Michael Lewis’ book, Moneyball, which later became a motion picture starring Brad Pitt, details the transformation of baseball’s Oakland A’s through data analytics. The true story makes a compelling case that making decisions based on data is both cost effective and powerful. In this month’s issue brief, we explore the 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
Education Week has released a new review of the updated Doug Lemov education bestseller, Teach Like a Champion. The updated version builds on the strategies from the first version, which came out in 2010. The book has been especially popular with teachers and schools, who appreciate its particular focus on Read more
Every learner is different. Nowhere is this as true as it is for teachers. Every teacher comes to the classroom with a different background, different set of skills and differences in how they learn best. Add to this complexity the fact that every teacher has a different set of students Read more
Education Policy 101 is an innovative online course that introduces the key education policies that affect American K-12 students. It provides a comprehensive, research-based foundation for navigating current education-policy issues such as school choice, teacher quality, education finance, early childhood education and standards and accountability. Course instructors include: Martin West, Read more
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 Read more
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was engaged by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct a research study on professional development for teachers to help identify needs and opportunities for improvement. To inform this research, between January and March 2014, BCG engaged more than 1,300 stakeholders—including teachers, professional development Read more
In today’s information age, educational resources are being shared on an unprecedented scale. Common standards facilitate this sharing across districts and states, and national organizations and non-profits are beginning to develop open educational resources (OERs) for widespread use. While OERs are becoming more prevalent, how can educators locate materials that Read more
In today’s contentious education debates, Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) offer a compelling middle ground that provides rigor and concrete data yet in a way that accommodates student needs. The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) has several new resources available for education leaders to use in order to Read more
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 Read more
Join REL Mid-Atlantic for an Ask An Expert online chat on Using Student Surveys to Monitor Teacher Effectiveness. Kim Marshall, a former teacher of the year and principal who now advises and coaches new principals, will lead the discussion. He teaches instructional leadership and publishes The Marshall Memo, a weekly Read more
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 Read more
The Center on Education Policy (CEP) at The George Washington University has released “A Compendium of Research on the Common Core Standards,” a compilation of over 60 research studies focused on a range of issues and topics related to the Common Core Standards. CEP has been a leading voice on Read more
EdReports.org, a new, independent nonprofit designed to improve K-12 education in the United States, will launch in winter 2014. EdReports.org will provide free, web-based reviews of instructional materials focusing on alignment to the Common Core and other indicators of high quality as recommended by educators, including usability, teacher support, and Read more
Faced with tougher state standards and new research about how children learn, more schools and school districts have plunged into variants of personalized learning, or approaches to instruction that seek to better cater to students’ individual learning needs. This special report from Education Week explores that growing interest in personalized Read more
TeacherLedProfessionalLearning.org aims to catalyze changes to ensure that all teachers have the chance to learn on the job and that great teachers can lead on the job. The website starts with a simple premise: Schools already have their greatest professional development resource on hand: great teachers who are ready to Read more