Unfinished Agenda: The Future of Standards-Based School Reform

Posted on July 6, 2022July 5, 2022 by coreeducation

Future Ed recently published a piece in which Michael Cohen and Laura Slover review the history of standards-based school reform and propose next steps for the future. The long campaign to raise standards in the nation’s public schools, for decades the cornerstone of efforts to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes of traditionally underserved students, Read more about Unfinished Agenda: The Future of Standards-Based School Reform[…]

Scholars Release New Framework for History and Civics in Schools

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021 by coreeducation

Writing for The 74, Kevin Mahnken recently reviewed a new roadmap for American history and civics education titled “Education for American Democracy.” Excerpts of the piece appear below: Through a collaboration funded by grants from the Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities, a group of civics and educational institutions spent the Read more about Scholars Release New Framework for History and Civics in Schools[…]

For Student-Centered Learning to Work, Schools Must Rethink How to Assess Learning and Award Credit

Posted on May 14, 2020May 11, 2020 by coreeducation

Thomas Arnett, writing for the Christensen Institute, recently reflected on the necessity of mastery-based grading to facilitate personalized learning. Excerpts of the piece appear below: Student-centered learning offers enormous potential to better meet each students’ individual learning needs. By varying the time, place, path, and pace of learning, student-centered learning helps those who struggle, those Read more about For Student-Centered Learning to Work, Schools Must Rethink How to Assess Learning and Award Credit[…]

How to Help Students who are Several Grade Levels Behind

Posted on December 5, 2019November 17, 2019 by coreeducation

All 2019 Wonkathon submissions are in. This year’s Wonkathon asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: What’s the best way to help students who are several grade levels behind? Fordham’s Flypaper received nineteen submissions from policy experts and education practitioners. As expected, there was a wide range of solutions offered, and no two Read more about How to Help Students who are Several Grade Levels Behind[…]

Do Kids Fall Behind in Math Because There Isn’t Enough Grade-Level Material, or Because There’s Too Much? It’s Both

Posted on October 24, 2019October 20, 2019 by coreeducation

Writing for The 74, Joel Rose and Daniel Weisberg recently reviewed an apparent paradox in education. Math instruction is both too rigorous and not rigorous enough. See below for excerpts from their piece: Walk into almost any classroom in America, and you’ll find at least some students who’ve fallen behind the academic standards for their Read more about Do Kids Fall Behind in Math Because There Isn’t Enough Grade-Level Material, or Because There’s Too Much? It’s Both[…]

ISTE Announces New Computational Thinking Standards for All Educators

Posted on October 30, 2018October 26, 2018 by coreeducation

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has announced its new ISTE Standards for Educators: Computational Thinking Competencies (CT Competencies). CT Competencies focus on the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to bring computational thinking to all K-12 content areas and are designed for all educators, including those who are new to computer science. The Read more about ISTE Announces New Computational Thinking Standards for All Educators[…]

Recommendations to Improve on the Common Core

Posted on September 18, 2018September 13, 2018 by coreeducation

The Fordham Institute has been a staunch supporter of the Common Core standards. But reviewers there have noted specific improvements that a few enterprising states have made to the standards, as well as some other areas where improvement is clearly possible. Their recommendations include the following: Recommendations for English language arts Further develop the disciplinary Read more about Recommendations to Improve on the Common Core[…]

Outstanding Learning for All, Secure & Healthy Learners, and Culture of Equity

Posted on September 13, 2018March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

To close achievement gaps, education leaders must adopt more complete approaches to outstanding learning for all, secure and healthy learners, and a culture of equity within low- and moderate-poverty schools. A shortfall in any of these three areas within a school magnifies the impact of unequal access to resources-educational, personal, and sociopolitical-outside of school. In Read more about Outstanding Learning for All, Secure & Healthy Learners, and Culture of Equity[…]

School Districts where Students Learn Most

Posted on December 19, 2017December 15, 2017 by coreeducation

New data from researchers at Stanford, based on some 300 million elementary-school test scores across more than 11,000 school districts, reveals the school districts where children are showing the most growth. The results do not follow conventional wisdom. Districts with high growth are scattered across the country, in contrast with sharp geographic divisions on proficiency Read more about School Districts where Students Learn Most[…]

Strong Standards: A Review of Changes to State Standards Since the Common Core

Posted on December 4, 2017December 2, 2017 by coreeducation

Achieve has released a new report analyzing the English language arts (ELA)/literacy and mathematics standards of the 24 states that have reviewed and revised these standards after initially adopting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The report, Strong Standards: A Review of Changes to State Standards Since the Common Core, found most states kept their Read more about Strong Standards: A Review of Changes to State Standards Since the Common Core[…]

New Alliance Report Uncovers Gaps in Access to College- and Career-Ready Diplomas

Posted on August 25, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

Of the nearly 100 different types of high school diplomas that are awarded across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, less than half prepare students for success in college and a career, according to a new report by the Alliance for Excellent Education. And while the national high school graduation rate is at Read more about New Alliance Report Uncovers Gaps in Access to College- and Career-Ready Diplomas[…]

90% of Parents Think Their Kids Are on Track in Math & Reading

Posted on August 24, 2017August 16, 2017 by coreeducation

There is a communication gap that creates a significant disconnect in how parents think their children are doing in school versus reality. In its second national survey, Learning Heroes found that 9 in 10 parents think their children are performing at or above grade level in math and reading — but results from the National Read more about 90% of Parents Think Their Kids Are on Track in Math & Reading[…]

CCSSO Releases Recommendations for Valuing College and Career Readiness

Posted on May 1, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and Education Strategy Group (ESG) have released Destination Known, a report which includes recommendations to support states as they develop accountability systems that value college and career readiness and better support all students in achieving success after high school. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides Read more about CCSSO Releases Recommendations for Valuing College and Career Readiness[…]

Accountability, College & Career Readiness: Is This the Best We Can Do?

Posted on April 28, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In Education Week’s Top Performer’s blog, Marc Tuker recently reflected on the gap between typical American practice and global best practice when it comes to college and career readiness. Below are excerpts from the post: In top-performing education systems, qualifications systems are designed so that at the end of each stage of a student’s progression Read more about Accountability, College & Career Readiness: Is This the Best We Can Do?[…]

Do Schools Challenge Our Students Now?

Posted on March 23, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

When the Center for American Progress released its 2012 report, Do Schools Challenge Our Students?, many states had just committed to the Common Core State Standards. The standards were an attempt to raise expectations by establishing a new set of rigorous K-12 academic benchmarks, and the CAP analysis underscored the need for more rigorous standards, Read more about Do Schools Challenge Our Students Now?[…]