THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT
Autistic Kids Best IQ Peers at Math, Show Different Brain Organization
Children with autism and average IQs consistently demonstrated superior math skills compared with nonautistic children in the same IQ range, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital."There appears to be a unique pattern of brain organization that underlies superior problem-solving abilities in children with autism," sa
Developing behavioral skills in children: long term effects
This study exploits a randomized trial of two light-touch elementary school interventions to estimate long-run impacts on postsecondary attendance and attainment. The first is a classroom management technique for developing behavioral skills in children. Assignment to the behavioral intervention increases the likelihood of college attendance for females, especially at 2-year institutions, but has
YESTERDAY
GAO Report : Over one-third of charter schools not reporting ELL's
"Potential broader problems with charter school reporting"From the GAO Report:GAO was unable to compare ELL enrollment in charter schools to ELL enrollment in traditional public schools because Education’s only available data on school-level ELL enrollment were unreliable and incomplete. Specifically, for over one-third of charter schools, the field for reporting the counts of ELLs enrolled in ELL
AUG 15
Preschoolers Inability to Estimate Quantity Relates to Later Math Difficulty
Preschool children who showed less ability to estimate the number of objects in a group were 2.4 times more likely to have a later mathematical learning disability than other young people, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. Parents may be able to help their children develop their skills at approximating group sizes by emphasizing numerals while interacting with young
AUG 14
Achievement results for Native students have remained nearly flat.
Despite recent progress in improving achievement among students of color, achievement results for Native students have remained nearly flat. As performance has stagnated, the gaps separating Native students from their white peers have mostly widened.A new brief from The Education Trust, “The State of Education for Native Students,” finds that schools aren’t performing nearly well enough for Native
AUG 13
Increasing school-day physical activity = higher overall daily physical activity in youth
Increasing school-day physical activity through policy and programs is commonly suggested to prevent obesity and improve overall child health. However, strategies that focus on Cif youth compensate by reducing physical activity outside of school.Objectively measured, nationally representative physical activity data were used in this study to test the hypothesis that higher school-day physical acti
Characteristics of Principals and Teachers
These First Look report provides descriptive statistics and basic information from the 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey Private and Public School Principal and Teacher Data Files.
Characteristics of Public School Districts in the United States
This First Look report provides selected findings from the Schools and Staffing Survey Public School District Data File regarding public school districts that were in operation during the 2011-12 school year. The data include information on district size, teacher salary and benefits, and graduation requirements.Also: Characteristics of Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools (data by s
Differing takes on the success of charter schools
Scholars in this report offer their widely differing takes on the success of charter schools, a "twenty-year experiment" in alternative education systems, largely based in for-profit, inner-city programs.What New Orleans Can Teach Us 1. Carl L. Bankston III Carl L. Bankston III is in the sociology department at Tulane University. He is the author, with Stephen J. Caldas, of Public Education—Americ
AUG 12
Better-performing elementary students receive disproportionate attention from parents
An Indiana University study found that higher-performing elementary school students received a disproportionate number of resources from their parents, compared to their lower-performing peers.Lower-performing students received resources geared toward improving their academic performance, said study author Natasha Yurk, a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at IU Bloomington's College
Loan Debt Shapes Students' College Years, Experiences
An Indiana University study found that college students' experiences are largely shaped by the debt they accrue, with debt-free students more likely to live the "play hard" lifestyle often associated with the college years, where social lives can trump academics.Sociologist Daniel Rudel said this is one of the first studies to examine how student loan debt affects students' college experiences. He
Early Retirement Incentives and Student Achievement
Early retirement incentives (ERIs) are increasingly prevalent ineducation as districts seek to close budget gaps by replacingexpensive experienced teachers with lower-cost newer teachers. Combined with the aging of the teacher workforce, these ERIs arelikely to change the composition of teachers dramatically in thecoming years. The authors of this study provide the first evidence in theliterature
Effects of Boston's Charter High Schools on College Preparation, Entry, and Choice
The authors of this study estimated the effects of attendance atBoston's charter high schools on college preparation, collegeattendance, and college choice. Charter attendance increases passrates on the high-stakes exam required for high school graduation inMassachusetts, with especially large effects on the likelihood ofqualifying for a state-sponsored college scholarship. Charterattendance has l
AUG 09
States struggling to secure adequate resources to implement CCSS and train teachers
Most states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in math and English language arts (ELA) are already teaching to the standards, according to a new report by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) at The George Washington University. The report also finds that these states are preparing teachers and principals to implement these standards. State education agencies, however, are s
AUG 08
An extra hour of TV beyond recommendations diminishes toddlers' kindergarten chances
Every hourly increase in daily television watching at 29 months of age is associated with diminished vocabulary and math skills, classroom engagement (which is largely determined by attention skills), victimization by classmates, and physical prowess at kindergarten, according to Professor Linda Pagani of the University of Montreal and the CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital. "This is the first
Elementary and middle schools can get students moving
Despite widespread cuts to physical education classes and recess, an Indiana University study has shown that schools can play an important role in helping their students live healthier lives. Schools that implemented coordinated school health programs saw increases in students' physical activity."With support from teachers, administrators and parents, our schools can become healthier places," said
AUG 02
Gallup Poll: Only 35% of New Teachers Fully Engaged in Their Job, Drops Even Lower in Later Years
According to a new Gallup Poll, U.S. teachers for grades K-12 with less than one year of experience are the most engaged at work, at 35.1%. Engagement drops to 30.9% for teachers who have been on the job for one to three years and falls further to 27.9% for educators with three to five years of experience. Engagement picks back up slightly for those who have been teaching for more than five years.
Early College, Early Success: Early College High School Initiative Impact Study
The studyAmerican Institutes for Research and SRI. (2013). Early college, early success: Early college high school initiative impact study. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research. What is the study about? The study authors examined whether attending Early College High Schools increased postsecondary outcomes. As defined in this study, Early Colleges are high schools that partner with loc