Gates Foundation bet on Teacher Evaluation Reform Falls Short

Posted on July 5, 2018July 3, 2018 by coreeducation

Matt Barnum, writing for Chalkbeat, has summarized the findings of a RAND report on the $575 million investment from the Gates Foundation into teacher evaluation reform. Excerpts of the article appear below: New research commissioned by the Gates Foundation finds scant evidence that changes [related to human capital reform for teachers] accomplished what they were Read more about Gates Foundation bet on Teacher Evaluation Reform Falls Short[…]

Grading Schools: How States Should Define ‘School Quality’ under ESSA

Posted on October 27, 2016October 22, 2016 by coreeducation

In “Grading Schools: How States Should Define ‘School Quality’ Under the Every Student Succeeds Act,” Bellwether author Chad Aldeman argues that accountability systems are a state’s best tool to signal what it values and how schools should be working to improve. But if states fail to take advantage of that opportunity, they may not provide Read more about Grading Schools: How States Should Define ‘School Quality’ under ESSA[…]

School Inspections Offer a Diagnostic Look at Quality

Posted on October 11, 2016October 8, 2016 by coreeducation

Educators have gotten used to poring over spreadsheets filled with test scores to get a sense of their students’—and schools’—strengths and weaknesses. What they don’t often see is feedback from other teachers, administrators, and students who can offer a fresh perspective on where a school stands when it comes to instruction, resources, climate, financial efficiency, Read more about School Inspections Offer a Diagnostic Look at Quality[…]

ECS database highlights letter grades for schools

Posted on February 12, 2014 by coreeducation

More than a dozen states are on track to assign A-F letter grades to schools, among the trends highlighted in a first-of-its-kind database published by the Education Commission of the States. The online database shows which indicators states are considering in gauging school performance and how state leaders are publicly reporting on that performance to Read more about ECS database highlights letter grades for schools[…]

Reflecting on NCLB: Are States playing by the same rules?

Posted on June 2, 2013June 2, 2013 by coreeducation

A new report from four researchers associated with Columbia University suggests that arcane rules, not any sort of objective and standardized measure of AYP (adequate yearly progress), drive outcomes under NCLB. Matt Di Carlo at the Shanker Blog posted recently about this important new report: “Fifty Ways to Leave a Child Behind: Idiosyncrasies and Discrepancies Read more about Reflecting on NCLB: Are States playing by the same rules?[…]

“Operating in the Dark”: Principal Preparation Reform

Posted on February 24, 2013 by coreeducation

Yet another report on school reform has urged reform in the area of school leadership. This report, entitled, “Operating in the Dark: What Outdated State Policies and Data Gaps Mean for Effective School Leadership” and produced by the George W. Bush Institute and the Alliance to Reform Education Leadership. What stands out about “Operating in Read more about “Operating in the Dark”: Principal Preparation Reform[…]

Selecting Growth Models for School and Teacher Evaluations

Posted on September 21, 2012 by coreeducation

The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) has released a paper that explores the growth models available for school and teacher evaluations. The specifics of how growth models should be constructed and used to evaluate schools and teachers is a topic of lively policy debate in states and school districts Read more about Selecting Growth Models for School and Teacher Evaluations[…]