How States Can Promote Local Innovation, Options, and Problem-Solving in Public Education

Posted on June 6, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

State policy plays a critical role in determining whether and how well local education improvement strategies can be implemented. As states rework their education policies under ESSA, state and local leaders need a way to assess their current policy environment and identify the changes needed to encourage local innovation and problem solving. To identify the Read more about How States Can Promote Local Innovation, Options, and Problem-Solving in Public Education[…]

Teachers Supporting Teachers: State Policies for Non-Classroom-Based Instructors

Posted on May 25, 2017May 22, 2017 by coreeducation

The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders has released a new Ask the Team Brief, Teachers Supporting Teachers: State Policies for Non-Classroom-Based Instructors. Across the United States, non-classroom-based positions have been added in districts and schools to provide instructional support to teachers. They go by various names–coach, mentor, teacher leader–but typically they help classroom teachers Read more about Teachers Supporting Teachers: State Policies for Non-Classroom-Based Instructors[…]

Igniting the Learning Engine

Posted on May 15, 2017May 5, 2017 by coreeducation

Igniting the Learning Engine, a new report from Education Resource Strategies, examines how leaders in four school systems have successfully re-organized resources to create the type of effective, job-embedded professional learning that teachers are asking for. The report describes three inter-related elements that these systems have in common: (a) Rigorous, comprehensive curricula and assessments aligned Read more about Igniting the Learning Engine[…]

Practice What You Teach: Connecting Curriculum and Professional Learning in Schools

Posted on May 12, 2017May 5, 2017 by coreeducation

A new report by Ross Wiener and Susan Pimentel of the Aspen Institute makes the case for integrating curriculum into professional learning so teachers can focus on creating engaging learning environments, responding to the needs of their students, and continuously improving their craft. Practice What You Teach: Connecting Curriculum and Professional Learning in Schools highlights Read more about Practice What You Teach: Connecting Curriculum and Professional Learning in Schools[…]

The Failure of the U.S. Education Research Establishment

Posted on May 10, 2017May 5, 2017 by coreeducation

Stanley Pogrow has produced a paper concluding that most education research is of little value to people in schools. Research validating programs to develop the reading skills of students born into poverty, for example, validates programs that are not effective in practice, he says. Pogrow’s paper analyzes in easy-to-understand language the validity of the gold Read more about The Failure of the U.S. Education Research Establishment[…]

Meta-Analysis of Teacher Coaching

Posted on May 4, 2017April 29, 2017 by coreeducation

A new study authored by researchers from Brown and Harvard universities points to one promising strategy for helping current teachers improve: one-on-one coaching. Teacher coaching has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional models of professional development. Authors reviewed the empirical literature on teacher coaching and conducted meta-analyses to estimate the mean effect of coaching Read more about Meta-Analysis of Teacher Coaching[…]

Implementation Science

Posted on April 12, 2017April 7, 2017 by coreeducation

Sarah McKay recently provided an excellent introduction to Implementation Science in the Carnegie Commons Blog. Excerpts of her piece appear below: The aim of implementation science is to understand how interventions are adopted, implemented, and spread. It’s less about the effectiveness of the intervention itself, because that is expected to have been evaluated prior to Read more about Implementation Science[…]

Study Finds Positive Impacts of Retired Educators to Support New Teachers

Posted on April 5, 2017March 30, 2017 by coreeducation

A new study finds that using retired educators to mentor and support new teachers can be a cost effective strategy to improve math achievement. Regional Educational Laboratory Central worked with Aurora Public Schools in Colorado to conduct a randomized controlled trial study in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years during implementation of the district’s innovative Read more about Study Finds Positive Impacts of Retired Educators to Support New Teachers[…]

Programs Versus Practices: What’s the “What” in What Works?

Posted on March 14, 2017March 10, 2017 by coreeducation

Ruth Neild of the American Youth Policy Forum recently provided advice on what types of interventions educators should be looking for when they strive to meet the ESSA evidence standards. Her explanation encompasses programs, models, policies, practices, and products. Excerpts of her piece appear below: “Invest in what works, and stop doing what doesn’t!” This, Read more about Programs Versus Practices: What’s the “What” in What Works?[…]

Reimagining the School Day: Innovative Schedules for Teaching and Learning

Posted on March 13, 2017March 10, 2017 by coreeducation

Teachers in the U.S. spend far more time engaged in active instruction than their peers in other parts of the world. Yet some of teachers’ most important responsibilities–such as planning and collaborating with peers–require non-instructional time. Fortunately, there are several promising models schools have used for creative scheduling to provide teachers with the time they Read more about Reimagining the School Day: Innovative Schedules for Teaching and Learning[…]

Improvement is a Team Sport

Posted on March 3, 2017February 22, 2017 by coreeducation

Manuelito Biag recently reflected on educational improvement in the Carnegie Commons Blog, arguing that improvement requires a user-centered strategy. Excerpts of the article appear below: In education, knowing what works, for whom, and under what conditions requires deep understanding of individuals — their needs, concerns, and motivations — as well as the contexts they inhabit. Read more about Improvement is a Team Sport[…]

State Planning Tool for Standards-Based Accountability Under ESSA

Posted on February 28, 2017March 31, 2021 by coreeducation

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) presents states with an opportunity to broaden their visions of college and career readiness by including multiple measures of accountability that better recognize the multiple pathways to college and career readiness. A new resource from the College & Career Readiness & Success Center at AIR provides states Read more about State Planning Tool for Standards-Based Accountability Under ESSA[…]

December Issue Brief: Evidence-Based School Improvement

Posted on December 19, 2016December 16, 2016 by coreeducation

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state and district leaders to consider the evidence behind school improvement practices before adopting or implementing them. The evidence-based provisions of ESSA are intended to support school improvement and result in better student outcomes. Guidance encourages state and district leaders to consider multiple tiers of evidence and examine Read more about December Issue Brief: Evidence-Based School Improvement[…]

Teachers’ Response to Feedback is Influenced by Perceptions of Usefulness

Posted on December 12, 2016December 9, 2016 by coreeducation

A new study finds that the usefulness of teacher evaluation feedback and the credibility of the evaluator are important characteristics in how teachers perceive and respond to evaluations. The Regional Educational Laboratory Central study looked at teachers’ perceptions of feedback from evaluators and identified characteristics of feedback that may influence their use of that feedback. Read more about Teachers’ Response to Feedback is Influenced by Perceptions of Usefulness[…]

The U.S. Education Innovation Index: Prototype and Report

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

Bellwether Education and the Digital Promise Innovation Clusters have released the U.S. Education Innovation Index (USEII). USEII is the field’s first foray into measuring education innovation at the city level. The index measures innovation activities and conditions of urban schools along 42 indicators in nine categories: Innovation Culture Need for Academic Improvement Collaboration and Coordination Read more about The U.S. Education Innovation Index: Prototype and Report[…]