Cutting Red Tape: Overcoming Bureaucracy to Develop High-Performing SEAs

Posted on August 6, 2014August 2, 2014 by coreeducation

In many ways, the success of educational policies in the United States depends greatly on the success of state education agencies. States—traditionally through state education agencies, or SEAs—monitor districts and schools to ensure that students are safe in school and that their education meets minimum quality standards. But the space occupied by SEAs is also Read more about Cutting Red Tape: Overcoming Bureaucracy to Develop High-Performing SEAs[…]

Conserving Principal and Teacher Talent

Posted on August 4, 2014August 2, 2014 by coreeducation

At The Lens, part of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, Paul Hill offers a model for finding existing star performers in underperforming urban school districts. Every school district has teachers and administrators who are part of the problem but also teachers and administrators who are already or are very willing to be part of Read more about Conserving Principal and Teacher Talent[…]

Wallace Foundation aims to help school leaders get better, donates $30 million

Posted on July 31, 2014 by coreeducation

Fourteen school systems around the country, including the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County (MD), will receive grants totaling $30 million to improve the effectiveness of unsung middle managers in large urban districts – those who supervise principals. The five-year program, funded by the Wallace Foundation, is designed to help improve management in sprawling Read more about Wallace Foundation aims to help school leaders get better, donates $30 million[…]

State Sen. Mike Johnston: An Up and Comer in Education Reform

Posted on July 28, 2014September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Why should Americans concerned about education know the name of a state senator from Colorado? Because he, and others like him who are willing to work across the aisle, are likely to be the face of American education reform of the future. State Senator Mike Johnston has quite the pedigree: Ivy League undergrad (Yale), Teach Read more about State Sen. Mike Johnston: An Up and Comer in Education Reform[…]

Who Uses Student Data?

Posted on July 28, 2014 by coreeducation

Most personal student information stays local. Districts, states, and the federal government all collect data about students for important purposes like informing instruction and providing information to the public. But the type of data collected, and who can access them, is different at each point. Explore how student data—from schools to the US Department of Read more about Who Uses Student Data?[…]

Are Multiplayer Games the Future of Education?

Posted on July 19, 2014September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Melanie Plenda at The Atlantic Education recently described a new trend in American education that shows promise to attract strong student attention and help engage long term memory: Gamification. The idea of turning learning into games that students play is not new, but some of the research surrounding it is, as is the idea of Read more about Are Multiplayer Games the Future of Education?[…]

Shooting Bottle Rockets at the Moon: Overcoming the Legacy of Incremental Education Reform

Posted on July 12, 2014 by coreeducation

Thomas Kane, of the Harvard School of Education and writing for the Brookings Institution, has recently penned an important article describing an aggressive plan for helping American students catch up with their international peers over the next 10 years. Kane produces calculations that reveal that incremental reforms are unlikely to be aggressive enough to allow Read more about Shooting Bottle Rockets at the Moon: Overcoming the Legacy of Incremental Education Reform[…]

Marc Tucker on “Separate But Equal” in American schools today

Posted on July 6, 2014September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

On the Top Performers blog of Education Week, Marc Tucker has written a compelling post which challenges American complacency on the new “separate but equal.” Despite Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, various statistics show that American schools are as segregated as they ever were before that monumental court decision. And of course, this Read more about Marc Tucker on “Separate But Equal” in American schools today[…]

Teacher-Powered Schools Initiative

Posted on June 23, 2014June 23, 2014 by coreeducation

Education Evolving launched the Teacher-Powered Schools Initiative at the Education Writers Association’s 67th National Seminar’s “Teachers Take Charge” panel discussion. The launch is especially timely given the release of Education Evolving’s new national survey data that that reveal overwhelming public support and teacher interest in a professional partnership model of teacher leadership, or “teacher-powered schools.” Read more about Teacher-Powered Schools Initiative[…]

Bill Gates and the Common Core

Posted on June 19, 2014 by coreeducation

Recently, Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post wrote a lengthy story concerning the role of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in fostering the Common Core State Standards. If you haven’t already seen the full article, you should read it (see below for the link). For now, we will summarize it for you. The article Read more about Bill Gates and the Common Core[…]

Time for Teachers: Leveraging Time to Strengthen Instruction and Empower Teachers

Posted on June 17, 2014 by coreeducation

As demands on teachers increase, schools across the country are expanding their calendars to give teachers more time to collaborate and develop new skills. Recently, NCTL unveiled its newest report at an event in Washington, D.C. co-hosted with Teach Plus. Time for Teachers: Leveraging Time to Strengthen Instruction and Empower Teachers looks at how expanded-time Read more about Time for Teachers: Leveraging Time to Strengthen Instruction and Empower Teachers[…]

Ten Years of Research on Teacher Quality

Posted on June 16, 2014 by coreeducation

Ten years ago, education leaders, policy makers, and philanthropists caught on to what parents already knew: In a school, teachers are the most important factor determining whether a student succeeds in the classroom. A decade ago, the Joyce Foundation decided to fund research and advocacy on the importance of placing a highly effective Read more about Ten Years of Research on Teacher Quality[…]

The Resilience of Common Core

Posted on June 15, 2014 by coreeducation

Andrew Smarick at EdNext keeps up with the buzz over Common Core as much as anyone, and his conclusion is that the Common Core is here to stay. Despite negative press in recent weeks and months with some states opting out of certain testing services, changing the name of the testing, or repealing the standards Read more about The Resilience of Common Core[…]

Projected Statewide Impact of “Opportunity Culture” School Models

Posted on June 11, 2014 by coreeducation

The impact of “Opportunity Culture” schools could be students gaining years of learning, and teachers earning hundreds of thousands more over their careers. In a major policy brief out, Public Impact estimates what a state would gain by implementing “Opportunity Culture” models statewide, using North Carolina as an example for analysis. Opportunity Culture models redesign Read more about Projected Statewide Impact of “Opportunity Culture” School Models[…]

Should High Schools Open Later?

Posted on May 27, 2014 by coreeducation

High school students everywhere may rejoice to hear the latest research on school start times for students in their age group. A new report from the Education Commission of the States (www.ecs.org) says school begins too early for these students, a point about which there should be no dispute. Following are three key takeaways from Read more about Should High Schools Open Later?[…]

Rural Education: Examining Capacity Challenges That Influence Educator Effectiveness

Posted on May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 by coreeducation

Jane Best and Courtney Cohen of McREL have written a helpful document looking at some of the hot button education issues today, but with a unique focus on rural education. While a quarter of all American students are enrolled in rural public schools, many rural teachers and administrators believe that education stakeholders are slow to Read more about Rural Education: Examining Capacity Challenges That Influence Educator Effectiveness[…]