GUEST POST – Charter Schools: The New Private Prisons? | Eclectablog

GUEST POST – Charter Schools: The New Private Prisons? | Eclectablog

GUEST POST – Charter Schools: The New Private Prisons?

The following essay was written by Mitchell Robinson and is cross-posted on his most-excellent blog at MitchellRobinson.net. Robinson is associate professor and chair of music education, and coordinator of the music student teaching program at Michigan State University. Follow Mitchell on Twitter at @mrobmsu. His essay is reposted here with permission.

A new report from the Justice Department recommends the suspension of contracts for private prisons, effective immediately. In explaining the justification for this decision, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates concluded that “the facilities are both less safe and less effective at providing correctional services than those run by the government.”

Teachers and those who have observed the impact of the corporate education reform agenda on public education over the last decade or so may notice some striking similarities between the findings of this Justice Department report and the explosion of the charter school industry in our country. As with the private prison scenario, the explosion of charter schools in the last decade has created parallel school systems–both allegedly public, but fighting for limited resources, and competing on an uneven playing field.

As my friend, Steven Singer, says: “In Brown vs. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to have ‘separate but equal’ schools, because when they’re separate, they’re rarely equal. Having two parallel systems of education makes it too easy to provide more resources to some kids and less to others.”

Initially proposed in the 1970s as a “laboratory in innovation” for pedagogical practices, and even embraced by AFT President Albert Shanker in 1988, charter schools were intended to function as incubators for innovative teaching techniques, strategies and policies.

Today, the experiment has been co-opted in many states by “for-profit” charter school management companies, such as K12.com, which was supported by the investments of convicted felon Michael Milken. These for-profit networks are characterized by schools staffed with CONTINUE READING: GUEST POST – Charter Schools: The New Private Prisons? | Eclectablog

Incarceration vs. education: America spends more on its prison system than it does on public schools | Daily Mail Online

Incarceration vs. education: America spends more on its prison system than it does on public schools | Daily Mail Online

Incarceration vs. education: America spends more on its prison system than it does on public schools – and California is the worst
Most American states spend more on their prisons than they do on education - and California is the worst, investing $64,642 per prisoner compared to $11,495 per student - a $53,146 difference in spending priorities
The reasons include an incarceration rate that has tripled over the past three decades, the higher cost of caring for people in prisons 24 hours a day, and the higher number of workers required to operate a prison
New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island round out the top states spending more on prisons 

The U.S. spends more on prisons and jails than it does on educating children – and 15 states spend at least $27,000 more per prisoner than they do per student, according to a new report.

Americans account for 4.4 percent of the global population, but 22 percent of the world’s prison population.

California spends $8.6 billion a year on its prison system, more than any other state, averaging $64,642 per inmate. It’s also the state with the biggest gap between education and prison spending, paying just $11,495 per student for a difference of $53,146, according to a new analysis by personal finance site GoBankingRates.

Several factors play into the imbalance, including U.S. incarceration rates, which have more than tripled over the past three decades – even as crime rates have fallen. During the same period, government spending on K-12 education increased by 107 percent, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Education.

Another factor in the spending gap between education and incarceration is that it takes more workers to run a prison than a school, with each American teacher supervising an average of 20.8 students, while prison guards oversee an average of 5.3 prisoners.

In addition, it costs more to house and feed prisoners three times a day, compared to school children who do not require the same 24-hour oversight.

While it may seem that prison spending and education spending are disparate, experts have drawn correlations CONTINUE READING: Incarceration vs. education: America spends more on its prison system than it does on public schools | Daily Mail Online

Why is Common Core’s Phonics Missing in Reading and Dyslexia Discussions?

Why is Common Core’s Phonics Missing in Reading and Dyslexia Discussions?

Why is Common Core’s Phonics Missing in Reading and Dyslexia Discussions?

Those who claim teachers and their education schools have focused on the wrong way to teach reading never mention Common Core State Standards. But, since 2010, Common Core has figured prominently in the reading curriculum teachers have been forced to teach.

If students are showing increased reading problems, shouldn’t the English Language Arts standards be examined, including the Reading: Foundational Skills which focuses on phonics?

If Common Core was improving learning, wouldn’t those phonics standards be working for all children? Perhaps Common Core is the problem.

In 2015, in The Washington Post: “Requiring kindergartners to read as Common Core does – may harm some,” Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin and Joan Wolfsheimer Almon, well-respected experts in the area of early childhood learning, described how Common Core’s standards involved unreasonable expectations for kindergartners.

They stated, many children are not developmentally ready to read in kindergarten, yet the Common Core State Standards require them to do just that.

It’s important to note that phonics hasn’t been missing from the curriculum like we CONTINUE READING: Why is Common Core’s Phonics Missing in Reading and Dyslexia Discussions?

Doctrine of Discovery Redux: The Vatican’s Plans For Impact Investing – Wrench in the Gears

Doctrine of Discovery Redux: The Vatican’s Plans For Impact Investing – Wrench in the Gears

Doctrine of Discovery Redux: The Vatican’s Plans For Impact Investing

I watched the video of Helen Alford’s talk months ago, and I still can’t get it out of my head. A Dominican nun trained in “human-centered technology” who holds a PhD in engineering management from Cambridge regaling a room full of aspiring impact investors on how the Catholic church plans to be the conscience of big business in the coming decades. Even though she notes there are many peace and justice folks who believe wading into human capital impact investing is akin to taking up with the devil, well…circumstances require it, so better just get with the program.

Alford goes on to say how excited she is that the Church will be at the center of social innovation over the next twenty years; it’ll be just like fifteenth century Florence. She describes bishops using innovative approaches to reduce big manuals of moral economic decision-making, which to me smacks frighteningly of religious Blockchain smart contracts. This moment of existential crisis brought on by climate catastrophe and economic uncertainty appears to be the perfect window of opportunity for the Catholic church to usher in a new age of evangelism. Their leaders intend to tap lay people worldwide to spread the church’s teachings through politics, economics and technology.

This truly feels like the logical extension of the Doctrine of Discovery, white western Christianity calling dibs on a dawning age of cloud-based extractivism. Once again the rich and powerful draw up plans to prey on CONTINUE READING: Doctrine of Discovery Redux: The Vatican’s Plans For Impact Investing – Wrench in the Gears

Marian Wright Edelman: Immigrant Children Are Still Children | MomsRising

Immigrant Children Are Still Children | MomsRising

Immigrant Children Are Still Children

The Trump administration’s cruel treatment of children and families at the border has not stopped. Children continue to die in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including 16-year-old Carlos Gregorio Hernández Vásquez, who died May 20 just hours after being diagnosed with the flu. Despite the law requiring unaccompanied migrant children to be transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within 72 hours, Carlos had been held for more than a week in a processing center in McAllen, Texas where CBP said “large numbers” of migrants were displaying symptoms of flu-like illness. When staff there diagnosed Carlos with influenza on May 19, instead of being hospitalized or given additional medical treatment he was given Tamiflu and transferred to the Weslaco Border Patrol Station. The next day he was found unresponsive during a welfare check.

Carlos’s family in Guatemala told reporters he loved soccer and played bass and the piano, but had left home alone in hopes he could help support his parents and eight siblings, including a brother with special needs. His death came just days after a Guatemalan 2-year-old detained by CBP died after spending several weeks in a Texas hospital with pneumonia. And that was just three weeks after Juan de León Gutiérrez, another unaccompanied 16-year-old in federal custody who had been detained by Border Patrol on April 19, died at a hospital from a brain infection. At least six children have now died in federal custody.

Apparently undeterred by these tragic deaths, the administration is taking new steps to deprive the children it is holding in custody of basic necessities. Last week, the administration cut funding for education, recreation and legal aid for migrant children and youth in federal shelters. An estimated 13,200 minors are currently being held in shelters contracted by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The Children’s Defense Fund recently joined more than 100 other organizations signing on to a letter to the Secretary of HHS and other federal leaders condemning the decision.

As the letter explains, “It is widely recognized in international, federal, and state law that children are unique from adults and should be afforded special protections that support their developmental needs.” That’s why the Flores settlement, the existing agreement that limits the length of time and conditions under which federal officials can detain immigrant children, requires the government to place children in the least restrictive setting that is in the best interest of the child. It’s also why the services the administration is taking away from these children—including English, math, science, and reading classes and CONTINUE READING: Immigrant Children Are Still Children | MomsRising

Michigan's Emergency Manager legacy: Democratic leaders work to clean up Republicans' messes | Eclectablog

Michigan's Emergency Manager legacy: Democratic leaders work to clean up Republicans' messes | Eclectablog

Michigan’s Emergency Manager legacy: Democratic leaders work to clean up Republicans’ messes

I haven’t written much about the Flint Water Crisis lately, largely because my pals over at Michigan Advance and the fine reporters at MLive have been doing such a good job. I’m inspired to write today as I reflect on two recent stories, one of which is not actually about Flint.

The first story is the astonishing move taken by Attorney General Dana Nessel along with Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud who was appointed by Nessel to oversee the investigation into the Flint Water Crisis. In a move that startled many observers, Nessel has dismissed charges against ALL of the current defendants in cases related to the poisoning of Flint’s water supply with the colorless, odorless neurotoxin lead.

At first blush, this may seem beyond shocking. These cases have been plodding along for months and years under former Attorney General Bill Schuette and his appointed Special Prosecutor Todd Flood. The people involved were indicted on extremely serious charges including manslaughter. To the people of Flint, who rightfully no longer trust government agencies and actors, this probably seems like yet another case of “justice delayed is justice denied”, particularly when it comes to communities where the majority of residents are people of color.

However, when you dig into the reasoning behind Nessel’s move, it’s clear that it was necessary. As CONTINUE READING: Michigan's Emergency Manager legacy: Democratic leaders work to clean up Republicans' messes | Eclectablog

UCLA Civil Rights Project: The Broken Promise of Brown | Diane Ravitch's blog

UCLA Civil Rights Project: The Broken Promise of Brown | Diane Ravitch's blog

UCLA Civil Rights Project: The Broken Promise of Brown

The Brown decision of 1954 marked the beginning of a dramatic transition in American society. I attended segregated public schools in Houston. I remember segregated buses and water fountains marked “white” and “colored.” I remember the social codes that required black peoples to enter through the back door, never the front door. I remember segregated movie theaters, public swimming pools, beaches. So many degrading laws, rules, practices, customs, but only for black peoples.

So much has changed. After a period of years in which school segregation shrunk markedly, it has rebounded and intensified.

The UCLA Civil Rights Project has tracked civil rights issues for years. Here is its latest report on the state of school segregation. 

Harming Our Common Future: America’s Segregated Schools 65 Years after Brown

Authors: Gary Orfield, Erica Frankenberg, Jongyeon Ee, Jennifer B. Ayscue

The publication of this report marks the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. There have been many changes since the ruling, but intense levels of segregation—which had decreased markedly after 1954 for black students—are on the rise once again. White and Latino students are the most segregated groups.

Related Documents

•  Report: Harming Our Common Future

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The publication of this report marks the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. In the immediate years after the Brown ruling, the effort to integrate schools faced many difficult challenges and progress was limited. But the passage of the l964 Civil Rights Act as well as a series of Supreme Court decisions in the l960s and early 1970s produced momentum towards increased desegregation for black students that lasted until the late l980s, as districts across much of the country worked to achieve the promise of Brown–integrated schools for all children.

As we mark the 65th anniversary of Brown, there have been many changes since the ruling, but intense levels of segregation—which had decreased markedly after 1954 for black students—are on the rise once again. In the CONTINUE READING: UCLA Civil Rights Project: The Broken Promise of Brown | Diane Ravitch's blog

Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers. Troy LaRaviere returns to the show. – Fred Klonsky

Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers. Troy LaRaviere returns to the show. – Fred Klonsky

Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers. Troy LaRaviere returns to the show

Troy LaRaviere was on our first Hitting Left over two years ago.

This makes his third visit, his first since a try at running for Chicago Mayor.

Rahm hadn’t yet dropped out when Troy announced.

On this week’s radio broadcast/podcast Troy spends some time reflecting on why his campaign didn’t play out the way many hoped.

But his attention is now on his role at leader of the Chicago Principles and Administrators Association.

And he has this key question: Why is Chicago at the bottom of the list of Illinois schools when it comes to staffing and in the top 20% when it comes to funding?

As for the new Mayor, Troy voted for Preckwinkle both times.

But he is excited by the members of the board that Mayor Lightfoot has chosen.

He supports an elected school board, but like me is was not thrilled with the Martwick vision of a board. He shares some of the Mayor’s concerns and adds a few of his own.

I pointed out that the CTU and others have blasted the Mayor’s opposition to the Martwick elected school board bill.

“We want a board that is representative and competent,” he told us. But an election alone will not bring us that. “We have a city council that is elected but is neither representative of the people nor competent.”

The podcast can be found here.

Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers. Troy LaRaviere returns to the show. – Fred Klonsky

With A Brooklyn Accent: What Could Happen If Trump Tries to Deport Children and Families

With A Brooklyn Accent: What Could Happen If Trump Tries to Deport Children and Families

What Could Happen If Trump Tries to Deport Children and Families

Do not assume that Donald Trump’s planned deportation raids will produce the results he intends- unless his goal is the bring the nation to the edge of Civil War. 

    In places where public sentiment is strongly against such policies, I.C.E. Agents may face such massive civil disobedience that they will need US military escorts to carry out their mission, since local police will not cooperate and governors will not send the national guard in support

     There are two examples  from US History which anticipate such a scenario

       The first took place after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850. In response, Abolitionists  not only hid escaped slaves from government agents and private detectives trying to capture them, they organized large groups of people to surround houses where fugitives had been cornered and dared agents to shoot their way in. As a result, in places where anti slavery sentiment was strong, such as Boston. it became impossible to enforce the new law. This virtual nullification of  CONTINUE READING: With A Brooklyn Accent: What Could Happen If Trump Tries to Deport Children and Families

Mike Klonsky's Blog: STATEMENT FROM MAYOR LORI E. LIGHTFOOT ON PLANNED ICE RAIDS / DECLARACIÓN DEL ALCALDE LORI E. LIGHTFOOT SOBRE LAS VÍLIDAS DE HIELO PLANIFICADAS

Mike Klonsky's Blog: STATEMENT FROM MAYOR LORI E. LIGHTFOOT ON PLANNED ICE RAIDS

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR LORI E. LIGHTFOOT ON PLANNED ICE RAIDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 21, 2019

CONTACT:

Mayor’s Press Office

312.744.3334

press@cityofchicago.org

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR LORI E. LIGHTFOOT ON PLANNED ICE RAIDS

"We are all aware of the threat from President Trump regarding raids by ICE, and in response, Chicago has taken concrete steps to support our immigrant communities. I have directed – and Superintendent Johnson has confirmed – that CPD has terminated ICE's access to CPD's databases related to federal immigration enforcement activities. I have also personally spoken with ICE leadership in Chicago and voiced my strong objection to any such raids. Further, I reiterated that CPD will not cooperate with or facilitate any ICE enforcement actions. Chicago will always be a welcoming city and a champion for the rights of our immigrant and refugee communities, and I encourage any resident in need of legal aid to contact the National Immigrant Justice Center."

PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA

21 de junio de 2019

CONTACTO:

Oficina de Prensa del Alcalde

312.744.3334

press@cityofchicago.org

DECLARACIÓN DEL ALCALDE LORI E. LIGHTFOOT SOBRE LAS VÍLIDAS DE HIELO PLANIFICADAS

"Todos somos conscientes de la amenaza del presidente Trump con respecto a las redadas de ICE y, en respuesta, Chicago ha tomado medidas concretas para apoyar a nuestras comunidades de inmigrantes. He dirigido, y el Superintendente Johnson ha confirmado, que CPD ha cancelado el acceso de ICE a las bases de datos de CPD. relacionados con las actividades federales de control de la inmigración. También he hablado personalmente con el liderazgo de ICE en Chicago y he expresado mi fuerte objeción a cualquiera de esas redadas. Además, reiteré que CPD no cooperará ni facilitará ninguna acción de cumplimiento de ICE. Chicago siempre será una bienvenida ciudad y defensor de los derechos de nuestras comunidades de inmigrantes y refugiados, y aliento a cualquier residente que necesite asistencia legal a ponerse en contacto con el Centro Nacional de Justicia para Inmigrantes ".

Mike Klonsky's Blog: STATEMENT FROM MAYOR LORI E. LIGHTFOOT ON PLANNED ICE RAIDS

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

Education Research Report

THIS WEEK 

Education Research Report

Early-and-regular cannabis use by youth is associated with alteration in brain circuits that support cognitive control A

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 16h

Also see Marijuana and Teens The development of neural circuits in youth, at a particularly important time in their lives, can be heavily influenced by external factors--specifically the frequent and regular use of cannabis. A new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ( JAACAP ) , published by Elsevier, reports that alterations in cognitive control--an ens

EdTech Top 40

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 23h

U.S. school districts used an average of 703 different edtech products every month in the 2018-19 school year , according to the latest findings from EdTech Top 40 research , conducted across 1,000 schools around the country and covering more than 1 million teachers and students. This data represents a 28% increase from the 2017-18 school year , a dramatic rise that likely reflects the expanded n

JUN 20

The Impact of Engaging Teachers on Student Attendance in Secondary School

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

Complete report Teachers’ impact on student long - run success is only partially explained by their contributions to students’ short - run academic performance . This study explored a second dimension of teacher effectiveness by creating measures of teachers’ contributions to student class - attendance . The researchers find systematic variation in teacher effectiveness at reducing unexcused clas

The State of States’ Postsecondary Attainment Goals

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

In 2009, the Lumina Foundation launched an initiative to increase “the proportion of Americans with high quality degrees, certificates, and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.” [1] This goal was based on workforce projections from the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce, and related efforts have been supported by numerous grant-making organizations – including the Bill & Melind

Successful Summer Programs Under ESSA

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

Format File Size Notes PDF file 3.3 MB » Research Questions What summer programs serving K–12 students in the U.S. education system have been recently evaluated? What summer programs have yielded evidence that meets ESSA evidence standards? What are the characteristics of summer programs that meet ESSA evidence standards? Research evidence suggests that summer breaks contribute to income-based ac

JUN 19

Behavior in kindergarten associated with earnings in adulthood

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

Researchers have examined what childhood behavior can tell us about how individuals will do economically later in life. But the methods they used to reach an answer were limited, which tempered the studies' findings. New longitudinal research that addressed these limitations examined the association between six prevalent childhood behaviors in kindergarten and annual earnings at ages 33 to 35 yea

OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is an international, large- scale survey of teachers, school leaders and the l earning environment in schools. This note presents findings based on the reports of lower secondary teachers and their school leaders in mainstream public and private schools. Complete Report Country Reports Complete U.S. Report Who are today’s principals and

JUN 18

2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

The 30th edition of the KIDS COUNT Data Book — the most comprehensive annual report on child well-being in the United States — notes progress in helping children thrive since the first Data Book was published in 1990. But it finds the nation has failed to tear down barriers affecting children of color and underscores that America’s future will be brighter if all kids in all communities have the o

Socioeconomic-Based School Assignment Policy and Racial Segregation Levels

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

In the wake of political and legal challenges facing race-based integration, districts have turned to socioeconomic integration initiatives in an attempt to achieve greater racial balance across schools. Empirically, the extent to which these initiatives generate such balance is an open question This article leverages the school assignment system that the Wake County Public School System employed

Florida Report Offers Meager Insight into Charter School Performance

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

The Florida Department of Education recently published a report consisting almost entirely of simple graphs comparing achievement levels, achievement gaps, and achievement gains on statewide tests among charter school students to those among traditional public school students. The Department’s press release touted the report as showing that the state’s “charter school students consistently outper

50-State Comparison: Need- and Merit-Based Financial Aid

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

With the emphasis placed on the importance of postsecondary education and its role in developing the future workforce, states collectively invest over $12 billion annually in financial aid programs. This aid is mostly disbursed based on students’ financial need and/or merit criteria. State approaches to measuring need and merit vary widely and, until now, state policymakers and other education le

JUN 17

The Impacts of Principal Turnover

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Nationally, 18% of principals turn over each year, yet research has not yet credibly established the effects of this turnover on student and teacher outcomes. Using statewide data from Missouri and Tennessee, this study finds that principal turnover lowers school achievement by .03 SD in the next year, on average. Effects vary by transition type, with larger negative effects for transfers to othe

New study examines the association between race, ethnicity and exclusionary discipline practices

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Discipline and how it is administered in schools across the U.S. continues to be a hotly debated topic. Now a University of Kentucky doctoral graduate's expansive research on the subject has been published in the Journal of School Psychology and is gaining widespread attention from teachers, administrators, and researchers. Albert Ksinan, who earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Family Science

Text-messaged-based parenting curricula– How Timing Matters

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

The time children spend with their parents affects their development. Parenting programs can help parents use that time more effectively. Text-messaged-based parenting curricula have proven an effective means of supporting positive parenting practices by providing easy and fun activities that reduce informational and behavioral barriers. These programs may be more effective if delivered during ti

JUN 14

Higher Education Staff See Modest Salary Increase, Little Growth

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 8d

The median salary increase for staff over the past year was 1.88 percent, according to CUPA-HR’s newest Staff in Higher Education Annual Report . This is a slight decline from the 1.93 percent median salary increase in 2018. The median salary increase was highest at baccalaureate institutions (1.99 percent) and lowest at associate’s institutions (1.52 percent). The position of graphic design para

JUN 13

Monitoring educational equity

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 8d

A centralized, consistently reported system of indicators of educational equity is needed to bring attention to disparities in the U.S. education system, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Indicators - measures used to track performance and monitor change over time - can help convey why disparities arise, identify groups most affected by them, and

JUN 12

Early childhood education reaction to new limits on expulsions

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

Complete report Nationwide, preschoolers are being expelled at alarming rates, upwards of 250 a day by some accounts. Given the critical role of early childhood education (ECE) in supporting children’s school readiness, there is a grave concern that these children are being excluded. Furthermore, there is consistent evidence of racial and gender disparities in who gets expelled. Recently, Illinoi

Arts Education and Social-Emotional Learning

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

Complete report Social and emotional learning is a topic of increasing focus in the education sector. Though definitions and terminology vary, at its core this trend reflects an increased interest among educators, administrators, parents, and other stakeholders in students’ development of individual and interpersonal skills beyond the realm of academic achievement. This project, conducted in part

High School Graduation Rates: Progress Is Real, But Slowing, Indicating Urgency to Double Down on Equity Gaps

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

The national high school graduation rate reached an all-time high of 84.6 percent in 2017, up from 79 percent in 2010 and 71 percent since 2001. Hispanic, Black, and low-income students have continued to drive this increase with Hispanic students reaching an 80 percent graduation rate in 2017, Black students climbing to a 77.8 percent graduation rate, and low-income students reaching a 78.3 perce

Is Summer Learning Loss Real?

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

How I lost faith in one of education research’s classic results By Paul T. von Hippel Complete report Every summer, the news is filled with stories about summer learning loss. The warnings sound dire: two months of math learning lost for most students every summer, and two to three months of reading learning lost for low-income students, according to the National Summer Learning Association. By t

A National Study of the Differential Impact of Novice Teacher Certification on Teacher Traits and Race-Based Mathematics Achievement

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 9d

In this study, differential prediction of student outcomes by race and teacher traits relative to the certification levels of novice teachers was assessed. Overall, algebra achievement was higher for students who were taught by teachers with standard certificates relative to students who were taught by novice teachers with nonstandard certificates. The most conservative estimates show that findin

JUN 11

School Voucher Report Uses Shaky Methods to Misrepresent Research

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d

A recent report from EdChoice presents itself as a yearly updated list and synthesis of empirical studies exploring the impacts of school vouchers across a set of outcomes. But a new review of the report finds that it fails to provide a robust summary of the research literature on vouchers and their full range of positive and negative impacts. T. Jameson Brewer, of the University of North Georgia

Characteristics Associated with English Learner Academic Performance and Language Proficiency

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 10d

This study, conducted by REL Midwest in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, explores the relationships between English learner students’ personal and school characteristics and their performance on math, English language arts, and English language proficiency assessments. REL Midwest conducted this study for the Cleveland Partnership for English Learner Success to inform improvements to d

JUN 10

Eating habits linked to academic performance

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

Junk food associated with poorer academic achievement An analysis of more than 850 elementary school children found those who reported higher consumption of snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages scored lower on standardized academic tests, on average, than children who consumed less of these foods. While unhealthful diets were not linked to lower cognitive test scores, the findings suggest po

Osbesity increase risk of being both?a bullying victim, perpetrator, or Mary

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

New Rochelle, NY, May 28, 2019--A new study has shown that obese adolescents are not only significantly more likely to experience bullying, but they are also more likely to be both victims and perpetrators of bullying compared to their healthy weight peers. The study also found that overweight or obese adolescents who are either victims or perpetrators of bullying, or both, have significantly gre

International Student Mobility: Growth and Dispersion

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

Recent years have seen an unprecedented growth and geographic dispersion in international student mobility. This paper tests the predictions of two competing theoretical models underpinning the determinants of student mobility – the human capital model and the migration model – across traditional and emerging destinations. The findings suggest that while the predictions of the migration model are

Results of STEM professional development and curriculum programs

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

This study presents results from a meta-analysis of 95 experimental and quasi-experimental pre-K–12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional development and curriculum programs, seeking to understand what content, activities, and formats relate to stronger student outcomes. Across rigorously conducted studies, the researchers found an average weighted impact estimate

School Performance in “Focus Schools” After Waiver Reforms: No ChangeSchool Performance in “Focus Schools” After Waiver Reforms: No Change

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 11d

States that receive federal waivers to the No Child Left Behind Act were required to implement reforms in designated “Focus Schools” that contribute to achievement gaps. This study examines the performance effects of such “differentiated accountability” reforms in Louisiana. These Focus School reforms emphasized school-needs assessments and aligned technical assistance. These reforms may have als

Education Research Report