It is back to school time, and children everywhere are being asked, “Who is your teacher this year?” In this month’s issue brief from Core Education, we explore the data to offer a profile of the American teacher. The demographics of the American educator workforce has changed over the past Read more
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. With research pointing to both immediate and long-lasting effects of attention to student social and emotional learning in schools, states and districts are working Read more
Recent research reveals that although districts spend large amounts of money on professional development, PD has a poor reputation for actually improving instructional practice, and research shows that current approaches are not having the desired effect on teacher practice or student achievement. In the May issue brief from Core Education, Read more
School administrators serve as instructional leaders and set the tone for the culture of a school. The principal’s influence is pivotal. In the March issue brief, Core Education explores effective school leadership and recommendations for policy to improve the training, support, and evaluation of educational leaders. To view the Read more
This year the United States hit a record high graduation rate of 83 percent, and 66 percent of graduating students enrolled in college. But we are discovering that high school graduation does not necessarily equate to readiness for college coursework. NAEP data show that only 37 percent of high school Read more
It sounds simple—award credit based on student learning. But as more schools and districts begin to develop competency-based pathways, questions have arisen about the best way to go about implementing these models. Complexities related to student grouping, curriculum design, scheduling, assessment, and grading abound. In this month’s issue brief, we Read more
To build a world-class educational system, America needs outstanding teachers. But how do we entice exceptional candidates into the teaching pipeline and recruit them in the states and districts that need them most? Why are there teacher surpluses in some areas and extreme shortages in others? In this month’s issue Read more
Recent research reveals that although districts spend large amounts of money on professional development, PD has a poor reputation for actually improving instructional practice, and teachers claim that current approaches are not meeting their needs. In this month’s issue brief, we focus on the problems with professional development, look to Read more
Teachers often know best when it comes to helping their students achieve academic success, but districts and schools are not set up to capitalize on the wisdom of teachers. In this month’s issue brief from Core Education, we explore ideas related to increasing teacher professionalism, including changed teacher roles, teacher-powered Read more
With the authorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act, all eyes are on State Education Agencies (SEAs) for direction and leadership related to education reform. There is no doubt that SEAs will serve an essential role in the future of our country’s educational system, but the scope of that role Read more
How are America’s students really doing? We thought we knew, back when each state gave its own state assessments, but it turns out that proficiency rates were often highly inflated. Now we have some states collaborating in assessment consortia (e.g., PARCC and Smarter Balanced). Those common assessments will help provide Read more
With all of the recent focus on college and career-readiness, some educators are feeling that they are being diverted away from fostering social and emotional learning in students. The fact is, however, social and emotional learning, or SEL, is critical for student success in the 21st century. In this month’s Read more
Nearly every state is revamping its teacher evaluation system, with most states requiring evaluations that employ a mixture of student performance and observation of teachers. While there has been much forward movement, there has been just as much concern, especially over the fairness of the new evaluations for teachers in Read more
School administrators serve as instructional leaders and set the tone for the culture of a school. The principal’s influence is pivotal. In this month’s issue brief, we explore school leadership and recommendations for improving the preparation, selection and work of educational leaders. What are the qualities that make a great Read more
Recently, teacher preparation programs have come under scrutiny, and pressure is mounting to increase program accountability for recruiting and preparing effective teachers. This month’s issue brief offers resources and food for thought related to teacher preparation reform. What are the most promising practices for effective teacher preparation? What evidence is Read more
The U.S. Department of Education has recently awarded 30 districts with funding to support new educator evaluation and compensation systems through the Teacher Incentive Fund. This month’s issue brief offers resources and food for thought around educator evaluation. What are the most promising practices for educator evaluation? What evidence is Read more