For too many students, the misalignment of high school and postsecondary mathematics requirements is an unnecessary barrier to reaching their academic and career goals. Although the nature of careers has evolved over time, mathematics curriculum and instruction have largely remained unchanged; but in recent years, some states’ postsecondary and K-12 Read more
A study conducted by American Institutes for Research (AIR) for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) shows that even small amounts of the right kind of feedback to teachers and principals can have a positive effect on student achievement in math. These findings are important for states and districts looking Read more
Ben Jensen of the The National Center on Education and the Economy examines how the U.S. can improve teacher preparation by learning from Finland, Japan, Shanghai and Hong Kong and how these top-performing countries prepare teachers for the classroom. These four systems arm teachers with a rich understanding of the subject Read more
The educators in Student Achievement Partners’ Core Advocate Network have developed a catalog of recommended tools for targeted teaching. What I Use in My Classroom features more than 30 resources, each endorsed by a teacher in the Core Advocate Network, and includes an explanation from each teacher about how they’ve Read more
According to Achieve, over the past few years, nearly all states have made significant changes to their mathematics standards in an effort to better align with college- and career-ready expectations. At the same time, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), seen as the “nation’s report card,” continues to play Read more
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has released a synthesis of research it has funded on mathematics teaching and learning, Synthesis of IES- Funded Research on Mathematics: 2002-2013. This synthesis reviews published papers on IES-supported research from projects awarded between 2002 and 2013. The authors identified 28 specific contributions that Read more
When teachers enter the profession during a recession, they’re more effective at boosting student test scores in math, a new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds. Recession-era teachers didn’t have as much of an effect on student reading scores. The study considers data for 33,000 fourth Read more
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Hunt Institute recently collaborated on the production of a video series to enhance understanding of the mathematics skills students need to succeed in college, life and careers. Beginning with mathematics in the primary grades, “Math Voices: Educators and Mathematicians Talk Read more
Author of the commentary for Education Week and math expert Marilyn Burns, says, “From more than 50 years of teaching experience, I’ve learned that elementary school teachers are typically more comfortable teaching reading.” Burns is mostly concerned in her article with discussing elementary level education, although her principle could be Read more
Two groups made important announcements recently: EdReports.org ( http://www.edreports.org/discussions/webinars/webinar-results-instructional-materials.html ) released an analysis of math textbooks’ alignment to the Common Core State Standards, and Michigan State University’s Dr. William Schmidt released the Textbook Navigator Journal (http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2015/msu-researcher-launches-common-core-tool-for-teachers/), a tool that enables educators to locate the lessons in 34 mathematics textbook series Read more
Education non-profit GreatSchools is out with videos in English and Spanish that detail Common Core expectations for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The short videos are meant to help educators and parents better understand what children should know how to do and when. For example, the math videos for Read more
Teach for America is no stranger to controversy. For some, they are the poster child for the new wave of urban education and should be commended for the way that they are able to recruit highly talented, motivated college graduates to devote at least 2 years to teaching in nigh-needs Read more
Mathematics education in the U.S. has always been a complicated issue: on the one hand, there is a general consensus that mathematics is a fundamental skill that all students should possess, yet there is also the common – and false – perception that not all students are “good at math” Read more
BetterLesson has partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to offer a two-year program for master math teachers to develop Common Core aligned math curriculum that they would share with other teachers. For those skilled teachers selected, BetterLesson is offering a stipend of $30,000 paid out over the course Read more
Education Week is again offering new “Spotlights on Education” for free. Spotlights are collections of recent articles grouped by theme to give readers an in-depth look at education issues. Featured Spotlights include: The Education Week Spotlight on Personalized Learning – a collection of articles hand-picked by Ed Week editors for Read more
The What Works Clearinghouse has released a new guide focused on improving math skills in students in the middle grades. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), part of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), functions as a central repository for education research on “what works” in education. Periodically, IES releases a Read more