching Quality, an online guide: “Steps to Creating a Teacher-Powered School.” The guide walks educators through the stages in creating a school designed and run by teachers. It’s an updated, interactive version of the PDF guide with the same name released earlier this year. This Read more about Creating a Teacher-Powered School[…]
The Time for Equity Indicators Framework is a web-based tool today that provides school and district leaders, reform support partners, researchers, and community organizations with a wealth of information about how to effectively measure the process and impact of expanding and reimagining learning time. It has been developed by the Annenberg Institute Read more about Time for Equity Indicators Framework[…]
There has been a growing debate over the role state education agencies should play in our K-12 system. A just-released ERS report makes the case that we shouldn’t be focused on expanding or limiting the role of states but on ensuring they are more strategic in how they support districts and schools. In “Spinning Straw Read more about Spin Straw into Gold — A Report Highlights Role States Can Play to Support Districts[…]
From Rachel Herzfeldt-Kamprath and Maryam Adamu at Center for American Progress comes a new report about the importance of reforms to early childhood education. The past decade has been significant for the growth of early childhood programs. From the increased understanding of brain development in infants and toddlers to the more rigorous monitoring of social Read more about Why We Need a Federal Preschool Investment in 6 Charts[…]
Districts across the country use wildly different salary scales for compensating teachers – and a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality does the math on what that means for career educators. NCTQ even factors in the cost of living to come up with some eye-popping statistics. For instance: A teacher at the Read more about Smart money: What teachers make, how long it takes and what it buys them[…]
In today’s rapidly changing global economy, “21st century skills” means much more than proficiency in basic academic subjects. One of the most important non-cognitive competencies for student success is conscientiousness, which encompasses traits such as perseverance, self-regulation, resilience, and responsibility. This policy brief provides an overview of conscientiousness and its relationship to student achievement, and Read more about Brief: Understanding Conscientiousness and Its Role in Improved Student Achievement[…]
Over the years, various research studies have suggested that teachers have the greatest school-based effect on student achievement. In recent years, however, the crucial role of principals has also been made clearer by research. So, how does principal turnover harm students? The turnover rate for principals is higher than nearly any other white-collar profession, with Read more about Reducing the Principal Turnover Rate[…]
The Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC) is pleased to release its new report, Measuring School Climate: Using Existing Data Tools on Climate and Effectiveness to Inform School Organizational Health. An increasing awareness of the relationship between school climate and student outcomes is evident in conversations in the national media about suspensions and safety, and schools Read more about The Baltimore Education Research Consortium Releases New Report[…]
Let’s say you want to improve elementary literacy scores in your district. You might use a Return on Investment (ROI) analysis to compare which professional development program will most help your literacy teachers for the money invested. But is a new PD program even the best solution? You might see more ROI from recruiting and Read more about ROI: Making Every Dollar Count[…]
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is asking businesses to pledge their support for the Common Core State Standards in a new video. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has announced the release of its latest video in support of the Common Core State Standards, Make Their Minds Fly. This short video and corresponding infographic Read more about U.S. Chamber of Commerce Support of Common Core[…]