No kids in public school? You still benefit
Ω Quality public schools benefit everyone – including those without school-aged children – and therefore everyone should play a role in maintaining them, according to a study by two Michigan State University scholars. Senior citizens and others who don’t have children in school often argue they should be exempt from paying school taxes because they don’t benefit from the schools. But that’s not true, argues Zachary Neal, sociologist and lead researcher on the study, which appears in the Journal of Urban Affairs. “Those without kids in school are getting just as much benefit from pu... more »
Puzzle play may help boost learning math-related skills
Ω Children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills, a study by University of Chicago researchers has found. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of spatial skill after controlling for differences in parents’ income, education and the overall amount of parent language input. In examining video recordings of parents interacting with children during everyday activities at home, researchers found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age. “The childre... more »
Girls Like Biology, Boys Like Physics?
Ω Complete report We all have our stereotypes about which subjects appeal more to girls or boys. Well, in perusing a new report on the Advanced Placement program, Erik Robelen was intrigued to discover some hard data to help shed light on the matter. In addition to reporting participation on AP exams by racial and ethnic groups, the College Board includes the gender breakdown for all subjects tested... What girls like: • Art history: 66 percent female • Biology: 59 percent female • English literature and composition: 63 percent female • French language and culture: 69 percent female... more »
The 2012 Brown Center Report on American Education
Ω The 2012 Brown Center Report on American Education distills the results of studies to examine the state of education in the United States. In particular, the report focuses on education policy, student learning measures, trends on achievement test scores and education reform outcomes. Highlights from three of the studies featured in the report are: *Predicting the Effect of the Common Core State Standards on Student Achievement*: The Common Core will have little to no effect on student achievement. The quality or rigor of state standards has been unrelated to state NAEP scores, ... more »
The Battle Over Common Core Math Standards: Will A Larger Federal Role Help or Hinder Curriculum Improvement?
Ω * Standards raise the bar in many, but not all, states, and still do not reach the highest international level* More than 40 states have now agreed to adopt the Common Core standards in English Language Arts and math. In a forum released today by Education Next, former U.S. Department of Education official Ze’ev Wurman and Johns Hopkins University professor of mathematics W. Stephen Wilson offer differing opinions about the standards. Wurman and Wilson address key issues raised – including 1) how much the standards will improve on those currently in place in various states, 2) whe...more »
13 Questions About Education Reform By Diane Ravitch
Ω *Do politicians know anything at all about schools and education? Anything?* * as first posted here: Nieman Watchdog * (Some links added) *By Diane Ravitch **gardendr@gmail.com* *1.* Both Republican candidates and President Obama are enamored of charter schools—that is, schools that are privately managed and deregulated. Are you aware that studies consistently show that charter schools don’t get better results than regular public schools? Are you aware that studies show that, like any deregulated sector, some charter schools get high test scores, many more get low scores, b... more »
Third graders who had the arts integrated into their regular curriculum showed remarkable improvement on standardized test scores
Ω Complete article Third graders who had the arts integrated into their regular curriculum showed remarkable improvement on standardized test scores, researchers have announced. They described what they called an “astonishing” 87-point average gain on the state standardized reading test for third graders in 2010-11. The Developing Reading Education with Arts Methods, or DREAM, program is in its third year of operation in 10 school districts, funded by a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and led by California State University San Marcos and the San Dieg... more »
Number Rockets intervention had a positive effect on math achievement in grade 1
Ω A new study, Evaluation of Number Rockets: A Tier-2 Intervention for Grade 1 Students at Risk for Difficulties in Mathematics, found that the Number Rockets intervention had a positive effect on math achievement in grade 1, without having a negative effect on reading achievement. Comparison students received regular core mathematics instruction but no additional support.
High school students test best with 7 hours' rest
Ω Whether or not you know any high school students that actually get nine hours of sleep each night, that’s what federal guidelines currently prescribe. A new Brigham Young University study found that 16-18 year olds perform better academically when they shave about two hours off that recommendation. “We’re not talking about sleep deprivation,” says study author Eric Eide. “The data simply says that seven hours is optimal at that age.” The new study by Eide and fellow BYU economics professor Mark Showalter is the first in a series of studies where they examine sleep and its impact ...more »
Studies show income-based achievement gap is growing
Ω Complete article The achievement gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers has grown by roughly 40% since the 1960s, according to a recent study by researchers at Stanford University. Another study from University of Michigan researchers shows a 50% increase since the late 1980s in the imbalance between rich and poor students completing college. Furthermore, researchers say they expect the gap to widen amid the effects of the economic downturn. Ω
School Choice Program Found to Reduce Crime and its Related Social Cost Among High-Risk Youth
Ω A new study of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina (CMS) school choice program, “Does School Choice Reduce Crime? Evidence from North Carolina,” finds that high-risk male youth who are admitted by lottery to their preferred schools commit fewer crimes and remain in school longer than their peers who seek admittance but do not gain seats in the lottery process. Lottery-winning middle school students also are 18 percentage points more likely than those who lose the lottery to still be enrolled in school in 10th grade. In general, high-risk students commit about 50 percent les... more »
Advanced Placement® Results for the Class of 2011 Announced
Ω In an era when more than 35 percent of college freshmen and sophomores require remediation and less than 40 percent of college freshmen will earn a degree in four years, educators are increasingly using the high standards embedded within Advanced Placement® courses to help more high school students develop the critical thinking skills and content knowledge essential for college success. Research indicates that students who succeed on an AP Exam during high school typically experience greater academic success in college, experience lower college costs and are more likely to earn a... more »