State of the States 2015: Evaluating Teaching, Leading, Learning

Posted on December 21, 2015December 16, 2015 by coreeducation

A new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) examines the policy landscape of teacher and principal evaluations, as well as various states’ successes in using evaluations to inform teacher practice and administrative decisions. As of 2015, twenty-seven states require annual evaluations for all teachers, and forty-five require annual evaluations for all new, Read more about State of the States 2015: Evaluating Teaching, Leading, Learning[…]

State Teacher of the Year Recipients Weigh in on New Consortia Assessments

Posted on December 14, 2015December 9, 2015 by coreeducation

A recent report released by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) states that among those educators who have be awarded Teacher of the Year, there is a consensus that new consortia assessments, PARCC and Smarter Balance, are on the right trajectory and are an improvement on previous state assessments. Related findings Read more about State Teacher of the Year Recipients Weigh in on New Consortia Assessments[…]

State of the States Report says Gifted and Talented Children are Overlooked

Posted on December 2, 2015March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

A recent survey and report conducted on the State of the State in Gifted Education by both the National Association for Gifted Children and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted released some surprising information on the (sometimes inadequate) plans, laws, and services in place for gifted and talented children across the Read more about State of the States Report says Gifted and Talented Children are Overlooked[…]

The Nation’s Report Card shows U.S. Scores Slipping for Reading and Math

Posted on November 11, 2015November 7, 2015 by coreeducation

New results from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), or Nation’s Report Card, show a slowing or drop of both fourth-grade and eighth-grade students scores for 2015. This is the first recorded decline in scores since the assessment started being administered in 1990. The new results — on a scale of Read more about The Nation’s Report Card shows U.S. Scores Slipping for Reading and Math[…]

Common Core’s Surprising Conservative Roots

Posted on November 6, 2015October 31, 2015 by coreeducation

Probably the most politically-charged issue in American education in recent years has been the Common Core State Standards. This blog has covered CCSS over that time, here and here and here and here, just as a few examples. This issue has again come to the fore because of the Presidential election season. Some Republican candidates, Read more about Common Core’s Surprising Conservative Roots[…]

Obama Administration and ED Publish Guidelines to Reduce Over-Testing

Posted on November 2, 2015October 31, 2015 by coreeducation

The Obama administration, this past week, asked the Education Department to review its policies and determine any places where it may have contributed to overemphasis on testing and the loss of instructional time. The key actions set forth by the Administration are as follows: Financial support for states to develop and use better, less burdensome Read more about Obama Administration and ED Publish Guidelines to Reduce Over-Testing[…]

Tiny Schools: Models of Innovation

Posted on October 27, 2015October 25, 2015 by coreeducation

There is a proposal going around about a new type of charter school, one that is very low risk and modeled on the 4.0 Schools project in New Orleans, called tiny schools. These are small schools that are started in a library or classroom with volunteer students who are willing to learn. The students can Read more about Tiny Schools: Models of Innovation[…]

Darling-Hammond Launches New Research Think Tank

Posted on October 13, 2015October 22, 2015 by coreeducation

Well-known Stanford education reformer Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond has recently launched a new think tank to help reform American education, with a focus on deeper learning to equip students for the 21st century economy. The Learning Policy Institute has the backing of many large donors and has other notable education leaders on board, including Dr. Henry Read more about Darling-Hammond Launches New Research Think Tank[…]

Do States Provide Equitable Funding to Their Poorest Districts?

Posted on October 12, 2015October 22, 2015 by coreeducation

An analysis from Rebecca Sibilia (founder of a new group called EdBuild) looks at differences in how states allocate resources to the neediest districts. The findings are particularly striking because 41 states actually give their neediest students a smaller share of resources, spending more in wealthier districts than in high-poverty districts, and compounding the inequalities Read more about Do States Provide Equitable Funding to Their Poorest Districts?[…]

Obama’s New Federal Financial Aid Rules Allow Earlier Applications

Posted on October 7, 2015October 22, 2015 by coreeducation

President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently rolled out a new plan to make the FAFSA (the federal tax form needed to apply for federal student aid for college) quicker, easier, and more accessible to more students. Following is a brief outline, from the White House website, of some of the major changes: Earlier, Read more about Obama’s New Federal Financial Aid Rules Allow Earlier Applications[…]

Arne Duncan Stepping Down as Education Secretary

Posted on October 5, 2015September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

At a crucial moment with the best possibility of an ESEA re-authorization on the near horizon and with only about one year left before the end of the Obama administration, long-serving Education Secretary Arne Duncan has stepped down. It is unclear why, but we do know that the President wanted Duncan to finish the course: Read more about Arne Duncan Stepping Down as Education Secretary[…]

Deeper Learning: A Primer for State Legislators

Posted on September 30, 2015March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

Deeper learning is a term being used more and more across the country, and state education leaders are being asked to create and implement aligned policies. A new report from Education Commission of the States serves as a primer for state policymakers seeking to modify instruction and assessment policies to better engage today’s students. The Read more about Deeper Learning: A Primer for State Legislators[…]

A Taxonomy of American Education Governance

Posted on September 16, 2015September 12, 2015 by coreeducation

With so much recent emphasis on the importance of state governance in education, it is important to understand that states have widely varying ways of implementing governance structures. The Fordham Institute has categorized states based on the commonalities in their governance systems. Below is an excerpt from their taxonomy: We don’t have one education governance Read more about A Taxonomy of American Education Governance[…]

Pacts Americana from Bellwether Education

Posted on September 8, 2015October 17, 2021 by coreeducation

As we continue to go forward with no ESEA re-authorization to replace No Child Left Behind and as states continue to make the news for their gripes with Common Core, Bellwether Education has a new plan to bring more bi-partisan support to education reform. They call it “Pacts Americana.” This project and report re-envisions federal Read more about Pacts Americana from Bellwether Education[…]

State Standards and Assessment Landscape is Continuing to Shift

Posted on August 24, 2015December 22, 2015 by coreeducation

As we move into the 2015-16 school year, the standards and assessments landscape is continuing to shift. State legislative and executive actions over the past year have resulted in changes to how, when – and in some cases, if – districts and schools will implement Common Core and aligned-assessments. An overwhelming majority of states are Read more about State Standards and Assessment Landscape is Continuing to Shift[…]

The U.S. Needs a National Policy on Education

Posted on July 29, 2015July 23, 2015 by coreeducation

Christopher Cross has written an insightful piece for Teachers College Record, focusing on the need to establish a national policy on education so that there is a clear understanding of our national priority and appropriate roles for states and the federal government. An excerpt: We have no stated national commitment to education, no understanding about Read more about The U.S. Needs a National Policy on Education[…]