New Data Tool Rates ‘Educational Opportunity’ Offered in Nation’s Schools, Districts

An interactive data tool from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University creates the first database that attempts to measure the performance of every elementary and middle school in the country.   The data set not only provides academic achievement for schools, districts, and states around the country, but it also allows those entities to be Read more about New Data Tool Rates ‘Educational Opportunity’ Offered in Nation’s Schools, Districts[…]

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Early-College High School Students More Likely to Earn Postsecondary Degrees

Building on a previous randomized experiment of the impact of Early Colleges (ECs) (Berger et al., 2013), the American Institutes for Research (AIR) has released a new follow-up study that assesses the longer-term impacts of ECs on students’ postsecondary outcomes 6 years after expected high school graduation. Using data from the National Student Clearinghouse, researchers Read more about Early-College High School Students More Likely to Earn Postsecondary Degrees[…]

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Scientific research on how to teach critical thinking contradicts education trends

Recently for The Hechinger Report, Jill Barshay provided an overview of scientific research that finds that content knowledge is crucial to effective critical thinking. Portions of the piece appear below: Critical thinking is all the rage in education. Schools brag that they teach it on their websites and in open houses to impress parents. Some Read more about Scientific research on how to teach critical thinking contradicts education trends[…]

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Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success

Each year in the United States, 46 million children are exposed to violence, crime, abuse, homelessness, or food insecurity, as well as a range of other experiences that cause psychological trauma. These experiences create toxic stress that can affect children’s attention, learning, and behavior. Research on human development shows that the effects of such trauma Read more about Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success[…]

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Elevating Student Voice in Education

Students have the greatest stake in their education but often little to no say in how it is delivered.  This lack of agency represents a lost opportunity to accelerate learning and prepare students for a world in which taking initiative and learning new skills are increasingly paramount to success-that’s where “student voice” comes in. The Read more about Elevating Student Voice in Education[…]

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How Schools Can Cultivate Courage in the Face of Fear

Recently in Getting Smart, Tyler Thigpen wrote a piece on fear in the classroom, offering educators some insight into the debilitating anxiety that some students experience. Excerpts from the piece appear below: What if by understanding where fears stem from, educators could design the learning environment for optimal courage? Courage is not about avoiding fear. Read more about How Schools Can Cultivate Courage in the Face of Fear[…]

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The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth

Researchers from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, D.C. have released a new report, “The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth.” Adolescents—young people ages 10 to 25—make up nearly one-fourth of the U.S. population. Drawing upon recent scientific advances, the report finds ample evidence that adolescence offers great promise: Read more about The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth[…]

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SEL Integration Approach for Classroom Educators

Transforming Education has released a new resource, SEL Integration Approach for Classroom Educators. In A National at Hope, the Aspen SEAD Commission highlighted the importance of “integrat[ing] social, emotional, and cognitive development into academic curricula and throughout the day.”  By integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into the fabric of the school day, educators can support students Read more about SEL Integration Approach for Classroom Educators[…]

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Teacher Mindsets: How Educators’ Perspectives Shape Student Success

Research increasingly points to the importance of social and emotional learning to student success. Teachers play a central role in these dimensions of learning, particularly in helping students feel connected to school and have a positive sense of themselves as learners. Through the messages they send and the experiences they provide in classrooms, teachers shape Read more about Teacher Mindsets: How Educators’ Perspectives Shape Student Success[…]

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Alignment Matters: A Framework for Advancing Student Learning and Promoting Equity

What do high performing schools have in common? Among other things, they have rigorous academic standards, rich curriculum, and high-quality assessments. They also have well-trained educators who have regular access to accurate and useful data. And they have a culture of equity that undergirds their work. All of these reinforce one another to drive student Read more about Alignment Matters: A Framework for Advancing Student Learning and Promoting Equity[…]

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Coleman: Applying to college has become an endless chore

Recently in The Atlantic, David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, reflected on the hoops that students are jumping through to get admitted to college and recommended a renewed focus on what really matters. Excerpts of his piece appear below: The crazed pursuit of college admissions helps no one thrive. And while the Varsity Blues Read more about Coleman: Applying to college has become an endless chore[…]

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Why Equally Talented Students Don’t Get Equal Chances to Succeed

The great sorting of the most talented young people into haves and have-nots starts long before college, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Born to Win, Schooled to Lose: Why Equally Talented Students Don’t Get Equal Chances Read more about Why Equally Talented Students Don’t Get Equal Chances to Succeed[…]

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To Promote Success in Schools, Focus on Teacher Well-being

Writing for the Brookings Institute, Amy Roberts and Helyn Kim explore the importance of teacher well-being for student success. Excerpts of the piece appear below: Without question, teachers are central to student success. Anyone who has taught knows how rewarding it is to witness student learning. Teaching can also be one of the most stressful, Read more about To Promote Success in Schools, Focus on Teacher Well-being[…]

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What social and emotional learning needs to succeed and survive

Writing for AEI, Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Frederick M. Hess explore what is needed to make social and emotional learning (SEL) thrive in today’s schools. The report offers seven suggestions for SEL advocates and funders as they seek to deliver on SEL’s promise and avoid its pitfalls. Suggestions include: Slow down and focus on Read more about What social and emotional learning needs to succeed and survive[…]

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How to Innovate: Options for School Districts

School district leaders know that standardized tests are a narrow view of learning outcomes. Many want to embrace a broader view of career and citizenship readiness, and want to engage young people in active learning to promote these important outcomes-but these changes come with a variety of challenges.   Typical school district dilemmas include: * Read more about How to Innovate: Options for School Districts[…]

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Integrating Social, Emotional and Academic Development

Integrating Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD): An Action Guide for School Leadership Teams provides practical advice, curated resources, and action steps for school leaders to improve the student experience, calling out specific equity implications in every section. Published by Education First and co-developed with practitioner-leaders from Minneapolis and Nashville public schools and experts from the Read more about Integrating Social, Emotional and Academic Development[…]

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