As the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) moves ever closer, debate over them certainly has not slowed, yet that does not mean that the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and others, like the National Math and Science Initiative, aren’t doing their best to make resources available so Read more about Common Core Open Resources[…]
The Carnegie Corporation of New York has committed $15 million to “catalyze district-based new school design work” that will focus on individualized learning. To support this effort, they have also recently published a report, Opportunity by Design: New High School Models for Student Success. This report calls for a focus on how schools use teaching, Read more about Carnegie Corporation: Rethinking school design to meet demands of new standards[…]
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) released the draft grade- and subject-specific performance level descriptors (PLDs) in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics, and they are available for public comment through May 8, 2013. Performance levels, sometimes referred to as “achievement levels,” are the broad, categorical levels used to report Read more about Last Chance to Comment on PARCC Draft Grade- and Subject-Specific PLDs[…]
In case you missed it, the final Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a new set of voluntary, rigorous, and internationally benchmarked standards for K-12 science education, have been released. Twenty six states and their broad-based teams worked together for two years with a 41-member writing team and partners to develop the standards which identify science Read more about Final Next Generation Science Standards Released[…]
A newly updated and released website, The Future Ready Project, provides college and career readiness advocates with the information, strategies, messages and tools they need to effectively make the case for the college- and career- ready agenda in their states and communities. With customizable resources and fact sheets, stakeholders may take the materials available on Read more about Making the Case for College and Career Readiness[…]
With news that 7 teachers in Florida, with the support of the National Education Association, are suing the Florida State Education Department, the issue of how to evaluate teachers is again making headlines. The teachers in Florida assert that their due process and equal protection rights are being violated because they were given evaluation scores Read more about Evaluation for Educators in Non-Tested Grades and Subjects[…]
Mathematics education in the U.S. has always been a complicated issue: on the one hand, there is a general consensus that mathematics is a fundamental skill that all students should possess, yet there is also the common – and false – perception that not all students are “good at math” and that it is unfair Read more about Advanced Mathematics for All?[…]
FairTest, an organization that “advances quality education and equal opportunity by promoting fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial evaluations of students, teachers and schools”, has prepared a report on confirmed incidences of schools cheating on standardized tests in recent years. The report includes discussion of multiple means through which schools manipulate results of standardized tests. Read more about Standardized Exam Cheating Confirmed in 37 States and DC[…]
The issue of whether and how much computers should be responsible for student grading has been around for decades, but the recent advent of MOOCs and the upcoming implementation of Common Core tests has brought the issue to the forefront yet again. One MOOC, edX, has recently developed software, which they will make available as Read more about Should student essays be graded by computers?[…]
Forty-five states, four territories, the District of Columbia and DoDEA are currently transitioning to full implementation of the Common Core State Standards. While some groups are further along than others, educators across the country are seeking high quality resources to facilitate this process. In this month’s issue brief, we explore resources and information designed to Read more about April Issue Brief: Common Core Implementation[…]
Two big names in American Education, Diane Ravitch and Marc Tucker, have recently written several articles outlining their opinions on the imminent implementation of the Common Core standards. Ravitch, known as more of an advocate of local educational agency and as an opponent of standardization, kicked things off with a blog post in which she Read more about Big Names Spar over Common Core[…]
Between now and January 29, 2013 the team behind the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is soliciting feedback on their ongoing project of creating new K–12 science standards. The first draft of these new science standards was released in May of 2012. Tens of thousands of responses came in, and the NGSS writing team, working Read more about NSTA seeks Feedback for Next Generation Science Standards[…]
Principals preparing for Common Core implementation have a new set of action briefs at their disposal. Achieve, in partnership with College Summit, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), has released a series of action briefs on the role of school counselors, secondary school leaders, Read more about Preparing for Common Core with new Action Briefs[…]
The Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution has recently released a report on the current cost of standardized testing in United States. The purpose of the study is to shed light on current costs so that there will be an accurate baseline upon which to compare new statistics once Common Core testing Read more about How much does Standardized Testing actually cost?[…]
In an interesting editorial for the New York Times online, Sara Mosle takes up the debate around one of the key shifts in reading instruction advocated by the Common Core — a shift that calls for much more focus on non-fiction and less emphasis on fictional texts. This shift has inspired a heated debate, but Read more about Does Common Core Overemphasize Non-Fiction?[…]
Yesterday, Andrew Rotherham reflected in TIME magazine on the election results and their meaning for public education reform. From the presidential election to local elections and ballot questions, the picture of public support for education is murky, leaving newly elected politicians with no clear roadmap for reform. Rotherham writes about the meaning of the election Read more about Unclear Mandates & Uncertain Direction for Education Reform[…]