Crisis Recreated: DEI and Hiring Mediocrity
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Moments arrive that expose the gap between the qualified leadership we
claim to value and the leadership we actually choose. It reveals a quiet
truth many ...
Whole Books and Slow School
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Last week I had a bluesky post blow up, a simply referral to Dana
Goldstein’s New York Times piece about how nobody reads whole books in
school any more.
Whole Books and Slow School
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Last week I had a bluesky post blow up, a simply referral to Dana
Goldstein's New York Times piece about how nobody reads whole books in
school any more. I...
Trump Says Murder of Reiners Was All about Trump
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Trump, being Trump, turns everything into a story about him. When the news
first came out that Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were
murdere...
MORNING NEWS UPDATE: DECEMBER 16, 2025
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*MORNING NEWS UPDATE: DECEMBER 16, 2025*
U.S. News
1. Bondi Beach Terror Attack Aftermath: Mourners continue to gather at
Sydney's Bondi Beac...
Wasting Time
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I found a pair three-year-olds holed up under our loft, surrounded by
stuffed animals, cracking one another up with rhymes.
"Bunny wunny!"
"Teddy beddy...
Missing digits puzzle
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Can you find the missing digits? Could I have offered fewer digits (and
still have one solution?) could I spread the digits better? _ _ x _ _
________ 496 ...
A Journalist Describes My Class (Part 1)
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In 1956, I began teaching social studies at Glenville High School in
Cleveland, Ohio. In 1962, journalist Martin Mayer contacted me about a book
he was wri...
A Great Primer on K-12 Indoctrination
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A big thank you to Anne Lutz Fernandez, who provides the following primer
on the anti-education propagandists who are set upon warping the minds of
child...
Two Men Murdered In Our Name
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*The video is horrifying. The facts are undeniable. And the killings were
done in our name.*
👉 Here’s why what happened to two shipwrecked men at sea sh...
2026–27 FFVP Request for Applications Available
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The CDE NSD announces a grant opportunity for elementary schools to
participate in the FFVP. The FFVP grant period is July 1, 2026–June 30,
2027. All eligi...
Sanders on Elections and Socialism : How We Win
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*Over the weekend, Bernie Sanders spoke to the **How We Win conference**, a
gathering of democratic socialist elected officials and their staff in New
...
Are Schools the Problem?
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I was somewhere between irritated and curious when I saw the headline:
America’s Children Are Unwell. Are Schools Part of the Problem? The
subhead: From A....
“PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE”
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Let’s suppose you decided to run a marathon. How would you prepare for a
26.2 mile running race? You’d probably create a schedule that called for
runs of d...
Charter Schools in a Racist Big Easy
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By Thomas Ultican 12/8/2025 New Orleans was the site of the largest slave
market in America. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, more than
135,000 s...
The Company You Keep
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Even though the filing period for the 2026 elections isn't until April,
let's all pay close attention. The candidates lining up to run will tell
you more a...
Best STEM Materials for Classrooms – 2025 Reviews
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As a classroom teacher with over a decade of experience, I’ve watched STEM
materials evolve from simple blocks to sophisticated learning...
The post Best...
Part II: Charter School Reckoning: Disillusionment
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The second installment of a three-part report compiles some of the most
striking examples of charter school mismanagement and self-dealing, along
with ab...
‘An Education’ by Diane Ravitch — My Review
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Fifty years after the publication of her first book, ‘The Great School
Wars’, author and historian Diane Ravtich has released her long awaited
memoirs. In...
It Is Up to Us to Defend Democracy
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Do we have the courage to defeat an authoritarian regime? I believe we do,
if we organize strategically and effectively. There is no time to waste.
Do we...
November’s Parent Engagement Resources
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Be A Learning Hero has lots of research parent engagement with schools. No
Simple Answers for Kids and Screens* (Sara Konrath) After 10 years of
studying f...
Fix the Past or Invent the Future?
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Introduction Order the book from ASCD or Amazon. For years, the pervasive
story of American education was one of decline. In 1995, educational
psychologist...
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
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The polls for Prop 50, CA’s ballot initiative that counters MAGA’s illegal
gerry-mandering in Texas, opened Tuesday, November 4, 2025,…
The post This Is ...
Trying to get video cameras for my school
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through Donors Choose.
Here’s the project:
www.donorschoose.org/…
Putting this up because today only there is a 50% match for whatever you
contribute s...
Don’t Follow Advice from Billionaires
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This is by Julian Vasquez Lustig. —————- When billionaires step onto a
stage, release a book, or tweet some glossy piece of wisdom, the world pays
attentio...
Blogoversary #19 — Time to Move on
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Times have changed. I had a nice long run here, but let’s face it, it ended
a while ago. So I’ve moved. I’m not writing much any more, but when I do it
wil...
Il Papa è Morto
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Francis brought a distinct pastoral outlook to his papacy. A simple man, he
lived in a small apartment in the guesthouse. He sought to make the church
acce...
Trump plays Putin’s Playbook
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Recently Aleksander Dugin was interviewed on CNN, last week, and he stated
that he believes Trump is closer ideologically to President Putin than to
Washin...
Mike Shulman the ARISE UFT Judenrat
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I was surprised to learn that Mike Shulman has aligned himself with ARISE.
I previously supported him, advocating that the Castle Doctrine could have
bee...
How Do We Fight Trump?
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Dear Friends, I don’t know when and why it hit me. But I suddenly realized
how serious Trump is about changing the country into something that
horrifies. I...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen GarcÃa
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
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Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
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It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
Reduced time for testing? Not so fast.
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NYSED and Commish Elia continue to say that the NYS Assessments are of
reasonable length, I completely disagree.
Here is what NYSED states are average expe...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
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It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
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Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
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States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
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I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
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Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
Higher consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grain foods are associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to two studies published by The BMJ today. The findings suggest that even a modest increase in consumption of these foods as part of a healthy diet could help prevent type 2 diabetes. In the first study, a team of European researchers examined the association bet
Full report Background The Sustainable Development Goals call for inclusive, equitable and quality learning opportunities for all. This is especially important for children, to ensure they all develop to their full potential. We studied the prevalence and inequalities of suspected delay in child development in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Methods We used the early child development module
These students on average lose nearly 40 percent of their school year gains Following U.S. students across five summers between grades 1 and 6, a little more than half (52 percent) experienced learning losses in all five summers, according to a large national study published today. Students in this group lost an average of 39 percent of their total school year gains during each summer. The study
The science community should withdraw from involvement in international tests such as PISA because they have forced schools to adopt "narrow" curricula and pedagogies, a study says. Researchers examining the future of science lessons post-covid have also urged teachers and educators to develop a new focus on the environment and health. They have argued children need to learn more about the comple
School food choices and number of physical activity facilities are associated with students' BMI, Rutgers study finds Students at elementary and secondary schools that offer healthier food offerings and more opportunities for physical activities have a healthier body mass index, according to Rutgers researchers. The study, published in Preventive Medicine Reports , uses professional measures of s
Between 2017–18 and 2019–20, the average tuition and required fees at 4-year public institutions increased less than 1 percent for in-state and decreased approximately 1 percent for out-of-state students (after adjusting for inflation). During that same time period, tuition and required fees increased approximately 1 percent at 4-year nonprofit institutions and decreased by a little more than 3 p
There is a rich literature on perfectionism among gifted individuals, but the results of these individual studies are ambiguous. This meta-analysis aimed to clarify the nature of the relationship between perfectionism and giftedness by focusing on quantitative studies that compared the perfectionism levels of gifted and nongifted students. Hedge’s unbiased g was used as the effect size metric and
This Policy Outline provides a high-level overview of the key agencies, funding sources and common state policy components that make up a work-based learning continuum in any state.
Three years after beginning their postsecondary education in 2011–12, 72 percent of certificate students who attained a credential and 59 percent of certificate students who left without a credential were employed. Among associate’s degree students, the percentages were 77 and 70 percent, respectively. Today , July 8, the National Center for Education Statistics released First-time Subbaccalaurea
According to the internal/external frame of reference model, academic achievement has a strong impact on people’s self-concept, both within and between subjects. This article describes a series of meta-analyses of k = 505 data sets containing the six bivariate correlations between achievement and self-concept in two subjects. Negative paths from achievement to noncorresponding self-concept, indic
Full article Book giveaway programs provide free books to families with infants to encourage caregivers to begin reading to their children during infancy. This meta-analysis of 44 studies retrieved from 43 articles tests the effects of three major book giveaway programs: Bookstart (n = 11), Reach Out and Read (n = 18), and Imagination Library (n = 15). Effect sizes were aggregated within two doma
Full article The authors report on a randomized controlled trial of an intervention that leverages the availability of laptops for all public-school students in the state of Maine. The intervention, called “ASSISTments,” provides feedback to students as they solve mathematics homework problems and automatically prepares reports for teachers about student performance on daily assignments. Teachers
This randomized controlled trial examined effects of the MyTeachingPartner-Math/Science intervention on the quality and quantity of teachers’ mathematics and science instruction, and children’s mathematics and science outcomes in 140 pre-kindergarten classrooms. Teachers participated in the intervention for two years with consecutive cohorts of children. Results from Year 1 are considered experim
Targeted taxes on sweetened beverages and policies that strengthen nutritional standards for meals and beverages at schools may be effective tools for decreasing the purchase of sweetened drinks and reducing obesity among children living in poverty, according to two studies led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The studies will be published online July 7, 2020 in Heal
Students tend to be more engaged in activism if the school that they attend emphasizes social and political issues, according to new research featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. A research team including Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Student Affairs Administration John Zilvinskis examined survey responses to an experimental itemset of the Natio
COVID-19 has temporarily shuttered many early childhood education centers across the country, shifting full-time child care and teaching responsibilities largely to parents. As some of those centers look toward reopening, they can play an important part in ensuring that parents continue to be engaged in their children's education at home, says University of Arizona researcher Melissa Barnett. In
Tutoring—defined as one-on-one or small-group instructional programming by teachers, paraprofessionals, volunteers, or parents—is one of the most versatile and potentially transformative educational tools in use today. Within the past decade, dozens of preK-12 tutoring experiments have been conducted, varying widely in their approach, context, and cost. This stud y represents the first systematic
This paper considers an unavoidable feature of the school environment, class rank. What are the long run effects of a student’s ordinal rank in elementary school? Using administrative data from all public school students in Texas, the authors show that students with a higher third grade academic rank, conditional on achievement and classroom fixed effects, have higher subsequent test scores, are
Patience and risk-taking – two cultural traits that steer intertemporal decision-making – are fundamental to human capital investment decisions. To understand how they contribute to international differences in student achievement, we combine PISA tests with the Global Preference Survey. This study finds that opposing effects of patience (positive) and risk-taking (negative) together account for
School districts want to know how to identify students who may be at risk of academic problems in the near future. A new REL Mid-Atlantic study shows how school and child welfare agency data can be used to identify students at risk for absenteeism, suspensions, course failure, poor grades, and low performance on state tests. By identifying students who are likely to experience these precursors to
Study findings suggest ramifications for Black youth AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION Prospective teachers appear more likely to misperceive Black children as angry than white children, which may undermine the education of Black youth, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. While previous research has documented this effect in adults, this is the first st
Although studies have shown that women are more likely than men to enter and complete college in U.S. higher education, women are less likely to earn degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields. In new research,