4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-16-13

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT

IMPROVING MORALE: A MORAL IMPERATIVE

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 hour ago

From the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Update/Week of March 18th. | http://bit.ly/YCMscQ 14 March, 2013 :: Employee morale can be defined as the employee's outlook, optimism, self - concept and belief in themselves and their organization, its mission, goals, defined path, daily decisions and employee appreciation. Employee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude and

UC REGENTS VOTE TO KEEP $60 ANNUAL SURCHARGE FOR STUDENTS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 2 hours ago

The fee helps the university finance massive refunds for past illegal tuition practices. Regents say they had no alternatives other than possibly cutting spending on classes and other services. By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/XfmHws UCLA students protest fee hikes outside the Covel Commons Building in November 2009. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times / March 15,

®EFORMERS BY ANY OTHER NAME? + smf’s 2¢

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 8 hours ago

Commentary by Hillel Aron, LA Schools Report | http://bit.ly/YhEvY3    March 15, 2013  ::  In September, I was talking about pension reform on my now-defunct weekly podcast, LA Redux with the LA Times’ David Zahniser, who covers City Hall (and is in my opinion one of the best reporters in Los Angeles). Zahniser said that he hardly ever uses the word ‘reform,’ in his stories, although editors

PRESCHOOL TEACHERS NEED SCHOOLING IN HEALTH AND NUTRITION FACTS – AND PRACTICES

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 10 hours ago

Deepa Fernandes | Pass / Fail  | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/10ZO9Fc Larry Crowe/AP March 14th, 2013, 3:20pm  ::  Digging into the concept of whether you can teach what you don't know, a recent survey by researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health sought to uncover the health and nutrition knowledge --and practices-- of a group of teachers. Two of the questions asked of almost

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TEAMS COMPETE IN ACADEMIC DECATHLON IN SACRAMENTO

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 10 hours ago

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News http://bit.ly/12XPOfE 3/15/2013 06:59:14 PM PDT  ::  SACRAMENTO -- There were just 20 minutes to go before the 61 Academic Decathlon teams were scheduled to file in for their first test, and the students from Granada Hills Charter were still studying. Oblivious to the organized mayhem created by 500-plus other teens from around California, the

L.A. Now Live: LAUSD's $30-MILLION MIRAMONTE SETTLEMENT + smf’s 2¢

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 18 hours ago

The district expects insurance to cover all of it. LA Now Live is a Daily Webcast/Interview/Call-In/”Conversation with the Newsroom” sponsored by the LA Times | This is a transcript of the webcast from last Wednesday | http://lat.ms/WMhDF1 March 13, 2013 |  7:40 am  ::  Attorneys representing parents in 58 legal claims have agreed to a $30-million settlement with the Los Angeles Unified School

140 CHARACTERS (OR LESS) GATHER IN SAN DIEGO: Tokofsky tweets from the California Charter Schools Conference

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 day ago

smf/4LAKids/14March2013: The California Charter Schools Association – which pretends to altruistically represent all the charter schools in California – but in actuality represents/advocates-for/lobbies-on-behalf-of the charter schools that pay to join the trade association (which tends to align with the big-box charter management organizations ) – is holding its annual convention in San Diego

SUSPENDING SOME STANDARDIZED TESTS WOULD SAVE STATE $15 MILLION

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 2 days ago

-- Teresa Watanabe | LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/XyOFcu Photo: State Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson in a 2010 file photo. Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times March 13, 2013 |  9:07 pm  ::  A plan to suspend California’s standardized testing for certain grades while new computerized exams are developed could save $15 million, the state’s top education official said

L.A. SCHOOLS FALLING APART, LITERALLY + smf’s 2¢

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 2 days ago

Years of budget cuts have meant many repairs simply aren't getting done. There are at least 35,442 unresolved calls for service and repairs, with about 1,100 more coming in each day.     By Steve Lopez, LA Times Columnist |   http://lat.ms/10G4cUz The bleachers in the Marshall High School gymnasium are an example of disrepair plaguing L.A. Unified schools, with holes in

LAUSD CHARTERS WOULD LOSE FUNDING UNDER GOVERNOR BROWN’S ‘LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA’ + smf’s 2¢

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 3 days ago

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/YrDagv 3/12/2013 04:15:12 PM PDT  ::  Wilbur Elementary got $230,000 in state grants when it converted to a charter last fall, a windfall that allowed the Tarzana campus to keep class sizes small and provide personalized help to struggling students. Now, administrators at Wilbur and other affiliated charters, nearly all of them in

LAUSD ANNOUNCES MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR SETTLEMENT OF 58 OF 191 MIRAMONTE SEX ABUSE CLAIMS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 3 days ago

BY Vanessa Romo  With contributions by AP | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC |  http://bit.ly/Y9pDhF Grant Slater/KPCC Parents of students at Miramonte Elementary School escort children out of school on Feb. 6, 2012. March 12th, 2013, 6:29pm  ::  After months of mediation with students and their families the Los Angeles Unified School District announced Tuesday it settled 58 lawsuits over allegations

1:1 Computing/"Tablets4All": MURDOCH GROUP UNVEILS AMPLIFY TABLET FOR U.S. SCHOOLS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 3 days ago

from the wonderful folks who brought you the Phone Hacking Scandal in the UK, Fox News in the US, and gave a quarter-of-a-million-dollars (so far) to Mayor Tony’s School Board Slate PAC.   BBC News (UK) - http://bbc.in/10KMLGh The Amplify tablets come preloaded with a digital curriculum 6 March 2013 Last updated at 08:11 ET  ::  A new tablet for schools has been unveiled by Rupert

LAUSD Board of Ed Election 2013: DIVIDED OVER L.A. UNIFIED

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

United Teachers Los Angeles remains at odds with the district over reform measures. LA Times Editorial | http://lat.ms/WkjFtq Newly reelected school board member Steve Zimmer is seen on election night. (Los Angeles Times / March 5, 2013) March 12, 2013  ::  One nasty election later, there is no sign that the divisiveness in the Los Angeles Unified School District will abate. If anything, it

Parent Trigger @ 24th St Elementary: LA PARENTS GET 4 OFFERS TO RUN FAILING SCHOOL

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

They wanted a new principal …they may get given away! The Associated Press from the San Jose Mercury News | http://bit.ly/Xnvlib 3/11/2013 03:24:39 PM PDT  ::  LOS ANGELES—Parents seeking to reform a failing Los Angeles Unified elementary school have received bids from four organizations, including the school district. The 24th Street Elementary Parents Union said Monday that Los Angeles

1:1 Computing/"Tablets 4 All" RFP: LAUSD INVITES PROPOSALS FOR MAJOR ED-TECH CONTRACT + RFP

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

By Sean Cavanagh, Marketplace K-12 - Education Week http://bit.ly/YpimGy March 11, 2013 9:47 AM ::  The Los Angeles Unified School District recently approved plans to spend $50 million initially—and up to $500 million over time—to provide all students in the nation's second-largest school system with a computer device. It's the kind of business opportunity that the leaders of many of the

THE WRONG FIGHT OVER SCHOOLS: Wasting money on a school board election

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

The politics of education need to shift from who controls governance to building the system's capacity Op-Ed in the LA Times by By Charles Taylor Kerchner | http://lat.ms/Yoeo0G LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia, right, and Schools Superintendent John Deasy listen to deliberations at a board meeting. (Los Angeles Times / March 13, 2012) March 11, 2013  ::  Over the last century,

HEAD START CUTS COULD MEAN 2,000 FEWER SEATS IN L.A. COUNTY

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

As they wait to see whether the cuts are allowed to go forward, educators worry that the ultimate effects could trickle down generations. By Dalina Castellanos,  Los Angeles Times  | http://lat.ms/13RUGmd Teacher Janet Matthews gets the attention of preschoolers Daniela Caudillo, left, Henry Saenz and Esther Morataya in a PACE early education program. (Lawrence K. Ho, Los Angeles

UTLA TO VOTE ON AGGRESSIVE STAND AGAINST DEASY POLICIES + ‘Initiative for the Schools L.A. Students Deserve’

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now |  http://lat.ms/10EbXy0 March 8, 2013 |  2:26 pm  ::  The Los Angeles teachers union has scheduled an April vote for an initiative that would, if passed, call for a more aggressive posture against the leadership of the L.A. Unified School District. The goal is to get a majority of teachers to push back against policies adopted by Supt. John Deasy and the Board of

DEFIANT MAYOR TONY PROMISES CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT + smf’s 2¢

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Hillel Aron, LA SCHOOLS REPORT | http://bit.ly/Y1oi9m Photo by Don Liebig / UCLA Luskin Before and during a Wednesday evening education event held at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, a tired-looking Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa expressed frustration about the previous day’s election results — and pledged to keep working on school reform issues even after his

WILL THE LACCD SCANDALS CONTINUE? 3 San Fernando Valley community colleges must pass accreditation reviews to avoid sanctions

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 days ago

By Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/13Pirvb 3/08/2013 08:08:14 PM PST  ::  They'd sweated countless meetings, performed endless tweaks to their respective colleges and cranked out reams of self-evaluations. But two years of preparation for accreditation reviews that start Monday at three San Fernando Valley community colleges may not be enough to calm jangled nerves

AFTER 63 YEARS, PALISADES HIGH ENGLISH TEACHER CLOSES THE BOOK

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 days ago

Rose Gilbert, who retired three weeks ago at 94, achieved celebrity status for being the oldest full-time teacher in the L.A. Unified School District. A drama classroom has been named in her honor. By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/Xd7ula Rose Gilbert, 94, cuts the ribbon at a ceremony renaming a drama classroom at Palisades Charter High School in her honor. Gilbert, the

ADVOCACY GROUP FOUNDED BY DIANE RAVITCH TO MONITOR REFORM EFFORTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 week ago

  By MOTOKO RICH, New York Times | http://nyti.ms/YSbjpL Published: March 8, 2013   ::  Diane Ravitch, the historian and former assistant education secretary who has become an outspoken critic of those who favor high-stakes testing, tenure reforms and other controversial measures aimed at the public schools, has joined with other education advocates to form a group that will grade and endorse

COMMON CORE TESTING PLAN LEAVES ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE SKEPTICAL

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 week ago

By Kimberly Beltran | SI&A Cabinet Report – http://bit.ly/WQJXRl Wednesday, March 06, 2013  ::  A key legislative panel undertook Wednesday its first look at the challenges the state faces in bringing the new common core curriculum standards into California classrooms. And, committee members expressed a lot of doubt the transition can be accomplished by the fall of 2014. “I know I sound

ASSEMBLY EDUCATION FINANCE COMMITTEE FEARS FUNDING OUTLOOK FOR ADULT ED, ECE AND CTE PROGRAMS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 week ago

By Kimberly Beltran | SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/13M4y0G Wednesday, March 06, 2013  ::  Worried about the fate of adult, early childhood and career-technical education programs across the state, members of a legislative panel on education finance said Tuesday they will be taking a hard look over the coming weeks at the impact Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed school funding formula could

COLLEGE AND CAREER: Can this Marriage Succeed?

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 week ago

Themes in the News by UCLA IDEA |  http://bit.ly/X5tQ8l   03-08-2013   ::  Career and technical education (CTE) is a quiet player in today’s school-reform turmoil. Headlines are dominated by standardized testing, charter schools, budget crises, school closings, teachers and their unions. Reasons for the neglect of CTE are sometimes misguided and sometimes legitimate. It has long been clear

HIGHER STANDARDS COMING FOR STATE’S INTERN TEACHERS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 week ago

By Kathryn Baron  | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/10juUCt March 8th, 2013  ::  The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing signaled Thursday its intention to increase training requirements for intern teachers, including Teach for America members, before they’re allowed to teach any of the state’s 1.4 million students who are English learners. <<Bill Lucia, president and CEO of

If Eli Broad approves: ART MARRIAGE MY YIELD L.A. MEGA MUSEUM +smf’s 2¢

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 week ago

LACMA makes a preliminary offer for taking over MOCA.   By Jori Finkel and Mike Boehm, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/10sfyiD Eli Broad, who is building a museum across from MOCA, agreed in 2008 to give the downtown Los Angeles institution a bailout valued at up to $30 million. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / January 8, 2013) March 7, 2013, 6:05 p.m.  ::  The Los Angeles County

Top Content this Week - 3-16-13 The Educator's PLN

Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN:

1	Why Twitter is the hub of my personal learning network Added by Jennie Snyder on January 23, 2013
2	Response to lack of interest in classrooms Added by Sara Rosentreter on March 4, 2013
3	What does inclusion look like in your school for the student, the special educator and gen ed teacher? Posted by Marcy J. Perry on July 19, 2012
4	ABC Nightline - IDEO Shopping Cart Added by Thomas Whitby on March 13, 2013
5	New iPad App for learning Spanish Posted by Cristina Guijarro on March 13, 2013
6	Charter Schools Posted by Tina Csukker on March 9, 2013
7	Book about Bullying Posted by Willard M. Sistare on March 13, 2013
8	Challenge 11 Added by Nicole Hackett on March 11, 2013
9	"What is relevant education?": Emanuel Souvairan at TEDxUNIGE Added by Thomas Whitby on March 13, 2013
10	Other Online Forums? Posted by Kim Fahner on March 14, 2013
11	Challenge 11 Added by Lori Thomas on March 9, 2013
12	Online forums Posted by Kim Fahner on March 14, 2013
13	Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders Added by Thomas Whitby on March 14, 2013
14	Sugata Mitra - Build a School in the Cloud Added by Thomas Whitby on March 10, 2013
15	A Year at Mission Hill - Chapter 3: Making it Real Added by Thomas Whitby on March 14, 2013
16	Best Institute for Engineering, Pune Posted by Ajinkyajit Jadhav on March 13, 2013
17	iOS App - Air Chalk Demo 1: Digital Chalk Using One iOS Device Added by Makenzie Black on March 12, 2013
18	Shane Koyczan: "To This Day" ... for the bullied and beautiful Added by Eli Azad on March 11, 2013
19	Project-Based Learning Ideas Pin Added by Lacey Smith on March 12, 2013
20	What an enlightening view on student happiness and productivity in school Added by Makenzie Black on March 12, 2013

This Week's Education Research Report 3-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Education Research Report:

THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT

How can we stlil raed words wehn teh lettres are jmbuled up?

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 12 minutes ago

Researchers in the UK have taken an important step towards understanding how the human brain 'decodes' letters on a page to read a word. The work, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), will help psychologists unravel the subtle thinking mechanisms involved in reading, and could provide solutions for helping people who find it difficult to read, for example in conditions such as dyslexia. In order to read successfully, readers need not only to identify the letters in words, but also to accurately code the positions of those letters, so that they can distinguish... more »

Study identifies ways children can meet recommended activity goals

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 14 minutes ago

Despite overwhelming evidence about the benefits of physical activity for children, most American youngsters are not meeting the federal recommendation of 60 minutes a day. A new study by a team of University of Tennessee researchers has identified specific ways—and estimated minutes for each approach—that can help children achieve the recommended daily physical activity goal. The results of various approaches, ranging from mandatory physical education in school to changes in playground designs, were published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study was ...more »

Transforming Schools through Expanded Learning Time

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 hour ago

Once among the highest-performing schools in Palmdale, a city 60 miles north of Los Angeles, Tumbleweed Elementary had fallen on tough times over the last decade. Then, in 2010, California labeled Tumbleweed “persistently low achieving,” ushering in a new era of school-wide transformation, featuring an expanded-time schedule, supported by federal funds. Today, with the benefits of more learning time and other key reforms, Tumbleweed is demonstrating dramatic improvement. This case study, the second in a series, takes you inside Tumbleweed’s turnaround. In the 2010-11 school year ... more »

International Gender Difference in Math and Reading Scores Persists Regardless of Nations’ Gender Equality Levels

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 12 hours ago

Even in countries with high gender equality, sex differences in math and reading scores persisted in the 75 nations examined by a University of Missouri and University of Leeds study. Girls consistently scored higher in reading, while boys got higher scores in math, but these gaps are linked and vary with overall social and economic conditions of the nation. A better understanding of these gaps and how they are related could help educators design curricula to help students of both genders apply their talents and deal with their weaknesses. “Educational systems could be improved by... more »

Preschoolers know when they aren't sure

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Children as young as 3 years old know when they are not sure about a decision, and can use that uncertainty to guide decision making, according to new research from the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis. "There is behavioral evidence that they can do this, but the literature has assumed that until late preschool, children cannot introspect and make a decision based on that introspection," said Simona Ghetti, professor of psychology at UC Davis and co-author of the study with graduate student Kristen Lyons, now an assistant professor at Metropolitan S... more »

Doctors caution against prescribing attention-boosting drugs for healthy kids

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the world's largest professional association of neurologists, is releasing a position paper on how the practice of prescribing drugs to boost cognitive function, or memory and thinking abilities, in healthy children and teens is misguided. The statement is published in the March 13, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. This growing trend, in which teens use "study drugs" before tests and parents request ADHD drugs for kids who don't meet the criteria for the disorder, has made headlines r... more »

Sudden death in young athletes: Important causes not identified by the screening process

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

Even though young athletes are required to receive health screens to be cleared to play sports, those tests failed to detect important cardiovascular abnormalities in cleared players, and many were allowed to play despite suspicions of dangerous cardiovascular conditions, according to a large registry study of patients who died from sudden death, being presented March 10 by Kevin Harris, MD, research cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF). The data is being presented at the annual American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in San Francisco. Aort... more »

Ladders to Literacy has potentially negative effects on oral language, no discernilble effect in other areas

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has released an updated report on *Ladders to Literacy,* a supplemental early literacy curriculum composed of 60 activities designed to develop children’s print/book awareness, metalinguistic awareness, and oral language skills. The *Ladders to Literacy * activities can be implemented in a variety of early childhood settings and adapted for children with special needs. The WWC found that *Ladders to Literacy h*as potentially negative effects on oral language and no discernible effects on print knowledge, phonological processing, and math for presc... more »

“2013 State of Our Schools” Report: critical need to modernize school facilities to meet current health, safety standards.

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its first “State of our Schools” report, highlighting the critical need to modernize school facilities to meet current health, safety and educational standards. The report, featuring a foreword by former President Bill Clinton, states that schools are currently facing a $271 billion deferred maintenance bill just to bring the buildings up to working order – approximately $5,450 per student. The last comprehensive report on America’s school facilities was conducted by the Government Accountabili... more »

The Mathematics Curriculum Study Is Now Available

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

The report, Algebra I and Geometry Curricula: Results From the 2005 High School Transcript Mathematics Curriculum Study, builds upon the results from NAEP’s previously released High School Transcript Study and looked at the math coursetaking patterns of America’s high school graduates to examine the content and challenge of Algebra I and Geometry courses in our nation’s public high schools. The report addresses three broad research questions: 1. What differences exist in Algebra I and Geometry course curricula? 2. How accurately do school course titles and descriptions reflect the... more »

Technology Counts 2013

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

Technology Counts 2013—the 16th edition of Education Week’s annual report on educational technology tackles how school districts are working to incorporate more multimedia into classrooms, upgrade online professional development, and do a better job using data to improve student achievement. FEATURES IN THIS SPECIAL REPORT: School Districts Under Pressure to Modernize Schools are working to incorporate more multimedia into classrooms, upgrade online professional development, and do a better job using data to improve student achievement. Districts Place High Priority on 1-to-1 Compu... more »

School-based kitchen gardens are getting an A+

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Grow it, try it, and you just might like it is a motto many schools are embracing to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables. Through community-based kitchen garden programs, particularly those with dedicated cooking components, schools are successfully introducing students to healthier foods. In a new study released in the March/April 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers found that growing and then cooking the foods that kids grew increased their willingness to try new foods. A group of investigators from the University of Melbou... more »

ADHD symptoms persist for most young children despite treatment

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

A study published in the March 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that 9 out of 10 young children with moderate to severe attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continue to experience serious to severe symptoms and impairment long after their original diagnoses, and in many cases, despite treatment. The study, a federally funded multi-center study led by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, is the largest long-term analysis to date of preschoolers with ADHD, according to the researchers, and sheds much-ne... more »

Test-taking May Improve Learning in People of All Ages

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Older adults who haven’t been in school for a while are as capable of learning from tests as younger adults and college students, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. No matter their age or if they work or go to college full time, people appear to learn more when tested on material, rather than simply rereading or restudying information, according to research published online in the APA journal Psychology and Aging®. "The use of testing as a way to learn new information has been thoroughly examined in young students. This research builds on... more »

The Effects of Texas's Targeted Pre-Kindergarten Program on Academic Performance

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

This paper assesses the extent to which a large-scale public program, Texas's targeted pre-Kindergarten (pre-K), affects scores on math and reading achievement tests, the likelihood of being retained in grade, and the probability that a student receives special education services. The researchers find that having participated in Texas's targeted pre-K program is associated with increased scores on the math and reading sections of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), reductions in the likelihood of being retained in grade, and reductions in the probability of receiving s... more »

New Teachers' Early Results Predictive Of Long-Term Success

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

This paper employs data from New York City to explores the extent to which measures of teacher effectiveness during the first two years reliably predicts future performance. The findings suggest that early career experiences may provide useful insights regarding future performance and offer opportunities to better understand how to improve teacher effectiveness. The paper presents evidence not only about the predictive power of early value-added scores, but also on the limitations and imprecision of those predictions. Related article

Postsecondary Education and Labor Market Outcomes in the U.S.

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

In this paper, the authors seek to provide a fairly comprehensive and up-to-date snapshot of the most important postsecondary education and labor market outcomes in the U.S. using two nationally representative sources of data: The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and The National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS). This national overview can serve as an important benchmark for the growing literature using administrative state level data to explore educational outcomes. Postsecondary educational attainment has risen modestly over the past two decades, with g... more »

North Carolina’s Early College High Schools & College Preparedness

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Early College High Schools are small, innovative public schools that offer students the opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and two years of college credit in four or five years free-of-charge. The model has been replicated more than 230 times in 28 states and the District of Columbia. This working paper studies 33 Early Colleges in North Carolina to measure their effect on student progression through the mathematics and science pipelines each of which consist of three college-preparatory courses. The pipeline concept stresses the importance of when a student takes a co... more »

Evaluating teachers -- A snapshot

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waiver requirements have prompted states to make major changes to teacher evaluation policies. This report offers state-by-state data that shows how often states evaluate teachers, how many levels states use to rate teachers, and how much of a teacher's evaluation is based on student data: Only 12 states have received approval from the U.S. Department of Education on their teacher-evaluation systems. Among the issues slowing the approval process are the use of students' test scores in evaluating teachers and how to evaluate teachers of su... more »

Dual Enrollment Programs and Courses for High School Students

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

During the 2010-11 academic year, 53 percent of all institutions reported high school students took courses for college credit within or outside of dual enrollment programs. “Dual Enrollment Programs and Courses for High School Students at Postsecondary Institutions: 2010-11,” a First Look report from the Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS) provides national data about enrollment in dual enrollment programs, eligibility requirements for participating in dual enrollment programs, the types of instructors in dual enrollment programs, and expenses paid by student... more »