THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT
Low Teacher Pay Keeps Experienced Educators Out of the Middle Class
A new report, Mid- and Late-Career Teachers Struggle With Paltry Incomes, released by the Center for American Progress reveals that low teacher pay is keeping experienced educators out of the middle class. The report highlights the growing problem of paltry mid- and late-career teacher salaries and proposes options to increase teacher salaries and keep talented teachers in the profession.“Far
Fourth-Grade Students Ready for Computer-Based Writing
An innovative pilot study administered as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has demonstrated that fourth-grade students can meaningfully participate in a computer-based writing assessment. The study, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), presents lessons learned that can inform educators’ and policymakers’ efforts to develop computer assess
Stronger early reading skills predict higher intelligence later
A new study of identical twins has found that early reading skill might positively affect later intellectual abilities. The study, in the journal Child Development, was conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and King's College London."Since reading is an ability that can be improved, our findings have implications for reading instruction," according to Stuart J. Ritchie,
Principal Attrition and Mobility
Results From the 2012–13 Principal Follow-up SurveyOf the 114,330 school principals (public and private) who were principals during the 2011–12 school year, 78 percent remained at the same school during the following school year (“stayers”), 6 percent moved to a different school (“movers”), and 12 percent left the principalship (“leavers”). In addition, 5 percent of principals were from schools th
JUL 23
An extra daily math class has little long term benefit
For students whose math skills lag expectations, public schools often increase the fraction of the school day spent on math instruction. Studying middle-school students and using regression discontinuity methods, this paper (http://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/E%20Taylor%2C%20More%20Math%20Class.pdf) estimates the causal effect of requiring two math classes—one remedial, one regular—inst
JUL 21
Brain waves show learning to read does not end in 4th grade, contrary to popular theory
Teachers-in-training have long been taught that fourth grade is when students stop learning to read and start reading to learn. But a new Dartmouth study in the journal Developmental Science tested the theory by analyzing brain waves and found that fourth-graders do not experience a change in automatic word processing, a crucial component of the reading shift theory. Instead, some types of word
Teaching first graders with manipulatives/calculators, movement/music) is no help to those with math difficulty
New research published in the journal EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION AND POLICY ANALYSIS June 25, 2014 (http://epa.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/06/20/0162373714536608.full.pdf+html?ijkey=J2BxFXoAWRPSo&keytype=ref&siteid=spepa) investigated the use of mathematics instructional practices by first-grade teachers in the United States. The researchers identified four types of instructional activit
JUL 18
Teacher Attrition Costs United States Up to $2.2 Billion Annually, Says New Alliance Report
Report Includes State-by-State Teacher Attrition Costs, Says Comprehensive Induction Programs Can Improve Teaching Effectiveness and Retain High-Quality TeachersRoughly half a million U.S. teachers either move or leave the profession each year—attrition that costs the United States up to $2.2 billion annually, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. This high turnover
Students from Low-Income Families Have High College Aspirations
Nearly all ACT-tested students from low-income families in the United States aspire to go to college—at an even higher rate than students overall—but many lack the academic preparation to reach this goal, according to new report released today by ACT and the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP). While 95 percent of ACT-tested students from low-income families said they
