School districts across the country are tackling the toughest challenges in education, from kindergarten readiness, to family engagement, to school redesign. To address these challenges, we need to understand how they are experienced in different settings — from small, rural districts to large, urban districts — and we need to Read more
According to the Office of Civil Rights within the U.S. Education Department, there are approximately 3.2 million students in public schools in gifted and talented programs. Although Federal law acknowledges that children with gifts and talents have unique needs that are not traditionally offered in regular school settings, it offers Read more
Janice Walton recently wrote a piece for Getting Smart, focused on the need for students to practice and apply Project Management skills in the K-12 classroom. She writes: One of the keys to successfully integrating a project-based learning experience into the classroom is project management. A teacher first must effectively Read more
Thomas Arnett, senior research fellow at the Christensen Institute, recently summarized his new research paper for The 74. Excerpts appear below: Recently, my colleagues and I released a research paper that unveils common misconceptions about change management in schools. Given that many school initiatives falter for lack of teacher buy-in, Read more
For the past two years, Education First has facilitated a community of practice of five teacher preparation technical assistance centers–Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, National Center for Teacher Residencies, TeacherSquared, TeachingWorks and University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Prep–working to reimagine the way teachers are prepared for Read more
Recently in Education Week, Madeline Will wrote about the challenges that the CAEP standards have faced in the past five years and the goal of strengthening teacher preparation. Excerpts of the piece appear below: The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, which was created by a 2010 merger between Read more
Another student gets good grades, graduates from high school, and earns admission to a public university, but realizes too late that high school coursework did not provide the academic preparation needed for college and must be repeated- this time costing college tuition. All students deserve the opportunity to take courses Read more
The PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools is the most trusted source of public opinion about K-12 education. This poll queried U.S. adults about a range of issues confronting education, including teacher pay and the teaching profession, school security, options for improving the public schools, perceptions Read more
A highly effective teacher can inspire incredible growth in students, but too often, our most talented teachers leave the classroom. How to retain teachers has emerged as a key area of interest for district leaders and policymakers. In Core Education’s June issue brief, we explore a variety of incentives, strategies, Read more
There’s no denying political climate change. The past 18 months have seen an enormous swing in the Washington power balance, a shift that has heightened the polarization that has characterized our public life for more than a decade now. How has this divisive political climate influenced public opinion on education Read more
Of the nearly 100 different types of high school diplomas that are awarded across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, less than half prepare students for success in college and a career, according to a new report by the Alliance for Excellent Education. And while the national high Read more
There is a communication gap that creates a significant disconnect in how parents think their children are doing in school versus reality. In its second national survey, Learning Heroes found that 9 in 10 parents think their children are performing at or above grade level in math and reading — Read more
Increasingly, schools are becoming the centers of student well-being, providing more meals during the day, health exams, as well as greater social and emotional coaching. So the most recent federal report on children’s well-being gives a snapshot of what today’s 73.6 million children need — from mental health services to Read more
Tests are one important tool state and education leaders, teachers and parents rely on to help schools ensure students are on track for learning what they need for success. Tests signal the knowledge and skills that are deemed most important, show how schools and students are progressing, and help identify Read more
Paul Lingenfelter, president emeritus of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, recently reflected on the impasse between policymakers and educational practitioners in the Carnegie Commons blog. Excerpts from his piece appear below: Educators and policymakers together have failed to develop the capabilities needed to achieve the higher levels of Read more
Chester E. Finn, Jr., distinguished senior fellow and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, recently reflected on the illusion of college readiness for National Affairs. Excerpts from his piece appear below: Our K-12 education system has a transparency problem, and our higher-education system is complicit. While some American Read more