Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape 4-21-12 » PostRank #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u




Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape » PostRank
 



Hide7.9

ALEC is wounded but not dead. « Fred Klonsky

2012-Apr-20
ALEC is wounded but not dead. « Fred Klonsky: ALEC is wounded but not dead.byFred KlonskyI first heard about the American Legislative Exchange Council a year and a half ago on a trip to a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.It was a brutally cold March day. That didn’t keep 125,000 people from circling the Capitol building, protesting Governor Walker’sdisgusting union busting.The Mad City Madness not only launched the nation-wide fight-back against the policies of the One Percent. It also served to ...
Hide9.3

Big Education Ape: 4-20-12 AM More calls for civility EDition #SOSCHAT #CTEDREFORM

2012-Apr-20
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!:Big Education Ape:PARENTSCAN!Published byCoopmike48– 7 news spotters todayNext update in about 11 hoursSee all articlesHEADLINESEDUCATIONSOCIETYPOLITICSSTORIESLEISURECRIME#SOSCHAT#CTEDREFORMSeattle Schools Community Forum: More calls for civilitybigeducationape.blogspot.com- Seattle Schools Community Forum: More calls for civility: More calls for civilitybyCharlie MasHere's an interesting trend: calls for civility in the discussion of education issues in Seattle. They...coopmike48Montgomery Superintendent Joshua Starr sharpens critique of national reforms - Maryland Schools Insiderwashingtonpost.com- Montgomery schools superintendent Joshua Starr congratulated the school board Tuesday on standing firm against ...
Hide7.9

Education reform protests pick up steam - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

2012-Apr-20
Education reform protests pick up steam - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Education reform protests pick up steamByValerie StraussIn Texas, New York, Illinois and other states, protests by parents and educators are getting louder against school reform that insists on usingstandardized test scoresas the basis for evaluating students, educators and schools.It is too early to call it a full-fledged revolt; Washington D.C. has yet to see tens of thousands of people marching through the streets against high-stakes standardized ...
Hide9.3

Jersey Jazzman: No Experience Necessary

2012-Apr-20
Jersey Jazzman: No Experience Necessary: No Experience NecessarybyDukeWe have many highly qualified, experienced, and very successful superintendents in New Jersey. But when it's time to get informed opinions about our school system, we often pass them by for by for folks who are... well (to put in kindly),somewhat less experienced:The governor also wants to change the way enrollment is counted. Students are now counted on Oct 15. The governor wants to base funding on average daily attendance, which he says ...
Hide7.9

Daily Kos: Why I Teach - Educators Share Their Stories

2012-Apr-19
Daily Kos: Why I Teach - Educators Share Their Stories: Why I Teach - Educators Share Their Storiesbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)is a new endeavor by John Merrow of Learning Matters, who covers education for the News Hour, to highlight teachers.You can see the entire serieshere.So far there have been four post:Esther Wojcicki of Palo Alto High schoolNancy Gardner, Mooresville (NC) High SchoolJessica Hahn, Explore Charter School in NYand someone who began his post like this: I chose to teach so I could ...
Hide7.9

Modern School: Union Busting in “Pro-Labor” California

2012-Apr-19
Modern School: Union Busting in “Pro-Labor” California: Union Busting in “Pro-Labor” CaliforniabyMichael DunnIn the wake of several recent sexual abuse allegations against Los Angeles school teachers and the mass public hysteria that followed, the California Legislature will consider three new laws that significantly reduce union protections for teachers. These union busting bills (SB 1530, AB 2028 and SB 1059) were set for hearing in the California legislature on April 18, 2012. According to theCTA website, SB 1059 would virtually eliminate ...
Hide9.7

Schools Matter: The Real News on the Fake Education Reform

2012-Apr-19
Schools Matter: The Real News on the Fake Education Reform: The Real News on the Fake Education ReformbyJudy RabinPopoutMore testing, more accountability for teachers and public schools, more data collection, merit pay for teachers based on worthless test scores and crap curriculum supplied by Pearon, McGraw Hill and Houghton Mifflin, more computer learning, more charters and more privatization. Yes, that is the agenda of those who profit from this fake education reform in the name of closing the achievement gap.The ...
Hide8.5

Daily Kos: Why I Teach - Educators Share Their Stories

2012-Apr-19
Daily Kos: Why I Teach - Educators Share Their Stories: Why I Teach - Educators Share Their Storiesbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)is a new endeavor by John Merrow of Learning Matters, who covers education for the News Hour, to highlight teachers.You can see the entire serieshere.So far there have been four post:Esther Wojcicki of Palo Alto High schoolNancy Gardner, Mooresville (NC) High SchoolJessica Hahn, Explore Charter School in NYand someone who began his post like this: I chose to teach so I could ...
Hide8.5

Modern School: Union Busting in “Pro-Labor” California

2012-Apr-19
Modern School: Union Busting in “Pro-Labor” California: Union Busting in “Pro-Labor” CaliforniabyMichael DunnIn the wake of several recent sexual abuse allegations against Los Angeles school teachers and the mass public hysteria that followed, the California Legislature will consider three new laws that significantly reduce union protections for teachers. These union busting bills (SB 1530, AB 2028 and SB 1059) were set for hearing in the California legislature on April 18, 2012. According to theCTA website, SB 1059 would virtually eliminate ...
Hide9.3

Schools Matter: The Real News on the Fake Education Reform

2012-Apr-19
Schools Matter: The Real News on the Fake Education Reform: The Real News on the Fake Education ReformbyJudy RabinPopoutMore testing, more accountability for teachers and public schools, more data collection, merit pay for teachers based on worthless test scores and crap curriculum supplied by Pearon, McGraw Hill and Houghton Mifflin, more computer learning, more charters and more privatization. Yes, that is the agenda of those who profit from this fake education reform in the name of closing the achievement gap.The ...
Hide7.9

School Breakfast Programs - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

2012-Apr-19
School Breakfast Programs - Letters (CA Dept of Education): Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and School Food Service Directors:IMPROVING STUDENT NUTRITION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTTHROUGH SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS I am proud to be the honorary chair of the BreakfastFirst Campaign. Promoting the School Breakfast Program (SBP) is integral to my Team California for Healthy Kids campaign, which focuses on makinghealthy choicestheeasy choices.In alignment with the Team California for Healthy Kids goal to promote good eating habits, BreakfastFirst aims ...
Hide7.9

Education Research Report: Areas with relatively high levels of economic segregation exhibit the highest school test-score gaps between low-income students and other students

2012-Apr-19
Education Research Report: Areas with relatively high levels of economic segregation exhibit the highest school test-score gaps between low-income students and other students: Areas with relatively high levels of economic segregation exhibit the highest school test-score gaps between low-income students and other studentsbyJonathan KantrowitzΩ Housing Costs, Zoning, and Access to High-Scoring Schools: Metropolitan ProfilesAn analysis by The Brookings Institutionof national and metropolitan data on public school populations and state standardized test scores for 84,077 schools in 2010 and 2011 reveals ...
Hide7.9

Reports, Reviews Offer Little to Commend Milwaukee Voucher Schools | National Education Policy Center

2012-Apr-19
Reports, Reviews Offer Little to Commend Milwaukee Voucher Schools | National Education Policy Center: Reports, Reviews Offer Little to Commend Milwaukee Voucher SchoolsContact:William J. Mathis, (802) 383-0058,wmathis@sover.netCasey D. Cobb, (860) 486-6278,casey.cobb@uconn.eduURL for this press release:http://tinyurl.com/7agpr5wBOULDER, CO (April 19, 2012) – Three recent reports on the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP), produced by the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas use largely sound methods, but the data they assemble provide little to support the 22-year-old school voucher program.Those ...
Hide7.9

NYC Public School Parents: The Pineapple and the Hare: Pearson's absurd, nonsensical ELA exam, recycled endlessly throughout country;

2012-Apr-19
NYC Public School Parents: The Pineapple and the Hare: Pearson's absurd, nonsensical ELA exam, recycled endlessly throughout country;: The Pineapple and the Hare: Pearson's absurd, nonsensical ELA exam, recycled endlessly throughout country;byLeonie HaimsonThere was a ridiculous passage on Tuesday’s 8thgrade NY State ELA exam about a Pineapple and a Hare, along with some absurd questions. Here is a comment about the passage from a student:I had this same story for my 8th grade ELA New York state test! Everybody was ...
Hide8.3

Federal Student Aid Join @FAFSA for #AskFAFSA Office Hours with Career Expert, Lindsey Pollak | ED.gov Blog

2012-Apr-19
Join @FAFSA for #AskFAFSA Office Hours with Career Expert, Lindsey Pollak | ED.gov Blog: Join @FAFSA for #AskFAFSA Office Hours with Career Expert, Lindsey PollakbyGuest BloggerIn honor of National Financial Literacy Month,@FAFSAwill hold a special#AskFAFSAOffice Hours with guest hostLindsey Pollak, a bestselling author, keynote speaker and internationally recognized expert on next generation career trends.We’re excited to have Lindsey join us at such an important time. Not only is it National Financial Literacy Month, but with graduation season a short time ...
Hide7.9

Haisman and Rosenthal. « Fred Klonsky

2012-Apr-18
Haisman and Rosenthal. « Fred Klonsky: Haisman and Rosenthal.byFred KlonskyHaisman and Rosenthal.No. It’s not a law firm.Back in the day, Bob Haisman was President of the IEA. He ran for IEA President as something of an outsider and won.Then we butted heads over the issue of a merger of the two national teacher unions: The NEA and the AFT.I was for it. Haisman and the IEA leadership led the charge against it.Haisman won that fight.In fact, I think I may ...
Hide8.2

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 4-18 #edreform #soschat

2012-Apr-18
Charter School Teaching: Similar to or Different than Regular Public Schools? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom PracticeBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-10 minutes agoCharter School Teaching: Similar to or Different than Regular Public Schools? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Charter School Teaching: Similar to or Different than Regular Public Schools?bylarrycubanSince 1991 when Minnesota launched the first charter schools, the movement to create publicly funded charters freed from district rules where parents can ...
Hide7.9

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS - KIPP IS A GIP

2012-Apr-18
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALScharterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/Apr 2, 2012 –...**Managed by K12 Inc. (3); **Managed byKIPP(16); **Managed by Leona Group (1); **Managed by Lighthouse Academies (1); **Managed...You've visited this page 4 times. Last visit: 10/7/11CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS:KIPPSunshine Peak Academycharterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/.../kipp-sunshine-peak-academy....Nov 10, 2011 –DENVER – An assistant football coach atKIPPSunshine Peak Academy has been fired after being accused of making an online sexual...From your Google Reader subscriptionsCHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS:KIPPEndeavor Academy...charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/.../kipp-endeavor-academy-kans...May 2, 2011 –Concerns over the local management of theKIPPEndeavor Academy have prompted its ...
Hide7.9

Big Education Ape: 4-17-12 PM The Incoherent Reform of Michelle Rhee EDition #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT

2012-Apr-17
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!:Big Education Ape:PARENTSCAN!Published byCoopmike48– 6 news spotters todayNext update in about 12 hoursSee all articlesHEADLINESEDUCATIONSOCIETYSTORIESPOLITICSCRIMEART ENTERTAINMENT#CORPREFORM#CTEDREFORMThe Incoherent Reform of Michelle Rheejerseyjazzman.blogspot.com- Last Friday, Michelle Rhee was on Brian Lehrer's radio show. The segment, unsurprisingly, is a textbook example of the incoherence of the corporate reform movement. I'll have more to say about the ...mikeklonsky- Wait, What?jonathanpelto.com- Apr 17 jonpeltoCharter Schools, Education, Malloy, State Budget Education Reform, Malloy Having collected some updated data on the status of ...
Hide7.9

Jersey Jazzman: New Troll Policy

2012-Apr-17
Jersey Jazzman: New Troll Policy: New Troll PolicybyDukeI have wasted far too much time with trolls lately. Maybe it's a sign of this blog's growth that I now have at least one full-time, dedicated troll stalking me here and at Blue Jersey who is quite conversant in reformy vocabulary.I don't have a problem with tough arguments against me. I will admit, for example, that a troll did catch me oncesaying something dumb. Good for her or him. Good for me, ...
Hide8.3

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 4-17 #edreform #soschat

2012-Apr-17
Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Royko would have loved Rahm. « Fred KlonskyBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-4 minutes agoLife in Rahm’s Chicago. Royko would have loved Rahm. « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Royko would have loved Rahm.byFred KlonskyFrom theSouthtown.That brilliant chronicler of the verities of Chicago’s corrupt politicians, Mike Royko, would see Rahm Emanuel, the Dimunitive Despot, as a columnist’s dream come true.The scenario of a former suburbanite and D.C insider, whose campaign was well funded by ...
Hide7.9

Connecticut teachers' unions battles powerful outsiders over reform - Hartford Courant

2012-Apr-17
Connecticut teachers' unions battles powerful outsiders over reform - Hartford Courant: Teachers Union Battles Powerful InterestsOTHER OPINIONApril 16, 2012|By PHIL APRUZZESE and MARY LOFTUS LEVINE,The Hartford Courant"There is something awful going on in America. It has to do with scapegoating teachers, demonizing unions, and undermining education." That commentary is from former U.S. Assistant Commissioner of Education Diane Ravitch. Ravitch, who today is a professor and author, also is concerned about excluding teachers through top-down reforms. But that's exactly what anti-union ...
Hide7.9

Missouri Education Watchdog: GAM vs. Tiger Moms

2012-Apr-17
Missouri Education Watchdog: GAM vs. Tiger Moms: GAM vs. Tiger MomsbyAnngieLast year Amy Chua started a national debate about how hard parents should push their children to succeed. Her bookBattle Hymn of the Tiger Motherput a spotlight on the practices Chinese mothers used to get their children to the top of the success heap. Many Americans were appalled, but a slight note of worry was also struck by her comment to Meredith Vieira,"To be perfectly honest, I know that a ...
Hide10.0

#SOSChat night! Tonight, @AnthonyCody and Mark Simon 9:00 pm EDT, 6:00 pm PDT

2012-Apr-17
www.saveourschoolsmarch.org: #SOSChat night! Tonight, @AnthonyCody and Mark Simon, on keeping teachers or letting them go. What's best? 9:00 pm EDT, 6:00 pm PDT.
Hide9.9

I Don't Understand Michelle Rhee - Bridging Differences - by Diane Ravitch

2012-Apr-17
I Don't Understand Michelle Rhee - Bridging Differences - Education Week: I Don't Understand Michelle RheebyDiane RavitchDear Deborah,I am trying to understand Michelle Rhee. She has allied herself with the most right-wing governors in the nation, yet she claims to be a Democrat. She has worked with Republican Rick Scott in Florida, Republican John Kasich in Ohio, Republican Chris Christie in New Jersey, Republican Rick Snyder in Michigan, among others. Any governor who wants to cut teachers' rights and benefits ...
Hide8.5

What the U.S. can’t learn from Finland about ed reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

2012-Apr-17
What the U.S. can’t learn from Finland about ed reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: What the U.S. can’t learn from Finland about ed reformByValerie StraussFinland’shigh-achieving public school system is now part of the conversation about U.S. education reform these days. What, it is often asked, can we learn from Finland? (Plenty, actually, though U.S. reformers consistentlyignore the lessons.)The queryhas been asked and answered so often that it seems like a good time to ask what the ...
Hide9.3

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 4-17 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

2012-Apr-17
An Ode To The Big Tests | The Jose VilsonBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-4 hours agoAn Ode To The Big Tests | The Jose Vilson: An Ode To The Big TestsbyJoseHere’s to you.Here’s to the students who will be pelted with Scantron sheets and test booklets emblazoned with the shape of New York State, a place they’ve explored so little.Here’s to the students who, after 140 days of mixed concentration for varied reasons, will be asked to focus ...
Hide8.2

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 4-16 #soschat #EDReform

2012-Apr-16
Chicago’s LSC election: largest, most diverse « Parents Across AmericaBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoChicago’s LSC election: largest, most diverse « Parents Across America: Chicago’s LSC election: largest, most diversebypureparents“Largest municipal election yields largest number of public officials of color in the US.”Thanks to Don Moore of Designs for Change for this press release:6,500 Candidates Set To Run for Chicago’s Local School Councils This Week, After 28 Organizations Won a Two-Week Candidate Recruitment ExtensionChicago School System’s Central ...
Hide7.6

Democrats Running for Governor Need to Fully Support Public Education « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

2012-Apr-16
Democrats Running for Governor Need to Fully Support Public Education « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Democrats Running for Governor Need to Fully Support Public EducationbymillerlfRemoving the Walker regime is within the grasp of Wisconsin voters. Walker’s policies, if allowed to continue, will make pain and suffering the order of the day for many people, while corporations and the wealthy will flourish.As an advocate of public education, working for over 80,000 Milwaukee students, my goal is to steer education ...
Hide9.3

SES WHAT A MESS: More on Dallas ISD & the federal tutoring program | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

2012-Apr-16
More on Dallas ISD the federal tutoring program | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com: More on Dallas ISD the federal tutoring programbyHolly Hacker/ReporterMatthew Haag Iwrote Sundayabout DISD's frustrations with a tutoring program required under the No Child Left Behind law. Twenty-six DISD schools must offer the tutoring, also called Supplemental Educational Services, to poor kids. DISD said they've found evidence of fraudulent billing by at least two SES providers. Beyond that, district officials say, they see little evidence that the ...
Hide9.3

Coordinated and Collaborative Responses to Diverse Student Needs — Whole Child Education

2012-Apr-16
Coordinated and Collaborative Responses to Diverse Student Needs — Whole Child Education: Coordinated and Collaborative Responses to Diverse Student NeedsbyASCD Whole Child BloggersDownload Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]We know we have to cultivate lifelong learners who are thoughtful, creative, culturally competent, intellectually curious, and civically engaged. Preparing our kids for their future college, career, and citizenship success is our common purpose and responsibility as adults, not just educators.Essential to student success is access to personalized learning and support from qualified, ...
Hide9.3

Chicago’s LSC election: largest, most diverse « Parents Across America

2012-Apr-16
Chicago’s LSC election: largest, most diverse « Parents Across America: Chicago’s LSC election: largest, most diversebypureparents“Largest municipal election yields largest number of public officials of color in the US.”Thanks to Don Moore of Designs for Change for this press release:6,500 Candidates Set To Run for Chicago’s Local School Councils This Week, After 28 Organizations Won a Two-Week Candidate Recruitment ExtensionChicago School System’s Central Administration Repeatedly Obstructs Recruitment EffortsCHICAGO, IL (APRIL 15, 2012). About 6,500 candidates signed up to run in ...
Hide10.0

Stand ON Children First: New AstroTurf from Teacher in the Box

2012-Apr-16
Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTERAstroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to further their own agendas. Such groups are often typified by innocent-sounding names that have been chosen specifically to disguise the group's true backersJust Like Michelle Rhee'sStudents firstAstroturf lobbying(only Better)we support:Promoting voucher programs that drain public schools of resources by using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private ...
Hide9.3

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State PTSA - I Still Don't Get It

2012-Apr-16
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State PTSA - I Still Don't Get It: Washington State PTSA - I Still Don't Get ItbyMelissa WestbrookThe Washington State PTA holds its annual convention on May 4,5, and 6th in SeaTac. I've attended a couple in the past and, as a former PTA Board member, I found them energizing (if not overwhelming). You kind of get the sense that there are major players holding the cards and you are just there to watch.Your unit ...
Hide9.3

In Case You Missed It: City won’t have State support for “turnarounds” by PEP vote; IBO says more high-needs students mean lower school ratings « EdVox

2012-Apr-16
In Case You Missed It: City won’t have State support for “turnarounds” by PEP vote; IBO says more high-needs students mean lower school ratings « EdVox: In Case You Missed It: City won’t have State support for “turnarounds” by PEP vote; IBO says more high-needs students mean lower school ratingsbyedvoxnyHere on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with all of the events ...
Hide9.0

Choosing Blindly: Instructional Materials, Teacher Effectiveness, and the Common Core - Brookings Institution

2012-Apr-16
Choosing Blindly: Instructional Materials, Teacher Effectiveness, and the Common Core - Brookings Institution: Choosing Blindly: Instructional Materials, Teacher Effectiveness, and the Common CoreEducation,K-12 EducationMatthew M. Chingos, Fellow,Governance Studies,Brown Center on Education PolicyGrover J. "Russ" Whitehurst, Director,Brown Center on Education PolicyThe Brookings InstitutionSaveDownload the Report (PDF)FacebookShareinShare16StumbleUponE-mailPrintAPRIL 10, 2012 —Evidence shows that instructional materials have large effects on student learning.However, little research exists on the effectiveness of most instructional materials, and very little systematic information has been collected on which materials are ...
Hide8.2

Teacher: Step-by-step guide to how ‘reform’ is harming public schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

2012-Apr-15
Teacher: Step-by-step guide to how ‘reform’ is harming public schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Teacher: Step-by-step guide to how ‘reform’ is harming public schoolsbyValerie StraussThiswas written by Elizabeth Walters, a proud graduate of Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, PA, Smith College, and the teacher-certification program of the University of New Orleans. Walters is a journalist and a teacher at Chalmette High School in St. Bernard Parish, LA. This wasoriginally publishedinCounterPunch, a provocative political newsletter and ...
Hide8.2

Grumpy Educators: Florida Charter School "Boom": Warning Signs

2012-Apr-15
Grumpy Educators: Florida Charter School "Boom": Warning Signs: Florida Charter School "Boom": Warning SignsbySandraThere is a charter boom going on with too many oddities:1) 15 of 30 "F" schools in Florida are charters. "Then last year in Florida, charter schools received 15 out of 31 of all the failing FCAT grades that went to public schools. Charter elementary and middle schools were seven times more likely to get an F than traditional public schools."Read full articlehere.2) VP Joe Biden's brother ...
Hide7.9

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 4-15 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

2012-Apr-15
Best day | Ideas and ThoughtsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoBest day | Ideas and Thoughts: Best daybyDean ShareskiRemember when people used to post videos they liked on their blog? Now we just tweet or post them to Facebook which is fine I suppose.This video is one I'm sure many of seen as it is destined to go viral if it already hasn't. I first saw it on twitter and since have watched it at least 7 ...

This Week's Education Research Report 4-21


Areas with relatively high levels of economic segregation exhibit the highest school test-score gaps between low-income students and other students

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago
Ω Housing Costs, Zoning, and Access to High-Scoring Schools: Metropolitan Profiles An analysis by The Brookings Institution of national and metropolitan data on public school populations and state standardized test scores for 84,077 schools in 2010 and 2011 reveals that: - Nationwide, the average low-income student attends a school that scores at the 42nd percentile on state exams, while the average middle/high-income student attends a school that scores at the 61st percentile on state exams. This school test-score gap is even wider between black and Latino students and white stu...more »

Students who bring water into exams may improve their grade by keeping hydrated

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago
Ω Researchers recorded the behavior of 447 undergraduate students across three different cohorts in relation to whether students brought drinks, and the type of drinks they brought, into exams. Students who were in higher levels of the university degree were much more likely to bring drinks into the exam that those in their first year of undergraduate study. The researchers related the marks attained by students in the exam to whether those students brought water into the exam. Importantly, they controlled for general ability using coursework marks to ensure that they were not simp... more »

In NYC: An inequitable distribution of educational resources

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago
Ω In New York City public schools, a student’s educational outcomes and opportunity to learn are statistically more determined by where he or she lives than their abilities, according to a new report, *A Rotting Apple: Education Redlining in New York City*, released by the Schott Foundation for Public Education. Primarily because of New York City policies and practices that result in an inequitable distribution of educational resources and intensify the impact of poverty, children who are poor, Black and Hispanic have far less of an opportunity to learn the skills needed to succeed... more »

Same-ethnicity mentors boost students' commitment to STEM careers

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω Youths from African American, Native American, and Latino backgrounds are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (known as STEM subjects). Although having a mentor of the same ethnicity is widely seen as one way to engage these youths in STEM subjects, no study has asked these young people if they consider having a mentor who shares their background to be important. Now a new study of African American and Latino youths has found that having a "matched" mentor does matter, but only if having such a mentor is considered important by the adolesc...more »

Preschoolers' reading skills benefit from 1 modest change by teachers

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω A small change in how teachers and parents read aloud to preschoolers may provide a big boost to their reading skills later on, a new study found. That small change involves making specific references to print in books while reading to children – such as pointing out letters and words on the pages, showing capital letters, and showing how you read from left to right and top to bottom on the page. Preschool children whose teachers used print references during storybook reading showed more advanced reading skills one and even two years later when compared to children whose teachers... more »

States face challenges to improve writing standards

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω Far too many K-12 students have inadequate writing skills, and the current efforts to improve instruction in the United States may be more challenging than anticipated, research from Michigan State University shows. According to an initial sample of seven states, the existing standards for teaching writing vary widely in comparison to a new set of common standards that are in the process of being implemented by most states. Study co-director Gary Troia of MSU, along with Natalie Olinghouse at the University of Connecticut, said educators and policymakers in many parts of the coun... more »

A healthy recess can reduce bullying, improve learning time

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω Strengthening recess transforms the school climate, paving the way for less bullying and more focus on learning, says a new study from Mathematica Policy Research and Stanford University. The randomized control trial specifically looked at what happened when schools partnered with Playworks, a national nonprofit that is currently providing healthy recess and other playtime to schools in 23 cities nationwide. Researchers found that investing in recess and organized play can prevent bullying, improve students’ behavior at recess and readiness for class, and provide more time for te... more »

Teen Dating Violence Behaviors and Risk Factors Common Among 7th-Grade Students

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω *Experts Believe Prevention in Middle School Matters* A new study of 1,430 7th-grade students released today reveals that many 7th-graders are dating and experiencing physical, psychological and electronic dating violence. More than one in three (37%) students surveyed report being a victim of psychological dating violence and nearly one in six (15%) report being a victim of physical dating violence. The study also found that while some attitudes and behaviors associated with increased risk for teen dating violence are pervasive, nearly three-quarters of students surveyed report... more »

Countries that best prepare math teachers share similarities

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω Countries that best prepare math teachers meet several key conditions generally lacking in the United States, according to the first international study of what teacher preparation programs are able to accomplish. The study, led by Michigan State University, suggests that in countries such as Taiwan and Singapore, future math teachers are better prepared because the students get rigorous math instruction in high school; university teacher-preparation programs are highly selective and demanding; and the teaching profession is attractive, with excellent pay, benefits and job secur... more »

Early screening for anxiety disorders in children helps mental health

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω A University of British Columbia researcher has developed a simple two-question test to screen kindergarten-aged children for future anxiety disorders - the most commonly reported mental health concern among children. The screening questions, which ask parents about shyness, anxiety and worrying in their children, were found to be 85 per cent effective in identifying children who went on to be clinically diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. "When children enter kindergarten, they are screened for hearing and vision problems and difficulty reading so that these issues can be identi... more »

Football-related catastrophic brain injuries on the rise

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω Catastrophic brain injuries associated with full-contact football appear to be rising, especially among high school students, according to a new report. The increase is alarming and indicates more coaches and athletic trainers should change how they teach the fundamental skills of the game, according to researchers based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Until recently, the number of football-related brain injuries with permanent disability in high school had remained in the single digits since 1984. However, the tally rose to 10 injuries in 2008 and 2009, and th... more »

Math teachers demonstrate a bias toward white male students

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω While theories about race, gender, and math ability among high school students have long been debated, a recent study found that math teachers are in fact, unjustifiably biased toward their white male students. This study was published in a new article released in the April 2012 issue of Gender & Society (GENDSOC), the official journal of the Sociologists for Women in Society, published by SAGE. "This speaks to the presence of a perhaps subtle yet omnipresent stereotype in high school classrooms: Math, comparatively speaking, is just easier for white males than it is for white fe... more »

Choosing Blindly: Instructional Materials, Teacher Effectiveness, and the Common Core

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 5 days ago
Ω Evidence shows that instructional materials have large effects on student learning. However, little research exists on the effectiveness of most instructional materials, and very little systematic information has been collected on which materials are being used in which schools. In this new Brooking Institution report, Russ Whitehurst and Fellow Matthew Chingos argue that this problem can be efficiently and easily fixed by states, with support from the federal government, non-profit organizations, and private philanthropy. Here are highlights from their recommendations: State ed... more »