Final ESSA Accountability Rules Boost State Flexibility in Key Areas

Posted on January 5, 2017December 19, 2016 by coreeducation

The Obama administration’s final accountability rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act give states greater flexibility on school ratings, schools with high testing opt-out rates, and in other areas than an earlier draft version, released in May. But, with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in January, the regulations face an uncertain future. The Read more about Final ESSA Accountability Rules Boost State Flexibility in Key Areas[…]

The Many Flavors of School Choice

Posted on December 13, 2016December 9, 2016 by coreeducation

There are many flavors of school choice—vouchers, education savings accounts, tax-credit scholarships, and charters, to name a few. Voucher is the word on everyone’s mind at the moment and it’s a politically loaded term. Many of the other types of choice people hear about—education savings accounts and tax-credit scholarships—are just variations. But the differences between Read more about The Many Flavors of School Choice[…]

How States should Redesign their Accountability Systems under ESSA

Posted on November 30, 2016November 22, 2016 by coreeducation

David Griffith and Michael Petrilli have put their minds together to produce an ideal ESSA accountability system as a model for state education agencies. Below are excerpts from their recent blog post: States are now putting pen to paper on their accountability plans and many of them want advice about what to do. So no Read more about How States should Redesign their Accountability Systems under ESSA[…]

Confusion Over Purpose of U.S. Education System

Posted on November 17, 2016November 12, 2016 by coreeducation

There is no consensus among the public about the role of the public school system in the U.S., according to a Phi Delta Kappan poll that also shows widespread discontent with some of the education policies that have been a major focus of the reform movement. “This really calls into question in many ways whether Read more about Confusion Over Purpose of U.S. Education System[…]

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[…]

Getting College- and Career-Ready Standards Right

Posted on October 13, 2016October 8, 2016 by coreeducation

Over four weeks last spring, the Learning First Alliance convened a “Practitioner Think Tank” consisting of a cross-section of education practitioners: teachers, principals, school counselors, parents, technology directors, superintendents, teacher educators, school board members and other ground-level educators. This group began the process of creating a new report that explores what is needed to achieve Read more about Getting College- and Career-Ready Standards Right[…]

ESSA’s Evidence-Based School Improvement

Posted on October 12, 2016October 8, 2016 by coreeducation

Much will change in practice and policy as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaces the law, regulations, and guidance established through NCLB; but two elements of the new legislation stand out: the shift away from federal mandates toward greater state and local authority, and the emphasis on evidence-based school improvement practices. A new report Read more about ESSA’s Evidence-Based School Improvement[…]

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[…]

New Survey Helps Schools Identify Best Practices for Improving School Performance

Posted on October 3, 2016September 30, 2016 by coreeducation

The Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest has released a new survey tool that will help education leaders assess to what degree schools are engaging in practices associated with high performance. The survey and associated guide were developed in partnership with REL Midwest’s School Turnaround Research Alliance. The School Survey of Practices Read more about New Survey Helps Schools Identify Best Practices for Improving School Performance[…]

16 Education Policy Ideas for the Next President

Posted on September 30, 2016September 23, 2016 by coreeducation

Education is not getting much attention on the presidential campaign trail, but that doesn’t mean the next administration won’t face a variety of opportunities and challenges in the education sector. In fact, the relative silence is misleading. Given the changes and competing pressures buffeting America’s education system, leaders in the Department of Education will have their hands Read more about 16 Education Policy Ideas for the Next President[…]

10 High School Redesign Projects Win $100 Million in ‘XQ Super School’ Contest

Posted on September 28, 2016September 23, 2016 by coreeducation

Writing for Education Week, Catherine Gewertz reports on one of the nation’s biggest school-redesign competitions, through which 10 teams won a collective $100 million to create new high schools or transform existing ones across the country: Each of the winners of XQ: The Super School Project will have $10 million over the next five years Read more about 10 High School Redesign Projects Win $100 Million in ‘XQ Super School’ Contest[…]

Making Learning Personal for All: The Growing Diversity in Today’s Classroom

Posted on September 23, 2016March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

In the first of a series of reports from Digital Promise Global, Making Learning Personal For All – The Growing Diversity in Today’s Classroom explores learner diversity and learning variability across a variety of factors impacting student performance. A growing body of evidence stresses the need for the research community, educators, and education technology developers Read more about Making Learning Personal for All: The Growing Diversity in Today’s Classroom[…]

High Stakes for High Achievers: State Accountability in the Age of ESSA

Posted on September 14, 2016September 9, 2016 by coreeducation

No Child Left Behind meant well, but it had a pernicious flaw: It created strong incentives for schools to focus all their energy on helping low-performing students get over a modest “proficiency” bar. Meanwhile, it ignored the educational needs of high achievers, who were likely to pass state reading and math tests regardless of what Read more about High Stakes for High Achievers: State Accountability in the Age of ESSA[…]

Stopping the Churn in the Principal’s Office

Posted on September 7, 2016September 3, 2016 by coreeducation

Matthew Clifford and Eva Chiang in Real Clear Education write about the constant churn of principals in our nation’s schools, which they claim has reached epidemic proportions. To stop the churn, they recommend five things that districts can do this school year to hire, retain, and develop their principals: Hire for Now and the Future. Read more about Stopping the Churn in the Principal’s Office[…]

Five Questions New Teachers Should Ask and Schools Should Be Able to Answer

Posted on August 31, 2016August 26, 2016 by coreeducation

At the end of every interview, there comes a time when the principal asks the prospective teacher, “Do you have any questions for me?” Cristie Watson advises in Education Week Teacher that the following five questions are appropriate to ask (and the answers provide important information for new teachers): What support can I expect to Read more about Five Questions New Teachers Should Ask and Schools Should Be Able to Answer[…]

Agile in Education

Posted on August 30, 2016August 26, 2016 by coreeducation

There is a new movement in education called the Agile Schools Movement. The approach models classroom instruction and school reform itself on the principles of Agile software development and related methods like Lean, Kanban, and Scrum. Agile in Education is not about the use of technology products and services. Instead, the focus is on the Read more about Agile in Education[…]