This Week's Education Research Report 6-22-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Education Research Report

THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT

Effectiveness of Cognitive Tutor Algebra I at Scale

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 21 hours ago

This article examines the effectiveness of a technology-based algebra curriculum in a wide variety of middle schools and high schools in seven states. Participating schools were matched into similar pairs and randomly assigned to either continue with the current algebra curriculum for two years or to adopt Cognitive Tutor Algebra I (CTAI), which uses a personalized, mastery-learning, blended-learning approach. Schools assigned to implement CTAI did so under conditions similar to schools that independently adopt it. Analysis of posttest outcomes on an algebra proficiency exam finds... more »

Mindfulness Can Increase Wellbeing and Reduce Stress in School Children

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Mindfulness -- a mental training that develops sustained attention that can change the ways people think, act and feel -- could reduce symptoms of stress and depression and promote wellbeing among school children, according to a new study published online by the *British Journal of Psychiatry. * With the summer exam season in full swing, school children are currently experiencing higher levels of stress than at any other time of year. The research showed that interventions to reduce stress in children have the biggest impact at this time of year. There is growing evidence that mind... more »

Student Engagement—Essential for Success in School—Is More Complex, Changeable Than Previously Thought

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

*“Enhancing student engagement has been identified as the key to addressing problems of low achievement, high levels of student misbehavior, alienation, and high dropout rates.” – Pitt professor Ming-Te Wang* A student who shows up on time for school and listens respectfully in class might appear fully engaged to outside observers, including teachers. But other measures of student engagement, including the student’s emotional and cognitive involvement with the course material, may tell a different story—one that could help teachers recognize students who are becoming less invested ... more »

Bullying and suicide among youth is a public health problem

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

*Expert research from CDC panel provides details and clarity, reports the Journal of Adolescent Health* Recent studies linking bullying and depression, coupled with extensive media coverage of bullying-related suicide among young people, led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assemble an expert panel to focus on these issues. This panel synthesized the latest research about the complex relationship between youth involvement in bullying and suicide-related behaviors. Three themes emerged: 1) Bullying among youth is a significant public health problem, with wides... more »

The vital role of the humanities and social sciences

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

A new report by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Commission on the Humanities and Social Science, titled The Heart of the Matter, looks at the vital role of the humanities and social sciences in preparing and sustaining Americans for the responsibility of productive citizenship in the United States and the world. The Heart of the Matter focuses on five areas of concern—K-12 Education; Two- and Four-Year Colleges; Research; Cultural Institutions and Lifelong Learning; and International Security and Competitiveness—and makes recommendations to achieve three goals: - Educ... more »

Foster Youth Face Significant Academic Hurdles

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

A new study, Foster Youth Transitions, released by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC), in conjunction with the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Social Science Research (CSSR), examines the educational outcomes of foster youth in comparison to peers from similar disadvantaged backgrounds. Foster youth often experience instability and are deprived of support vital for the completion of educational milestones, such as high school graduation and college enrollment. Results from the study, a longitudinal survey which tracks the educational outcomes of more t... more »

The schools preparing teachers have become an industry of mediocrity

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)'s Teacher Prep Reviewreports that the colleges and universities producing America’s traditionally prepared teachers have become an industry of mediocrity, churning out first-year teachers with classroom management skills and content knowledge inadequate to thrive in classrooms with ever-increasing ethnic and socioeconomic student diversity. They assigned overall ratings based on a set of key standards for 608 institutions. Those ratings can be found at www.nctq.org/teacherPrep, where there is additional data on another 522 institutions.... more »

Does arts education really have a positive impact on academic skills?

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

Arts education is commonly said to be a means of developing skills considered as critical for innovation: critical and creative thinking, motivation, self-confidence, and ability to communicate and cooperate effectively, but also skills in non-arts academic subjects such as mathematics, science, reading and writing. Does arts education really have a positive impact on the three subsets of skills that we define as “skills for innovation”: technical skills, skills in thinking and creativity, and character (behavioral and social skills)? This report, called "Art for Art's Sake: The ... more »

Moral vs. Performance Character Development in Urban Adolescents

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

This study compared the effects of emphasizing moral character development or performance character development at three high-performing, high-poverty urban middle schools. Performance character consists of the qualities that allow individuals to regulate their thoughts and actions in ways that support achievement in a particular endeavor. Moral character consists of the qualities relevant to striving for ethical behavior in one’s relationships with other individuals and communities. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the authors found that early adolescents attending a... more »

Laws help limit junk foods in schools

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

District policies and state laws help reduce the availability of sugar- and fat-laden foods and beverages in elementary schools, according to a study published online in *JAMA Pediatrics.* Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago looked at the association between established policies and laws and the availability of candy, baked goods, ice cream, chips, sugar-sweetened beverages, and soda sold outside the school meal program. More than 1,800 elementary schools in 45 states responded to surveys during the 2008-2009 and 2010-2011 school years. The researchers found that ... more »

Is Starting College and Not Finishing Really That Bad?

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

In this report, The Hamilton Project examines whether starting college is worth it for students who fail to complete a degree. Their "startling" finding is that it is: these students’ lifetime earnings are roughly $100,000 higher (in present value) than that of their peers who ended their education after high school. Measured by the rate of return, getting some college is an investment with a return that exceeds the historical return on practically any conventional investment, including stocks, bonds, and real estate. (Of course, the return to some college is considerably smaller t... more »

High school graduation requirements are out of sync with Common Core

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

A new report from Change the Equation (CTEq) and the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) Center for Public Education (CPE) examines the connection between state graduation requirements and Common Core State Standards in math. The report, “Out of Sync: Many Common Core states have yet to define a Common Core-worthy diploma,” found that of the 45 states that have voluntarily adopted Common Core, only 11 have aligned their graduation requirements in mathematics with those standards. CPE and CTEq have compared states’ high school graduation requirements in math to the Common Co... more »

Reading to children: a head-start in life

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

This article examines the effect of parental reading to children early in life on the child’s reading skills using the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). In addition to reading skills at age four to five, reading skills at later ages (up to age 10 to 11) are also examined. At most ages, more than one reading skill measure is observed, which allows for checking the consistency of results when using different measures. The raw data used in the study show patterns indicating a clear association between reading to children more frequently and higher early reading scores.... more »

Information and Student Achievement: Evidence from a Cellular Phone Experiment

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

This paper describes a field experiment in Oklahoma City Public Schools in which students were provided with free cellular phones and daily information about the link between human capital and future outcomes via text message. Students' reported beliefs about the relationship between education and outcomes were influenced by treatment. Treatment students also report being more focused and working harder in school. However, there were no measureable changes in attendance, behavioral incidents, or test scores. The patterns in the data appear most consistent with a model in which s... more »

Strategic Involuntary Teacher Transfers and Teacher Performance: Examining Equity and Efficiency

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Despite claims that school districts need flexibility in teacher assignment to allocate teachers more equitably across schools and improve district performance, the power to involuntarily transfer teachers across schools remains hotly contested. Little research has examined involuntary transfer policies or their effects on schools, teachers, or students. This article uses administrative data from Miami-Dade County Public Schools to investigate the implementation and effects of the district's involuntary transfer policy, including which schools transferred and received teachers, which te... more »

How much do teachers vary in performance improvement during their first five years of teaching

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Educational policymakers struggle to find ways to improve the quality of the teacher workforce. The early career period represents a unique opportunity to identify struggling teachers, examine the likelihood of future improvement, and make strategic pre-tenure investments in improvement as well as dismissals to increase teaching quality. To date, only a little is known about the dynamics of teacher performance in the first five years. This paper asks how much teachers vary in performance improvement during their first five years of teaching and to what extent initial job performance pr... more »

New Study Looks at Discrimination African-American Adolescents Face in Schools

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 weeks ago

Nearly 60 years after the Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation in public schools, African-American adolescents of all socioeconomic backgrounds continue to face instances of racial discrimination in the classroom. A new study sheds light on that and points to the need for students of color to rely on personal and cultural assets to succeed academically. The study “African American Adolescents’ Academic Persistence: A Strengths-Based Approach,” was published online May 24 in the *Journal of Youth and Adolescence.* “This study is unique in that it is a socioeconomically divers... more »

Advances in student achievement since the passage of the 1993 Education Reform Act in Massachusetts

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 weeks ago

Mass Insight Education has released a summative report reviewing student achievement during the twenty years since the passage of the 1993 Education Reform Act in Massachusetts, which set to transform public education across the state. The anniversary report highlights the significant progress the state has made as a result of the landmark legislation and also provides a call to action to address the challenges that remain - specifically in raising student achievement for underserved populations and in increasing college success rates for all Massachusetts students. - *Statewi... more »

Trends to Reform the American School Calendar

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 weeks ago

Learning Time in America: Trends to Reform the American School Calendar, from the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) and the Education Commission of the States is an update to a July 2011 report of the same name. It provides a comprehensive overview of legislative and policy developments at the federal, state, and district levels to close achievement gaps and improve public school through expanding learning time over the two years since the release of the first report. The report also includes results from a national survey, commissioned by NCTL and administered in February...more »

Lessons from High Schools on Educating Students to Succeed in a Changing World

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 weeks ago

With the increasing national recognition that high schools need to better prepare students to navigate a changing world and the advent of the more complex Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, a new report from the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) describes how five innovative high schools are rethinking - and in some cases expanding - how and when learning takes place to make sure students graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Students at these high schools must not only master grade-level content and standards, but mus...more »

All Week 6-22-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: 

Good friend “Teacher Nicole” from WI explains common in #commoncore

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 20 hours ago

Here’s her post on CCSS, as an actual educator for ELL/ESL students. We’ve interviewed her on At the Chalk Face, I need to dig those up. Look back here later. She’s great. Tagged: at the chalk face, common core, nicole, WI

education activists gather, talk, strategize: reclaim the conversation

Barbara Madeloni at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 21 hours ago

On May 4, 2013 a group of educators, parents, students, and community activists gathered at Barnard College to share their experiences within the assault on public education, draw connections of understanding, strengthen ties, and plan actions. One of our first actions was to create the video linked below. In it organizers and participants talk about […]

Did Arne Duncan Give “Reformers” Enough Rope to Hang Themselves?

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 21 hours ago

The Huffington Post’s Joy Resmovits reports that Secretary of Education Duncan announced a voluntary pause in using test scores in teacher evaluations during the transition to Common Core. She explains that the new policy is seen by some as a “tacit recognition of the Obama administration’s overreach into nitty-gritty management of America’s schools.” Of course, I […]

At the Chalk Face is back, this Sunday, June 23rd, 6PM EST

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 day ago

At the Chalk Face is back, this Sunday, June 23rd at 6PM EST. Educated educators talking education, this time on the recent NCTQ report on teacher preparation. Remember, we are at the helm in the BTR chatroom, live tweeting @thechalkface, and you can always call in to speak with us live, 805-727-7111. Tagged: at the […]

Does this qualify as “intimidation” from NCTQ? Watch out #highered and #teacherprep

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 day ago

I received an email message the other day from someone at NCTQ regarding an account I had of a meeting with them in 2011. In my first year as a faculty member, I decided to meet and speak with a number of education policy and advocacy organizations to see how folks in my position could get […]

A Letter to Educators Who Embrace the #commoncore

peggyrobertson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 day ago

Dear Educator Friends, While the common core may not be an issue for you, or your school, do know that for others it will be a major issue. And the problem is this, while the standards might work for you and your school, there are many standards in CC that do not work for many […]

Deborah Carter: The Reality of #Teaching

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

Maryland Teacher and member of the Badass Teacher Association, Deborah Carter, summarizes the reasons she teaches. This week, a girl called me a bitch. A mom emailed the same day, demanding that her 11th grade son receive full credit for an assignment that did not come close to following the directions (and was turned in […]

#Occupylafayette, happening now, shaking my head

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

Parents, students, and educators occupied Lafayette ES in Chicago, slated for closure. This is a brilliant form of protest, everyone there should be applauded for their courage. This is quite a beautiful building in the picture. I cannot imagine what the city is planning to do with it. Below is an image from a friend […]

Chiefs for #butthurt?

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

I wanted to quickly follow-up with an image and a question based on Jim Horn’s post earlier today about Chiefs for Change. Sorry Jim, I had to do it. Chiefs, are you butthurt? It’s OK, you can tell us. Tagged: butthurt, Chiefs for Change, common core, Duncan, jim horn

Chiefs for Change Angered by Duncan’s Temporary Flirt with Sanity

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

As pressure mounts from parents, students, educators, and admininstrators against high stakes testing and Common Core Corporate Standards, Team Obama has finally blinked. ED will offer a one year reprieve to those 37 states formerly bribed with RTTT money to adopt the CC and teacher eval based on Common Core national tests. Such a move […]

The End Might Be Near for Common Core

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

Especially in the last few months, John Merrow has hit some tape-measure home runs. Merrow’s strike outs can be just as amazing. His last whiff is a doozy. Merrow tried to use some humor and experimental prose to criticize the recent trend where, supposedly, “the arrival of the Common Core apparently means the end of the […]

The End Might Be Near for Common Core

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

Especially in the last few months, John Merrow has hit some tape-measure home runs. Merrow’s strike outs can be just as amazing. His last whiff, is a doozy. Merrow tried to use some humor and experimental prose to criticize the recent trend where, supposedly, “the arrival of the Common Core apparently means the end of […]

Chief Wonk tells a funny, interesting enough if it wasn’t also milquetoast

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

It’s this guy, Rotherham. Bellwether, or what have you. Some consulting firm. Some kind of professional love affair brewing between Duncan and Weingarten? M-haps. Although, I would have used the Tiffany version instead. Tagged: Duncan, rotherham, weingarten

Breaking Non-News! The Rise of Poverty and the Fall of the Middle Class Affect Schools

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago

The next time you see the world’s richest corporation, Exxon Mobil, trying to use school bashing to divert attention away from their obscene wealth, minimal tax rate, job export plan, and climate change denial positions, be reminded of the other facts that help us understand what may have contributed to our international test score positions–25th […]

Teaching in Dystopia: The Common Corpse

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago

Offred (June) in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale examines a subtle distinction about words: “We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it” (p. 56). In the dystopia of Gilead, Handmaids gradually and then fully conform to their status: “That is what we are now. The […]

Speaking more truth to Parent Revolution plutocrat power

rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago

“The resolution by board member Steve Zimmer requires the district to independently verify the signatures and how they’re gathered by Parent Revolution, the group that helps to organize parents in efforts to take over schools. The district will also increase the amount and types of information available, such as an analysis of five years of […]

Using the Los Angeles school privatization pushers’ own propaganda against themselves

rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago

“Several studies of Los Angeles schools showed substantial gains from class size reduction. One found that smaller classes increased reading scores by 9.5%, math scores by 13.9% and language scores by 14.5%, with double these gains for “high need” students. Two other controlled studies also show significant gains in Los Angeles, with effect sizes that […]

Robert Skeels Attends a pRev Meet and Greet

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago

Reblogged from Diane Ravitch's blog: Robert Skeels attended a "meet and greet" sponsored by pRev (the organization formerly known as Parent Revolution). Read what he learned as he socialized with those who are prepared to close down 50 public schools in Los Angeles. Why? Well, firing people makes better schools. Or does it? We know […]

Barista Kids Aren’t Drinking the Kool-Aid

freetoteach at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago

Parents of the Barista Kids in Montclair, New Jersey are Opting Out. Reported by teenage journalists who still know what education should look like. Here’s the petition. Pass it around. The petition states: We are parents and community members of Montclair, New Jersey. We write because we believe in Montclair’s identity as a community of intellect, […]

I’ve visited @NCTQ, we should all be underwhelmed #teacherprep

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago

Paul Thomas and Jim Horn have already warned us about NCTQ and its thoroughly biased “advocacy.” There are some updated links in there, here’s a few more on the new report specifically: From NPR; NCTQ’s chief hypocrisy; And MSNBC. and the Wall Street Journal. Kind of a mixed bag here. I’m not sure if there’s […]

Microsoft No. 1–in Turning Over Data to NSA

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago

You might say that Gates got the ball rolling. From the PRISM slide show recently exposed (click to enlarge):

It makes me wonder why all the amateurs have come to education

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago

As promised, my latest at Huff Post Politics. Tagged: amateurs, education reform, huffington post politics

PAR NoT PARCC in New Jersey

freetoteach at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago

Looking to replace the test driven, evaluation and merit pay systems dreamed up by the psycho psychometricians, know-nothing politicians and hacks, who are funding and benefitting from this multi-billion dollar sorting complex and “metric based” profit scheme? I thought so, me too. Montclair, NJ is leading the way against the Common Core Standards in New […]

KIPP in Arkansas Gives “Whatever It Takes” New Meaning

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago

Recent conversations with KIPP high school teachers reveals many cracks in KIPP’s Five Pillars. Apparently, KIPP’s Helena, AK high school has interpreted “whatever it takes” to include violating state laws for student transcripts and what can count as course credits. From The Inside Scoop Online: The Arkansas Department of Education has determined that the Helena-West […]

An excerpt of a new Huffington Post submission, the cult of amateurs

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago

I don’t know why, but some things I reserve for different audiences, perhaps to speak to a different cohort of people. But for the first time in about two months, I uploaded a new post to the Huffington Post. Hopefully it makes it through. If not, then I’ll post it here. But here’s an excerpt […]

Montclair, NJ Parents Fight to Maintain Integrity of Schools

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago

From Stan Karp: Montclair parents are pushing back against new Supt. Penny MacCormack’s “strategic plan,” which includes a proposal to implement quarterly “common assessments” in all district schools. MacCormack is a former assistant commissioner at NJDOE who was recruited from Connecticut by NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf to oversee implementation of the common core standards and […]

We’re #10, We’re #10 !

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 5 days ago

Ah yes, the public likes lists. We like to quantify even the unmeasurable and know where we stand. Hence the annual ranking of school districts by a publication in the Buffalo area that no one ever reads, except when it publishes a list of “top school districts”. What a great marketing ploy. And it works. […]

#edweek finds Nirvana.

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago

A new piece of propaganda published by EdWeek and written by Crowe, Allen, and Coble begins with this assertion: Better-prepared teachers and greatly improved teacher-preparation programs are the essential ingredients of stronger academic outcomes for this nation’s K-12 students. It is then followed up with this evidence to support it. ?????????????????? That’s right. Nothing! It […]

News Reel No. 2, Senate HELP and #ESEA

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago

Part two of our series. Tagged: ESEA, help, NCLB, reauthorization, senate

Creating Artificial Student Failure in New York @nysed @nysut

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago

New York Teacher, Jennifer Fatone, posted some pretty shocking information on the UOO Facebook site recently, along with her comments and a letter to Steven Katz, the Director of New York State Assessments. This is blatant. This is wrong. If there was any doubt that New York has an agenda to show failure in the […]

Accountability for the bottom, immunity at the top, incompetence all around

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago

Bill Maher’s recent New Rule is somewhat applicable to our current moment in education reform. Watch it now, or later, and come back here. One of the chief problems in education right now involves the actual workforce: uninspired, supervised, scrutinized, unappreciated, and underpaid. But the individuals populating the bloated bureaucracies of public school systems are […]

@EdWeekComm once again provides valuable line space to the ignorant hordes #teacherprep #highered

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago

Education Week is once again serving the interests, via its commentary section, of non-educators. This time, from some fly-by-night LLC called Teacher Preparation Analytics in DC. Judging by the amateurish nature of the website, I can’t say I’d really want their advice or their analytics, whatever those are. But the three founders and partners in this organization […]

Save LAUSD’s SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago

First published on solidaridad on June 15, 2013 Because we know that language learning doesn’t occur in one year or even in a few months, it’s over time.—Becky Palacios, Ph.D. The School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP) is an amazingly effective Pre-K program for English Language Leaners. This isn’t the first time that Broad and […]

Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore

peggyrobertson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago

Some days it is terribly overwhelming to read the comments of despair and desperation from parents who are trying to figure out how to help their children who are suffering from severe anxiety after being told they will be retained due to failing the state test. Many of these children must take the test multiple […]

Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not)

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago

I hate even to acknowledge John Merrow’s most recent venture into not having a clue, but his attempt at humor is yet more evidence that the evidence doesn’t matter: The Common Core and the End of the World In Merrow’s evidence-free world, all who question the Mighty Common Core are nothing more than end-of-the-world loonies. […]

Report Back from the Trigger Happy Parent Revolution’s “Meet and Greet” with teachers and social justice organizers

rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago

What troubles me is what you are doing with the millions you raise. You use it to sow dissension, to set parents against parents, parents against teachers, parents against principals. I don’t see this as productive or helpful. Schools function best when there is collaboration among teachers, parents, administrators, and students. Schools have a better […]

#highered needs some consistency in its #MOOC concerns. Please. #AAUP

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago

We don’t really cover MOOCs here all that much. Perhaps we need to get on it. But I was cued into a post on the Chronicle over the AAUP’s concern with intellectual property rights and MOOCs. I like the AAUP. It’s a relatively strong organization that seems to be the last really supporting academic freedom, […]

@educationgadlfy reviews state science standards, but something’s missing #NGSS

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago

For the record, a “gadfly” is an annoyance, right? Something that buzzes around, maybe a thorn in the side or a stick in the craw? But this gadfly is the status quo, let’s be clear. Nothing revolutionary coming out of Fordham these days. Nothing subversive. All right. They gave the new Next Generation Science Standards […]

The Lies that Won’t Die (Despite the Evidence)

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago

To embrace the claims and policies of the education reform movement requires ignoring a tremendous amount of evidence to the contrary. The education reform narrative goes something like this: Education is the one true way to overcome all of society’s ills, but our schools are failing, and thus we must take the standards-and-testing accountability reform […]

Thoughts on a teacher in a Catholic school fired for being a domestic abuse victim?

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago

I’m torn on this issue. Unfair, dispassionate, and further stigmatizes domestic abuse survivors/victims. However, this could definitely be a safety issue for students at the school. Perhaps she could be put on paid leave until this blows over, maternity leave, some kind of leave. Sick leave? But outright termination seems unreasonable. Tagged: catholic, domestic […]