4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-30-13

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

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

Opinion: HOW I BEAT THE POWERBROKERS IN A SCHOOL BOARD RACE

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 14 hours ago

By Bennett Kayser, Op-Ed in the LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/173VB2q 3/28/2013 12:17:23 PM PDT  ::  In my 2011 school board race, I beat the big money. My campaign coffers never topped $35,000. My opponent Luis Sanchez raised more than five times as much. Sanchez also benefited from the generous support of "independent" interests willing to spend millions to promote their agendas. He also

A MODEST PROPOSAL FOR MORE BACK-STABBING IN PRESCHOOL

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 19 hours ago

  By CARINA CHOCANO, NEW YOTK TIMES |  http://nyti.ms/YIBbIS A MODEST PROPOSAL: For Preventing The Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being Aburden to Their Parents or Country, and For Making Them Beneficial to The Public By Jonathan Swift (1729) Jonathan Swift's satirical essay from 1729, where he suggests that the

NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION SEEKS CURBS ON U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY

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

By Tom Chorneau - SI&A Cabinet Report. http://bit.ly/10jGbAC Thursday, March 28, 2013  ::  The National School Boards Association and its 90,000 members are sponsoring legislation aimed at curbing the authority of the U.S. Secretary of Education – an outgrowth likely stemming from the group’s chilly relationship with the Obama administration during the president’s first term. HR 1386 by

HOLD DISTRICTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR RESTORING FUNDING FOR THE ARTS

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

By Mark Slavkin / commentary in EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/XgHIMK March 26th, 2013  ::  A well-rounded education that includes the arts is essential to prepare California students for college and careers. A year of fine arts is required for admission to the CSU or UC campuses. Further, the skills students gain in the arts – imagination, creativity and innovation – are essential for

Michelle Rhee: TAKING A CRACK AT CALIFORNIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM + smf’s 2¢

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

Michelle Rhee came to prominence as the tough-minded chancellor of Washington, D.C., schools. Now she's in Sacramento, taking on this state's system — and its teachers unions. By Michael J. Mishak and Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/13DqrQN Michelle Rhee, center, former chancellor of Washington, D.C., Public Schools, answers questions after delivering a speech titled "

2 ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: Dropouts + Parents

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

Language and Dropouts "The English-Learner Dropout Dilemma: Multiple Risks and Multiple Resources" By Lesli A. Maxwell, EdWeek Report Roundup  | http://bit.ly/YL77z8 English-Learner Parents "English Language Learners and Parental Involvement" By Alyssa Morones,  EdWeek Report Roundup  | http://bit.ly/11TItNu

Experts: LATER SCHOOL START HELPS SLEEP-DEPRIVED TEENS

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

Symposium looks at research, solutions by Gina Cairney, Ed Week | http://bit.ly/YiXYeE also see: LONG BEACH MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO START DAY AN HOUR LATER + smf’s 2¢: By Stephen Ceasar, L.A, Times |http://bit.ly/Zr4Ndf March 27, 2013, Rockville, Md. ::  Mystery still surrounds what sleep is actually for, but multiple research studies suggest that it is critical to brain development,

Elementary principal to take district helm: NEW SAN DIEGO SUPERINTENDENT HAS DEEP PARENT TIES

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

By Michele Molnar, Education Week | http://bit.ly/11UVOkO Cindy Marten walks with Jasmine Nevarez, 5, the girl's mother, Jessica Lopez, and other parents to a nearby middle school last week. Ms. Marten, who soon takes the reins of the San Diego district, planned the trip as part of a parent-involvement effort.—Sandy Huffaker for Education Week March 27, 2013  ::  Call it "parental

LAUSD SALVAGES SUMMER SCHOOL, BUT CLASSES WILL BE LIMITED

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

●●smf’s 2¢: …maybe that should be LAUSD Savages Summer School …creating market opportunity for charter operators …in the Valley? By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/YzEeTA 3/24/2013 11:36:18 AM PDT  ::  Despite fears that Los Angeles Unified would have to cancel summer school this year, officials say they'll be able to hold a limited number of credit-recovery

TO OCCUPY… OR BE OCCUPIED…

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

by smf for 4LAKidsNews: When the following email with the title above popped up in my browser I thought it was going to be about Prop 39 charter co-locations in California – maybe about Dr. Deasy’s threat to place  a charter co-lo at Venice High School if the School site Council/School Based Management Committee won’t agree to his Pilot School Plan – even though it has already been rejected by

LONG BEACH MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO START DAY AN HOUR LATER + smf’s 2¢

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

By Stephen Ceasar, L.A, Times | http://lat.ms/YCoEXs March 25, 2013, 7:43 pm  ::  The Long Beach school board voted Monday to push start times at the district’s five middle schools from 8 to 9 a.m. -- a cost-cutting move officials believe will also boost student success. The board unanimously approved the plan, spearheaded by Supt. Christopher Steinhauser. Beginning in the fall, students at all

What they talk about in D.C. during Spring Break: THE “EDUCATION INDUSTRY” EVALUATES TEACHERS + PLUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE THE PROBLEM!

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

from Fitzwire smf: The privatizers need a clubhouse…. so of course there is an “Education Industry Association”.  Who better to commission studies from academia to conclude what you’ve wanted to believe all along? And what if it isn’t just Bad Teachers and Bad Teachers’ Unions that produce all those bad test scores, bad grad rates and bad data?  What if it

The Incubator Pilot @ Venice High: A PARENT WRITES TO SUPERINTENDENT DEASY

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 5 days ago

by Mary Smith, reprinted with permission Thursday, 3/21/13 Dear LAUSD School Superintendent Deasy: This morning myself and another Venice High parent, witnessed you quickly and abruptly enter our Venice High School cafeteria building where we were holding a silent, peaceful, non violent protest, for Venice High students, parents and community members against the planned co-location of the

LAUSD TEACHERS SET TO VOTE ON CONFIDENCE IN DISTRICT, UNION POLICIES

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 5 days ago

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer | LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/Y8s30m 3/23/2013 01:43:12 PM PDT  ::  Los Angeles Unified's 40,000 teachers will be polled next month on their confidence in Superintendent John Deasy and whether they want their union to ratchet up demands for higher pay, smaller classes and an end to many of the district's reforms. Teachers will be asked to vote yes or no on two

Carpenter Community Charter: THE DOWNSIDE OF SUPERSTAR SCHOOLS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 5 days ago

It's no surprise that parents go to great lengths to get their children into the coveted classrooms. But other campuses suffer a loss from such lopsided enthusiasm.     By Sandy Banks, LA Times columnist ! http://lat.ms/XzBfay Carpenter Community Charter has almost 1,000 students, a waiting list and a controversy over parents who lie about their addresses to get their children in. But

CALIFORNIA VOTERS SPLIT ON JERRY BROWN SCHOOL PLANS + smf’s 2¢: Good policy meets bad process

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 5 days ago

Fifty percent agree with the governor's proposal to give more funds to school districts that serve low-income children. A separate Brown plan to give local districts more funding control is favored by 59% . By Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/11zsSm4 March 23, 2013, 5:00 a.m.  ::  SACRAMENTO — California voters have yet to strongly embrace Gov. Jerry Brown's

INCUBATOR SCHOOL IN L.A. SPARKS DISCORD OVER LOCATION, TEACHERS

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

The pilot middle school, which is slated to open next year but lacks a site, will teach students how to launch a business in addition to academics. By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/11uaqaC March 20, 2013 :: Sujata Bhatt uses online games to encourage her students at Grand View Boulevard Elementary School to aim higher: "Don't just play games, make them." Now Bhatt will

GOOD NEWS FOR ADULT EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA

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

from the AALA Update | http://bit.ly/166dFHV 21 March 2013  ::  Members of the State Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance rejected Governor Brown’s plan to move administrative and financial responsibility for adult education from K-12 districts to the community colleges on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. This vote, by a Democrat-controlled committee, indicates that the

INSTEAD OF CLOSING (or reconstituting, charterizing, privatizing, magnetizing or pilotizing) SCHOOLS - HOW ABOUT THIS?

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

Given that school reformers are always talking about the importance of giving parents “school choice,” you’d think they’d listen to the people who want their neighborhood schools saved. You’d think. By Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post/Answer Sheet | http://wapo.st/WTfWoo Updated: March 22, 2013  ::  When Michelle Rhee told D.C. school residents that she, as chancellor of public

SENATOR PADILLA DROPS HIS TEACHER DISMISSAL BILL, SB10 - IN FAVOR OF ASSEMBLY ED CHAIR BUCHANAN’S AB 375

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

By John Fensterwald, EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/13j02aA UPDATE: March 21st, 2013   ::  Two days after Assemblymember Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, introduced a bill that would make it quicker and potentially cheaper to fire teachers, Sen. Alex Padillo, D-Los Angeles, has shelved his controversial version of a teacher dismissal bill and signed on as a principal co-author of hers.

ALLEGATIONS OF COVER-UP + FAILURE TO REPORT CHILD ABUSE @ DE LA TORRE ELEMENTARY IMPLICATE SENIOR LAUSD OFFICIALS

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

L.A. Unified officials let abuse allegations slide, lawyers say Two high-level district employees heard but failed to act on accusations of sexual misconduct by an elementary school teacher, according to attorneys representing alleged victims. By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/10rOJsV March 21, 2013, 11:05 p.m.  ::  Incidents of alleged child abuse by a teacher at a

ARIA DOHERTY, 14, DIES OF “HUFFING” COMPUTER CLEANER + smf’s 2¢

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

Aria Doherty, 14, died on Monday, March 18, 2013, apparently after inhaling computer keyboard duster, a practice known as "huffing," "bagging" or "dusting./from KNBC4.com 14-Year-Old Girl Dies After Inhaling Computer Duster An honor student in Northridge, Aria Doherty had aspirations of becoming a surgeon. By Gordon Tokumatsu and Samantha Tata, NBC Southern California http://bit.ly/10l7s9p

THE POLITICAL FUTURE OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION

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

Commentary By Arthur E. Wise & Michael D. Usdan/Education week | March 13, 2013,  ::  Despite the unified Democratic Party and teachers' union support for the re-election of President Barack Obama, a philosophical divide over how to strengthen teaching quality in the United States remains. Will teaching and learning be improved through increased regulation, mandated standards, standardized

MORE FROM TUESDAY’S BOARD MEETING: Magnets Redux + Security in Early Childhood Ed

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

LAUSD considers allowing students to enter magnets all year long by Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/ZMhPAY LAUSD preschools to get $7 million in security upgrades By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News |http://bit.ly/WFeGnn March 20, 2013 |  9:05 am   ::  Officials are working to

WHY ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA FELL SHORT AS LA’s EDUCATION MAYOR

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

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez| Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC | http://bit.ly/YoommQ Damian Dovarganes/AP - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and Meg Whitman, right, help third grade elementary math class students: David Ozorio, middle, and Cecil Pascal, right, at the 99th St. Elementary campus Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, in Los Angeles. March 19th, 2013, 6:00am  ::  As Los Angeles Mayor Antonio

Top Content this Week - 3-30-13 The Educator's PLN Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN:

Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN:

1	a message to parents from your child's teacher Added by Thomas Whitby on March 23, 2013
2	20 Quick Actions You Can Do Today To Set Your Classroom Up For Massive Success Added by Tess Pajaron on March 19, 2013
3	Twitter in D123 Added by Thomas Whitby on March 20, 2013
4	K-12 Tech Tools Posted by Torrey Trust on November 1, 2011
5	Follow Your Thinking Tracks! Added by Kristin Jordan on January 19, 2012
6	Applying Vygotsky’s ZPD to Parenting Added by Abby Cohen on March 24, 2013
7	Cultural Projects Added by Elmas Onbasi on March 29, 2013
8	Classroom Leadership Added by Cory Radisch on March 26, 2013
9	Applying Vygotsky’s ZPD to Parenting Added by Abby Cohen on March 24, 2013
10	Beginning a Personal Learning Network Posted by sarah gardner on March 12, 2013
11	50 Ways to Integrate Art Into Any Lesson Added by Tess Pajaron on March 25, 2013
12	Challenge 13 Added by Lori Thomas on March 26, 2013
13	Comedy in the Classroom: 50 Ways to Bring Laughter Into Any Lesson Added by Tess Pajaron on March 24, 2013
14	We Take Dairy and This is Crazy! Added by Tom Kendall on March 26, 2013
15	Running on Empty? 25 Tricks to Jumpstart Routine Lessons Added by Tess Pajaron on March 28, 2013
16	ADE Application Added by Betsy Spence on March 28, 2013
17	Applying Vygotsky’s ZPD to Parenting Added by Abby Cohen on March 24, 2013
18	Challenge 13 Added by George Wilson on March 24, 2013
19	Innovation hates silos Added by Scott Kinkoph on March 29, 2013

This Week's Education Research Report 3-30-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Education Research Report:

THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT

TEACHERS’ GESTURES BOOST MATH LEARNING

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 hours ago

Students perform better when their instructors use hand gestures – a simple teaching tool that could yield benefits in higher-level math such as algebra. A study published in *Child Development*, the top-ranked educational psychology journal, provides some of the strongest evidence yet that gesturing may have a unique effect on learning. Teachers in the United States tend to use gestures less than teachers in other countries. “Gesturing can be a very beneficial tool that is completely free and easily employed in classrooms,” said Kimberly Fenn, study co-author and assistant profes... more »

Students Mixing Career, Technical Courses with Traditional Academic Tracks

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

In the past three decades, U.S. students have begun blurring the lines between traditional academic studies and technical education courses, according to a new report by researchers at RTI International and MPR Associates, Inc. In the report, researchers found that career and technical education, including courses such as accounting, construction and health care, has moved from being a separate vocational “track” for graduates headed to jobs immediately after high school to an exploratory “field” for both academic and general high school graduates. The researchers also found that ... more »

Boston Public Schools' prekindergarten program boosts children's skills

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Boston Public Schools' prekindergarten program is substantially improving children's readiness to start kindergarten, according to a new study of more than 2,000 children enrolled there. The program uses research-based curricula and coaching of teachers, is taught primarily by masters-level teachers, and is open to any child regardless of family income. The study, out of Harvard University, appears in the journal Child Development. Some of the study's findings on the effects of the program are the largest found to date in evaluations of large-scale public prekindergarten programs.... more »

Female students just as successful as males in math and science

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

While compared to men, women continue to be underrepresented in math and science courses and careers, is this disparity a true reflection of male and female student ability? According to a study to be released tomorrow in *Psychology of Women Quarterly,* a SAGE journal, male and female students earn similar grades in math and science while Asian American students of both genders outperform all other races. Researchers Nicole Else-Quest, Concetta Mineo and Ashley Higgins studied 367 White, African American, Latino/Latina, and Asian American 10th grade male and female students in ma...more »

Study Finds Similar Academic Growth Rates for High-Achieving Students at High-, Low-Income Schools

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

High-achieving students show nearly equivalent rates of academic growth toward college readiness, whether they go to a low- or high-poverty school, according to a new study released by the Kingsbury Center at Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). *A Level Playing Field: How College Readiness Standards Change the Accountability Game* found that average rates of academic growth by high achievers in high-income and low-income schools were nearly equivalent. Achievers in high-income schools showed slightly more significant math achievement growth than achievers in low-income schools...more »

Second ‘School Staffing Surge’ report suffers from same flaws as original

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

In a follow-up to its Bunkum Award-winning report of last year, the Friedman Foundation recently released a second report, again describing a surge in school employment unaccompanied by progress in student achievement. Again, however, the report suffers from faulty premises and inaccurate data. Joydeep Roy reviewed The School Staffing Surge, Part II, for the Think Twice think tank review project. The review is published by the National Education Policy Center, housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education. Dr. Roy is a visiting professor at Columbia University’... more »

New WWC Quick Review on "KIPP Middle Schools: Impacts on Achievement and Other Outcomes, Final Report"

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

What is the study about? This study examined whether attending a Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) middle school improved students’ reading, math, social studies, and science achievement for up to 4 years following enrollment. The study analyzed scores on state assessments for approximately 16,000 students attending 41 KIPP middle schools in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Students were followed for 1–4 years, depending on data availability. KIPP middle school students were matched to students who had attended the same feeder school districts but subsequently attended non-...more »

5-year-olds who watch TV for 3+ hours a day more likely to be antisocial

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

Five year-olds who watch TV for three or more hours a day are increasingly likely to develop antisocial behaviours, such as fighting or stealing by the age of seven, indicates research published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood. But the risk is very small, say the authors, who additionally found that time spent playing computer/electronic games had no impact on behaviour. Prolonged screen viewing time has been linked to various behavioural and emotional problems in children, say the authors, but most research has focused exclusively on television, and almost all of it has... more »

HOW SCHOOL REPORT CARDS CAN BACKFIRE

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

In the wake of President Obama’s “college scorecard,” new research finds that government attempts to grade educational institutions can backfire when done for political or policy purposes. Rebecca Jacobsen of Michigan State University studied the effects of publicizing performance data for K-12 schools, which was mandated by No Child Left Behind in 2001. While Jacobsen believes school report cards are warranted to keep the public informed, she said too often the information presented is unclear or misleading to parents and can ultimately erode trust in the schools. And now comes t... more »

Scientists and public school teachers team up to transform science education

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

A research paper published online this month in *Academic Medicine*highlights the successful development, implementation, and effects of an infectious disease curriculum that has now been piloted in five Boston Public Schools. Student engagement and interest in the infectious disease material increased after the curriculum was implemented. Based on pre-and post-tests, student understanding of the course content more than doubled regardless of gender or ethnicity, also attitudes and self-efficacy toward the material improved compared to other students. The curriculum is part of the G...more »

Mindfulness improves reading ability, working memory, and task-focus

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

If you think your inability to concentrate is a hopeless condition, think again –– and breathe, and focus. According to a study by researchers at the UC Santa Barbara, as little as two weeks of mindfulness training can significantly improve one's reading comprehension, working memory capacity, and ability to focus. Their findings were recently published online in the empirical psychology journal Psychological Science. "What surprised me the most was actually the clarity of the results," said Michael Mrazek, graduate student researcher in psychology and the lead and corresponding ... more »

Quitting marshmallow test can be a rational decision

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

A psychological experiment known as "the marshmallow test" has captured the public's imagination as a marker of self control and even as a predictor of future success. This test shows how well children can delay gratification, a trait that has been shown to be as important to scholastic performance as traditional IQ. New research from University of Pennsylvania psychologists suggests, however, that changing one's mind about delaying gratification can be a rational decision in situations when the timing of the payoff is uncertain. The research was conducted by assistant professor J... more »

Random Drug Testing of Middle School Students Proves Effective in Preventing Substance Abuse

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind have released the results of their six year study of the effectiveness of drug-testing in the prevention of substance abuse among New Jersey middle school students at the statewide Addiction Conference, Atlantic City. For several years, some New Jersey middle schools have asked parents for permission to carry out random drug testing in the school. Now, the first longitudinal study measuring the effectiveness of these programs indicates these tests tend to reduce rates of drug abuse in... more »

Tension Between Administrative Practice and Ethical Imperatives in Special Education Leadership

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago

Abstract Purpose: Given the increasing role of the principal in the administrative and supervision of special education programs and services, this research examines how elementary principals interpret their experience of leadership decision making as a moral activity in relation to the Ethic of the Profession and Model for Students’ Best Interests. Method: A phenomenological-like research method was used to capture administrators’ perspectives involving moral practice and ethical decision making as it relates to students with disabilities. The primary data collection strategy ... more »

Low-Income High-Achieving Students Miss Out on Attending Selective Colleges

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

*Most Don’t Apply and Colleges Don’t Find Them; Selective College Would Even Cost Less; Income Diversity vs. Racial Diversity * The vast majority of low-income, high-achieving students in the U.S. do not even apply to any selective colleges, in spite of the fact that attending those institutions would cost less than the ones the students do attend thanks to generous financial aid packages, according to a new paperpresented at the Spring 2013 Conference on the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA). The research has implications for how selective universities conduct recruitm... more »

The Impact of Chicago's Small High School Initiative

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

This project examines the effects of the introduction of new small high schools on student performance in the Chicago Public School (CPS) district. Specifically, the authors investigate whether students attending small high schools have better graduation/enrollment rates and achievement than similar students who attend regular CPS high schools. The authors show that students who choose to attend a small school are more disadvantaged on average. To address the selection problem, the authors use an instrumental variables strategy and compare students who live in the same neighborho... more »

Prescription for double-dose algebra proves effective

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Martin Gartzman sat in his dentist’s waiting room last fall when he read a study in Education Next that nearly brought him to tears. A decade ago, in his former position as chief math and science officer for Chicago Public Schools, Gartzman spearheaded an attempt to decrease ninth-grade algebra failure rates, an issue he calls “an incredibly vexing problem.” His idea was to provide extra time for struggling students by having them take two consecutive periods of algebra. Gartzman had been under the impression that the double-dose algebra program he had instituted had only marginal ... more »

The High School Course-Taking of Students Labeled With a Learning Disability

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Placement of some students into the courses needed only for high school graduation and others into those that prepare them for college constitutes academic stratification. This study uses data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 to investigate whether students labeled with learning disabilities complete fewer academic courses by the end of high school compared to their peers who are not labeled. Results indicate large disparities in completion of college preparatory coursework, especially in math, science, and foreign language, even net of students’ academic preparation... more »

Effectiveness of Two Reading Programs Examined

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

The WWC has released two reports that review the research on programs designed to improve reading skills, Read Naturally and Fast ForWord®. Read Naturally is a supplemental reading program designed to improve the reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension of elementary and middle school students using a combination of books, audio CDs, and computer software. The WWC found that Read Naturally has potentially positive effects on general literacy achievement for adolescent readers. Read the full WWC report at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/interventionreport.aspx?sid=625. Fast ForWord® ... more »

Brown Center Report on American Education

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

The 2013 Brown Center Report on American Education on Education has been released. PART I: The Latest TIMSS and PIRLS Scores PART II: The Resurgence of Ability Grouping and Persistence of Tracking PART III: Advanced Math in Eighth Grade Part I examines the latest results from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) released in December, 2012. The U.S. did relatively well, posting gains in reading, math, and science. Finland made headlines by registering declines from the last time it took the TIMSS mat...more »