Clik here to view.
Measure What Matters
Don't judge schools solely by their students' test scores in math and reading. Also judge them by those students' later success in college and work. That's the thrust of a new report by Education...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Transforming a School Step by Step: A Conversation with Principal Melissa...
When Melissa Glee-Woodard became principal of Maryland’s Lewisdale Elementary School four years ago, it was struggling. The school was in the dreaded “school improvement” process because of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Them's Fightin' Words
As the debate about school reforms heats up, it's getting tougher to have reasoned, thoughtful conversations about specific reform strategies. You're either a wild-eyed zealot pushing for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Reaching for a Common Goal: A Conversation with Greenlawn Terrace Educators
Louisiana’s Greenlawn Terrace Elementary is a small school achieving big things. It is one of the top-performing schools in its district, a feat made even more impressive given the high rate of poverty...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Research Won't Do Much If Schools Lack the Conditions to Use it Well
Because hope springs eternal, we still hold out high hopes for research that will lead to dramatic improvements in our most troubled schools. But much promising research will fall flat in schools if we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Will the LA Times Story Have a Chilling Effect on Education Research?
Could the LA Times'decision to publish teachers' value-added scores have a chilling effect on school research? That question came to me as I read about a case in Arizona. Arizona officials are seeking...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Overnight Miracle, Seven Years in the Making: A Conversation with Everett...
Seven years ago, Washington’s Everett School District awoke to a harsh reality. A change in how the state calculated graduation rates revealed that only 53% of the district’s students graduated...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The (Lack) of Evidence in the Blueprint
The Obama administration claims that its blueprint for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now called No Child Left Behind, is grounded in research. A new book, the first...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The State of the States
According to Quality Counts 2011 (which claims to be the most comprehensive ongoing assessment of the state of American education), overall the states have earned an average of a "C" for their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Website Provides Easy Access to Key Education Data
President Obama has set the goal that the United States will have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. To help Americans understand how our country is progressing towards...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cheap Shots & Careless Inaccuracies---Public Schools Don’t Need This Treatment
If the mainstream press reporting on public schools wasn’t important, I wouldn’t be writing this blog post. But, the fact is that the general public gets its information about public education (and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Selective Use of Data Avoids Real Issues in Improving Public Education for...
It seems the one thing we can all agree on when discussing how to improve public schooling for all our children is that we need data to guide our approach to personalizing teaching and learning in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Technology and Learning in Clark County School District
You know you’re witnessing learning in action when you see children clamoring to answer a math question, hardly able to stay in their seats with hands stretched to the sky. For those who are often...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Telling Good Science From Bad in Education
Who can you trust about educational technology?So asked Richard Rose in September’s issue of School Administrator. He argues that research on educational technology should be approached with skepticism...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Teacher Evaluations: When Process Makes a Difference
The power of collaboration seems, at times, to be the best kept secret in education reform. Despite district variance, efforts to increase student achievement levels often see higher levels of success...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Collaboration: Implementing Research Depends on Strong Networks
We have access to a lot of good sound research and information in today’s information age. Education practitioners, those working in schools and districts, are ultimately responsible for overseeing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
State Education Agencies Are Not in the Dark Ages
Ask practitioners and administrations on the ground in the education system about state education agencies (SEAs), and you may encounter skepticism. SEAs need not be considered antiquated bodies, as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Tale of Two Meetings…Reports…Perspectives
Part of my job as executive director of the Learning First Alliance (LFA) is to attend meetings here in Washington, DC, where new K-12 education reports or projects are released or introduced to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Technology Supports a District’s Commitment to Student Achievement
Technology is an integral part of life in Washington’s Vancouver Public Schools (VPS), located just north of Portland, Oregon – and it has been for quite some time. They are the only district to host...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Choosing Your Next Professional Learning Experience: 8 Essential Questions
By Stephanie Hirsh, Executive Director, Learning ForwardRecently a reporter asked me how teachers are supposed to be able to distinguish among all the professional development opportunities that claim...
View Article
