Developing Excellent School Principals: Considerations for State Policy

Posted on June 3, 2016May 27, 2016 by coreeducation

Even though school principals have a powerful impact on teaching and student achievement, in general they remain relatively low priorities on crowded state education policy agendas. A new report recently released suggests a number of possible actions that state policymakers can consider to raise the profile of principals on policy agendas and ensure they are Read more about Developing Excellent School Principals: Considerations for State Policy[…]

Eyes on the Prize: System-Wide Goals to Drive Student Success

Posted on June 2, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In the first of a series of research briefs focused on the biggest implementation challenges facing American education today, EDI looks at what data from the field can tell us about education leaders’ capacity to anchor their work in clear student outcome goals. Eyes on the prize: The capacity of education leaders to use system-wide Read more about Eyes on the Prize: System-Wide Goals to Drive Student Success[…]

Making the Grade: A 50 State Analysis of Accountability Systems

Posted on June 1, 2016June 1, 2016 by coreeducation

Over the past 15 years, a national consensus has slowly coalesced around one of the most enduring and contentious debates in education circles: how to hold schools and districts accountable for improving outcomes. The Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, is in many ways the culmination of the movement towards more sophisticated accountability systems and Read more about Making the Grade: A 50 State Analysis of Accountability Systems[…]

Making the Most of ESSA

Posted on May 25, 2016May 20, 2016 by coreeducation

As states work to finalize plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by the 2017-18 school year, Education First asks, what is your state’s North Star and how can you use ESSA to help you chart a course to reach it? When a state has an education North Star – a shared statewide vision Read more about Making the Most of ESSA[…]

Want to Fix Education? Give a Kid a Tutor

Posted on May 23, 2016May 20, 2016 by coreeducation

In the late 1970’s, education research was deemed a pseudoscience by many in the field due to a lack of clear data and results that pointed to effective practice. In response, researchers began designing field experiments to test the effectiveness of programs and practices. In recent years, as concern over U.S. educational performance has increased, Read more about Want to Fix Education? Give a Kid a Tutor[…]

A Policymaker’s Guide to School Leadership

Posted on May 19, 2016May 13, 2016 by coreeducation

Whether the goal is to enhance instruction, create a culture of excellence, or broaden education options for parents, it’s nearly impossible to improve schools without strong leaders. This is hardly news; much evidence has indicated the importance of effective principals for decades. Yet reform strategies have largely lacked a coherent plan to upgrade leadership, even Read more about A Policymaker’s Guide to School Leadership[…]

Policy Change is not the Only Path to School Reform

Posted on May 18, 2016May 13, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent opinion blog, written by Michael J. Petrilli, President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, discusses the education sector’s exhaustion with policies on education reform. Mr. Petrilli writes: It strikes me, and several others with whom I’ve spoken in recent months, that education reform is at a turning point. It’s not just the new Read more about Policy Change is not the Only Path to School Reform[…]

Lessons on Teacher Preparation

Posted on May 17, 2016May 13, 2016 by coreeducation

A group of leading teacher preparation program providers – Deans for Impact – released a set of policy recommendations calling for outcomes-based accountability and data-informed improvement in teacher preparation. Their recommendations are consistent with the following findings: Teacher preparation programs are disconnected from local labor market needs. There is no incentive for teacher education programs to slow the Read more about Lessons on Teacher Preparation[…]

ACSD Releases Teacher Impact Grants

Posted on May 11, 2016May 7, 2016 by coreeducation

ASCD has announced its Teacher Impact Grants program, which will provide direct grants to teacher leaders to fund initiatives that drive transformation for wider impact on improving student outcomes. The Teacher Impact Grants will enable teachers to have a greater impact on the quality of teaching in their classrooms, schools, and districts—and assume greater ownership of student Read more about ACSD Releases Teacher Impact Grants[…]

A High School Student on Education Reform

Posted on May 5, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

Jonah Steele is a current high school student, writing on Medium about the current debate over education reform. He laments the fact that students do not seem to have any input, or at least are not taken seriously, in this debate. Mr. Steele states: Regardless of how many times you’ve watched a TED talk pop Read more about A High School Student on Education Reform[…]

Steps to Transform Schools into Leadership Machines

Posted on April 29, 2016April 23, 2016 by coreeducation

Great teachers matter-we all know that. But great principals matter nearly as much. When they lead a team of teacher-leaders in instructional excellence, student learning can soar. But then what? Can principals like these take their leadership to the next level and stay connected to teachers and students? In An Excellent Principal for Every School: Read more about Steps to Transform Schools into Leadership Machines[…]

Middle School Matters Field Guide

Posted on April 20, 2016April 16, 2016 by coreeducation

The George W. Bush Institute’s Middle School Matters initiative and The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin (MCPER) recently published the second edition of the “Middle School Matters Field Guide,” a collection of research-based principles, practices, and strategies deemed essential for middle school success. The updated field guide Read more about Middle School Matters Field Guide[…]

Getting Smart: 6 Entry Points for Deeper Learning

Posted on April 14, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In a recent Getting Smart article, Bonnie Lathram and Tyler Nakatsu explore how educators can get started with Deeper Learning. They suggest six entry points: Be a maker As an educator, what artifacts are there that can showcase the “makers” that you and your students are? Bring your own talents to the work you are Read more about Getting Smart: 6 Entry Points for Deeper Learning[…]

Duckworth: Do not Grade Schools on Grit

Posted on April 7, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In a recent New York Times opinion piece, Angela Duckworth, founder and scientific director of the Character Lab and the author of the forthcoming book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, recommends against using the results of character surveys for school accountability. A short excerpt from Mrs. Duckworth follows: Over the past few years, Read more about Duckworth: Do not Grade Schools on Grit[…]