Using New Research to Improve Student Motivation

Teachers know that motivation matters. It is central to student learning; it helps determine how engaged students are in their work, how hard they work, and how well they persevere in the face of challenges. Though we hear mostly about the “achievement gap” between demographic groups, researchers have also identified an “engagement gap,” which the Read more about Using New Research to Improve Student Motivation[…]

Share

School Characteristics that Keep Teachers in the Field

    A study conducted by the National Center on Education Statistics finds that new teachers who have mentor support, participate in an induction program, and have a higher starting base pay are more likely to remain in the field. NCES undertook the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS), which is a nationally representative longitudinal study Read more about School Characteristics that Keep Teachers in the Field[…]

Share

Does Money Matter?

Does money matter in education? Isabel V. Sawhill of the Brookings Institution answers: Yes, education spending–and teacher salaries–affect student outcomes. Not only that, but the research shows that money matters even more for minority and underprivileged students, making the money issue an equity issue as well. Sawhill reviewed education policy papers and research going back Read more about Does Money Matter?[…]

Share

UN: Just One-Third of Countries Reach 2015 Education Goals

The UN gave only a third of the world’s countries a passing grade recently for efforts to provide universal basic education, but said most governments had failed on a pledge made 15 years ago, the Agence France-Presse reports. In 2000, 164 countries agreed at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Education Read more about UN: Just One-Third of Countries Reach 2015 Education Goals[…]

Share

Survey: Most High Schoolers Feel Unprepared for College, Careers

A recent survey finds that more than half of high school juniors and seniors across the country don’t feel they’re ready for college and careers, even though these remain top goals for students. The survey was a multi-year College and Career Readiness survey of 165,000 high school students conducted by YouthTruth, a San Francisco-based nonprofit. Read more about Survey: Most High Schoolers Feel Unprepared for College, Careers[…]

Share

Do we know how to help teachers get better?

TNTP has spent the last two years trying to answer the question, “Do we know how to help teachers get better?” Their new report,The Mirage: Confronting the Hard Truth About Our Quest for Teacher Development, shares what they found. The Mirage examines how three large public school districts and one charter school network support teachers’ Read more about Do we know how to help teachers get better?[…]

Share

High School Rigor Matters to Students Who Don’t Attend College, CPE Study Finds

The Center for Public Education has released the second in a pair of reports focused on high school students who do not continue their formal education after graduation and factors that contribute to positive outcomes and future success. A rigorous high school program boosts the chances of success for both college goers and students who Read more about High School Rigor Matters to Students Who Don’t Attend College, CPE Study Finds[…]

Share

REL Question Line

REL Mid-Atlantic is offering an open question line for education-related research questions. Are you interested in learning what the latest research says about an issue in your district? Need help using data to inform policy decisions or identifying evidence-based curricula or interventions? REL Mid-Atlantic can help at no cost to your school or district. Ask Read more about REL Question Line[…]

Share

What Makes a School Successful?

In what seems to be an increasing (and welcome!) trend, Harvard economist Dr. Roland G. Fryer Jr. has been attempting to translate his empirical research into results for schools. Dr. Fryer won the prestigious John Bates Clark medal this year in part for his research on 39 New York City charter schools. He hoped to Read more about What Makes a School Successful?[…]

Share

How does multitasking change the way kids learn?

We’ve become a perpetual multitasking culture. Our brains aren’t good at this, especially when we’re trying to learn new information. But of all the things that make it hard for us to learn, multitasking is one of the very few that is entirely within our control. Living rooms, dens, kitchens, even bedrooms: Investigators followed students Read more about How does multitasking change the way kids learn?[…]

Share

Report Offers Comprehensive Look at What Students Need to Succeed As Adults

Amid growing recognition that strong academic skills alone are not enough for young people to become successful adults, a new comprehensive report offers wide-ranging evidence to show what young people need to develop from preschool to young adulthood to succeed in college and career, have healthy relationships, be engaged citizens and make wise choices. It Read more about Report Offers Comprehensive Look at What Students Need to Succeed As Adults[…]

Share

NCES Examines Qualifications of Public Middle and High School Teachers

NCES has released two publications examining the qualifications of public school teachers: Education and Certification Qualifications of Public Middle Grades Teachers of Selected Subjects as well as Education and Certification Qualifications of Departmentalized Public High School-Level Teachers of Selected Subjects. These statistical analysis reports examine the postsecondary majors and teaching certifications of public middle school Read more about NCES Examines Qualifications of Public Middle and High School Teachers[…]

Share

Summer Reading: The Top 50 Best Books for Educators

Surely everyone’s list of the top 50 books for educators would be different, but Nick Grantham of Fractus Learning has come up with some pretty good suggestions. Summer reading season is here, and this list has some that you have probably already read, some that you have been meaning to read, and some you have Read more about Summer Reading: The Top 50 Best Books for Educators[…]

Share

Rating of Social and Emotional Learning Programs for Middle and High Schools

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) released a new tool to help middle and high schools meet their students’ most critical needs. The 2015 CASEL Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs–Middle and High School Edition provides a framework for examining social and emotional learning (SEL) programs used in secondary schools and Read more about Rating of Social and Emotional Learning Programs for Middle and High Schools[…]

Share

NCES Releases The Condition of Education 2015

On Thursday, May 28, Acting Commissioner Peggy G. Carr, National Center for Education Statistics, released The Condition of Education 2015. The indicators presented in The Condition of Education 2015 provide an update on the state of education in America and include findings on the demographics of American schools, U.S. resources for schooling, and outcomes associated Read more about NCES Releases The Condition of Education 2015[…]

Share

Educating the Whole Student through Social Emotional Learning

Increasingly, researchers and educators recognize that schools cannot focus solely on students’ academic learning to improve achievement. They also must nurture students’ psychological development, often described as social emotional learning (SEL). While this new focus on SEL benefits all students, it is especially critical for low-income students and students of color, according to Social Emotional Read more about Educating the Whole Student through Social Emotional Learning[…]

Share