Differences in Performance WITHIN Schools: Why So Much Greater Than in Other Countries?

Posted on October 17, 2017October 14, 2017 by coreeducation

Recently in a Top Performers opinion piece in Education Week, Marc Tucker explored the reasons why differences in teacher performance within schools are so prevalent in America and more rare in other countries. Excerpts from the piece appear below: According to an OECD analysis of variation of student performance in science, between-school variation accounts for Read more about Differences in Performance WITHIN Schools: Why So Much Greater Than in Other Countries?[…]

Three States Tried Micro-Credentials for Teachers: What they Learned

Posted on October 3, 2017September 30, 2017 by coreeducation

As state education agencies acknowledge, promote, and support the importance of professional development, they continue to search for effective professional learning opportunities for teachers. Micro-credentials—among the newer professional development methods—allow teachers to learn and demonstrate competency in bite-sized elements of instruction. Each micro-credential addresses a discrete set of educational practices. Educators can then weave these Read more about Three States Tried Micro-Credentials for Teachers: What they Learned[…]

Two New Studies show Principals Reluctant to give Low Ratings on Teacher Evaluations

Posted on August 28, 2017August 16, 2017 by coreeducation

A study of 100 principals from Miami-Dade County Public Schools finds that while teacher effectiveness varies substantially, principals’ evaluations of teachers often fail to differentiate performance among teachers. In this study, researchers Jason A. Grissom and Susanna Loeb offer new evidence on principals’ subjective evaluations of their teachers’ effectiveness using two sources of data from Read more about Two New Studies show Principals Reluctant to give Low Ratings on Teacher Evaluations[…]

Mentors for New Teachers Found to Boost Student Achievement—by a Lot

Posted on July 26, 2017July 21, 2017 by coreeducation

The final results from a U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) analysis has found that the New Teacher Center’s teacher induction model increases student learning by up to five months. These third-party evaluation results show that the NTC induction model yields statistically significant gains in student learning. The teacher induction model increases student Read more about Mentors for New Teachers Found to Boost Student Achievement—by a Lot[…]

New ISTE Technology Standards

Posted on July 21, 2017December 5, 2019 by coreeducation

Since technology in classrooms looks very different from almost a decade ago when ISTE last released its standards for teachers, the organization has released newly updated ISTE Standards for Educators. The Standards are designed to support educators with a framework for learning, teaching and leading amplified by technology. There are seven standards, each supported by Read more about New ISTE Technology Standards[…]

Teacher Professional Development Can Improve Student Achievement

Posted on July 10, 2017June 25, 2017 by coreeducation

A study released from the Learning Policy Institute demonstrates how well-designed teacher professional development programs significantly improve student achievement, challenging the logic behind the Administration’s proposal to eliminate funding for those programs. The new report, “Effective Teacher Professional Development,” reviewed 35 scientifically rigorous studies conducted over the past 30 years which showed significant gains in Read more about Teacher Professional Development Can Improve Student Achievement[…]

How Teacher Stress Affects Students

Posted on June 27, 2017June 25, 2017 by coreeducation

Sarah Sparks, writing for Education Week, reviews the research on teacher stress and how it can impact students. Excerpts of her piece appear below: In one 2016 study, University of British Columbia researchers tracked the levels of stress hormones of more than 400 elementary students in different classes. They found teachers who reported higher levels Read more about How Teacher Stress Affects Students[…]

Good to Great Study Series: “Investing in What it Takes to Move from Good to Great”

Posted on June 5, 2017June 2, 2017 by coreeducation

The Center on Great Teachers & Leaders (GTL Center) is out with the third report in a series designed to explore how great teachers have become the excellent educators they are today and what experiences and supports helped these teachers refine their practice over time. The first two reports explored the perspectives of National State Read more about Good to Great Study Series: “Investing in What it Takes to Move from Good to Great”[…]

Landscape in Secondary Teacher Preparation

Posted on May 30, 2017May 22, 2017 by coreeducation

The National Council on Teacher Quality has followed its study of undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs with a new study focused on secondary teacher preparation, Landscape in Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate Secondary Education. Since rules and procedures for selectivity in admissions, student teaching, and classroom management cut across teacher prep programs at an institution, whether preparing Read more about Landscape in Secondary Teacher Preparation[…]

The Shortcomings of Efficiency in Education

Posted on May 26, 2017March 3, 2020 by coreeducation

Andy Smarick, writing for AEI, has penned a piece on the shortcomings of efficiency as an educational goal. Excerpts from his article appear below: There are very good reasons to resist (or at least be skeptical of) efforts to drive “efficiency” in public education. One of the biggest reasons is that any attempt to maximize Read more about The Shortcomings of Efficiency in Education[…]

Teachers Supporting Teachers: State Policies for Non-Classroom-Based Instructors

Posted on May 25, 2017May 22, 2017 by coreeducation

The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders has released a new Ask the Team Brief, Teachers Supporting Teachers: State Policies for Non-Classroom-Based Instructors. Across the United States, non-classroom-based positions have been added in districts and schools to provide instructional support to teachers. They go by various names–coach, mentor, teacher leader–but typically they help classroom teachers Read more about Teachers Supporting Teachers: State Policies for Non-Classroom-Based Instructors[…]

Igniting the Learning Engine

Posted on May 15, 2017May 5, 2017 by coreeducation

Igniting the Learning Engine, a new report from Education Resource Strategies, examines how leaders in four school systems have successfully re-organized resources to create the type of effective, job-embedded professional learning that teachers are asking for. The report describes three inter-related elements that these systems have in common: (a) Rigorous, comprehensive curricula and assessments aligned Read more about Igniting the Learning Engine[…]

Meta-Analysis of Teacher Coaching

Posted on May 4, 2017April 29, 2017 by coreeducation

A new study authored by researchers from Brown and Harvard universities points to one promising strategy for helping current teachers improve: one-on-one coaching. Teacher coaching has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional models of professional development. Authors reviewed the empirical literature on teacher coaching and conducted meta-analyses to estimate the mean effect of coaching Read more about Meta-Analysis of Teacher Coaching[…]

Establishing and Sustaining Networked Improvement Communities

Posted on April 27, 2017April 22, 2017 by coreeducation

Networked improvement communities are a relatively new type of collaborative research partnership between researchers and educators. With facilitation from researchers, educators identify problems of practice, the factors that drive the problems, and promising solutions. They then engage in iterative cycles of designing, implementing, testing, and redesigning solutions, while learning from variation across the settings in Read more about Establishing and Sustaining Networked Improvement Communities[…]

Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment and Readiness Tools

Posted on April 10, 2017March 30, 2017 by coreeducation

A new suite of teacher leadership self-assessment and readiness tools have been designed for teachers exploring leadership opportunities and leaders considering teacher leadership initiatives. Developed in collaboration and consultation with the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, REL Midwest, and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center), the tools are Read more about Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment and Readiness Tools[…]

Great Districts for Great Teachers

Posted on April 6, 2017March 30, 2017 by coreeducation

Eight school districts just became the nation’s first-ever Great Districts for Great Teachers. This new honor, developed by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), recognizes districts for their exceptional programs and policies on recruiting, encouraging, supporting, and retaining great teachers. The winners are: Boston Public Schools; Broward County Public Schools; Denver Public Schools; District Read more about Great Districts for Great Teachers[…]