THIS WEEK
Education Research Report
Reviews of Two Programs Focused on Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) recently reviewed the research on two interventions designed to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders. One intervention— Literacy Design Collaborative —aims to improve teacher literacy instruction by providing professional development and access to high-quality instructional materials. The second intervention, National Institute for School Lea
Does Online Course-Taking Increase High School Completion and Open Pathways to Postsecondary Education Opportunities?
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d
Recent increases in high school graduation rates have been linked anecdotally to online course-taking for credit recovery. Online course-taking that supports high school completion could open opportunities for postsecondary education pursuits. Alternatively, poorer quality online instruction could diminish student learning and discourage persistence toward graduation and further education. This s
Improving Academic Outcomes Among Adolescents
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d
There is growing concern that it is too difficult or costly to substantially improve the academic skills of children who are behind in school once they reach adolescence. But perhaps what we have tried in the past relies on the wrong interventions, failing to account for challenges like the increased variability in academic needs during adolescence, or heightened difficulty of classroom managemen
District Wage Strategies and Teacher Comparative Advantage
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 5d
This paper studies the equity-efficiency implication of giving school districts control over differential teacher pay using an equilibrium model of the market for public-school teachers. Teachers differ in their comparative advantages in teaching low- or high-achieving students. School districts, which serve different student bodies, use both wage and hiring strategies to compete for their prefer
Parents' school reviews correlated with test scores and demographics, not school effectiveness
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d
Parent reviews reflected racial and income disparities in public K-12 schools AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION A first-of-its-kind analysis of parents' reviews of U.S. public K-12 schools, posted primarily from 2009 to 2019 on the popular school information site GreatSchools.org, found that most reviews were written by parents at schools in affluent neighborhoods and provided information
'Explicit instruction' provides dramatic benefits in learning to read
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d
The ability to read is foundational to education, but prolonged school closures and distance learning due to the pandemic have imposed unique challenges on the teaching of many fundamental skills. When in-person classes resume, many students will likely need a period of catch-up learning, especially those who lag behind in basic reading skills. New research published in the journal Psychological
More High-Quality Early Childhood Math Programs for Dual Language Learners Needed
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d
Bellwether Education Partners recently published a report that establishes the need to focus on the mathematics education of young Dual Language Learners (DLLs). The report provides a useful resource for policymakers and practitioners. Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis of the University of New Mexico reviewed Language Counts: Supporting Early Math Development for Dual Language Learners . She explains that
High school students tend to get more motivated over time
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d
Study suggests feeling of belongingness key to improvement Parents may fear that if their high school student isn't motivated to do well in classes, there's nothing that will change that. But a new study that followed more than 1,600 students over two years found that students' academic motivation often did change - and usually for the better. Results showed that increasing students' sense of "be
New testing method aims to reduce cheating
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d
The era of widespread remote learning brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic requires online testing methods that effectively prevent cheating, especially in the form of collusion among students. With concerns about cheating on the rise across the country, a solution that also maintains student privacy is particularly valuable. In research published today in npj Science of Learning , engineers fr
Charters segregate schools
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d
The expansion of charter schools in the 2000s led to an increase in school segregation and a slight decline in residential segregation, according to new research from Cornell University providing the first national estimates of the diverging trends. According to the study, the average district to expand charter school enrollment between 2000 and 2010 experienced a 12% increase in white-Black scho
School-based dental program reduces cavities by more than 50%
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d
Study of nearly 7,000 elementary school students demonstrates success of school-based model and its potential to reduce health disparities and save federal dollars NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL IMAGE: A NEW STUDY FINDS THAT SCHOOL-BASED DENTAL CARE REDUCES CAVITIES BY MORE THAN 50 PERCENT. view more CREDIT: ©SOREL: COURTESY OF NYU PHOTO BUREAU A school-based cavity preventi
House Prices and Local Spending on Public School Teachers
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d
A 1 percent increase in spending on teacher salaries increases house prices by nearly 2 percent, while increased spending on capital projects has little or no effect. House prices can provide a lens for studying the extent to which households value public school spending and whether such funding is set at an efficient level. In A National Study of School Spending and House Prices (NBER Working Pa
Students' Valuation for College Experiences
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 12d
The college experience involves much more than credit hours and degrees. Students likely derive utility from in-person instruction and on-campus social activities. Quantitative measures of the value of these individual components have been hard to come by. Leveraging the COVID-19 shock, this study elicits students’ intended likelihood of enrolling in higher education under different costs and pos
School Spending Impacts
by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 12d
This study uses estimates across all known "credibly causal" studies to examine the distributions of the causal effects of public K12 school spending on test scores and educational attainment in the United States. Under