THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT
Cigarette smoking among U.S. high school students at lowest level in 22 years
Latest CDC teen behavior survey also finds fewer fights, too much texting and drivingCigarette smoking rates among high school students have dropped to the lowest levels since the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) began in 1991, according to the 2013 results released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.By achieving a teen smoking rate of 15.7 percent, the United States has
12 minutes of exercise improves attention, reading comprehension in low-income adolescents
A new Dartmouth study Dartmouth study shows 12 minutes of exercise can improve attention and reading comprehension in low-income adolescents, suggesting that schools serving low-income populations should work brief bouts of exercise into their daily schedules.The study, published as part of the June volume of Frontiers in Psychology, compared low-income adolescents with their high-income peers. Wh
Grit better than GRE at predicting success in STEM fields
Selecting graduate students in the fields of science and engineering based on an assessment of their character instead of relying almost entirely on their scores on a standardized test would significantly improve the quality of the students that are admitted and, at the same time, boost the participation of women and minorities in these key disciplines.That is the argument made in the essay "
JUN 12
District conditions to support school leadership
School leaders are critical in the lives of students and to the development of their teachers. Unfortunately, in too many instances, principals are effective in spite of – rather than because of – district conditions. To truly improve student achievement for all students across the country, well-prepared principals need the tools, support, and culture that enable them to be the best.Great Principa
JUN 11
What's the best way for toddlers to acquire verb meaning?
New research is shedding light on what kind of sentences are best at facilitating the growth of toddlers' vocabularies. A new study conducted at Northwestern University provides evidence that toddlers can learn verbs after hearing them only twice.Sandra R. Waxman, Louis W. Menk Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University and Sudha Arunachalam, formerly a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern
No Child Left Behind: Positive trends in work environment, job satisfaction?
Several recent studies have examined the impacts of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on school operations and student achievement. This study complements that work by investigating the law’s impacts on teachers’ perceptions of their work environments and related job attitudes, including satisfaction and commitment to remain in teaching. Using four waves of the nationally representative Schools and Sta
Evaluation of a Latino Parenting Program
Child Trends conducted a random assignment evaluation of Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, one of the largest programs in the United States working with low-income Latino parents of preschool-aged children. Since it began in 2007, the program has served over 30,000 parents/families in 34 states. The Child Trends evaluation of Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors looked at the effectiveness of the 10-sessi
JUN 10
Public oversight improves test scores in voucher schools
Requiring private schools that receive public money to report student test scores improves academic achievement and ultimately enhances school choice, a Michigan State University scholar argues.In a pioneering study, Joshua Cowen and colleagues found that voucher schools in Milwaukee saw a large jump in math and reading scores the year after a new law required them to release the results. During
Teens, teachers not getting sex-ed training: New standards proposed
Dr. Elissa Barr, associate professor of public health in the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, is among a handful of sex educators nationwide who came together to develop and release the National Teacher Preparation Standards on Sexuality Education, created to provide guidance to institutions of higher education in order to better prepare undergraduate ph
JUN 09
Parents spend too much or too little on housing and a child’s cognitive performance suffers
It’s long been accepted – with little science to back it up – that people should spend roughly a third of their income on housing. It turns out, that’s about how much a low-income family should spend to optimize their children’s brainpower.Johns Hopkins University researchers explored the effects of affordable housing on the cognitive development, physical health, and emotional wellbeing of child