Separation of Degrees: State-By-State Analysis of Teacher Compensation for Master's Degrees

Marguerite Roza and Raegen MillerCenter for American ProgressJuly 2009

Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths Toward Excellence and Equity

Christopher T. Cross, Taniesha A. Woods, and Heidi Schweingruber, eds.Center for Education, National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences2009

Regents wake-up call

When you get 30 out of 50 questions wrong on a test, you're supposed to fail. But not on the this year's American History portion of the New York State Regents Exam. According to Marc Epstein, the once-revered but now "hopelessly manipulated" Regents tests are plagued by a host of problems that make their results meaningless at best and fraudulent at worst--and the U.S.

A conflict of interest

Two editorials in the past week point to a widening realization across the political spectrum that U.S. teacher unions serve their members, not students. The Wall Street Journal illustrates this point with a piece about two episodes that clearly place union demands at odds with school quality.

A constitutional moment for American education?

Vacation gave me the opportunity to catch up with a bit of early American history, particularly the eventful last two decades of the 18th Century.

Advising Steiner

The New York State Regents shenanigans will be just one of the big issues with which newly minted State Chancellor of Education David Steiner needs to contend.

Adding to the tab of already cash-strapped schools

Earlier this summer, Terry wrote about the disconnect between DC and the states when it comes to education policy.????

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "If we could Twitter Julius Caesar, we'd be good." --Terisa King, teacher at Richard Milburn Academy, talking about the need to make difficult language in literature more understandable for students.

Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow

Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic AdvisersJuly 2009

The Qualifications and Classroom Performance of Teachers Moving to Charter Schools

Celeste K. Carruthers, Urban Institute & National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education ResearchJune 2009

Grad-rate debate and the Buckeye State

President Obama put the graduation-rate debate front and center in March, when he noted that the nation's high-school dropout rate had tripled since the 1970s (see here). The media and education community scrambled to react to the president's claim.

It's deja vu for Bob Taft

Ohio's budget problems and efforts to reformulate education policy reminded former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft of his days as the state's chief executive from 1999 to 2007. Like Gov. Ted Strickland, Taft had his own economic and education pains that included disagreements with members of the Ohio General Assembly.

National charter alliance unveils model charter school law

In June 2009, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) released A New Model Law For Supporting The Growth of High-Quality Public Charter Schools.

School Turnaround in Queen City

The banks of the Ohio river don't initially seem to be a hotbed of education reform.??

Video: An introduction to "The Great Graduation-Rate Debate"

From over the weekend

Very good Post editorial on saving the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program. Eduwonk on getting new duds and contributing to a good cause.

No Offense, Frank McCourt

Why do unsubstantiated remedies-like smaller class sizes-gain such traction in the world of education? Rather than adhering to rigorous research standards, we resort to sweeping generalizations and sentimental stories about children's lives. Not that there is anything wrong with sentiment.

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "It was one area [where] we didn't do enough and failed our children. I give myself an 'F' on that one. As a city, as a state, as a country, we need to protect our children and have them be safe." --Arne Duncan, on the violence in Chicago's public schools.

New legislation on DC OSP

Yesterday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Fun Fact Friday! - US education expenditure and other countries' GDP

59 is the new 30, unless you are a teacher

Thomas Friedman wrote of golfer Tom Watson's run at this year's British Open,

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "[That disproves] another myth - that private schools do not serve students with special needs." --Terry Stoops of the John Locke Foundation, discussing their recent report that seeks to dispel myths about private schools in North Carolina.

Don't change the innovation eligibility

Though this Ed Week article is ostensibly about the Department's desire to expand the list of districts eligible to apply for the $650 million innovation grant program, it includes a much more news-worthy and troubling story line.

More from the to-read pile

If you're interested in the replication of great schools--one of the key innovations of the charter mechanism--check out this informative paper by the folks at the Center on Educational Governance.

DPC and education

As both Russo and Politics K-12 reported, Mary Ellen McGuire is apparently headed to the White House to work for the Domestic Policy Council on education. This has me a bit curious.

Education Change Agent: Bill Jackson, Founder and CEO GreatSchools

Bill Jackson is the founder and CEO of GreatSchools, an independent, nonprofit organization that improves education by inspiring parents to get involved.

Speaking of...Race to the Top

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "It's encouraging that even before a penny has been doled out, this aggressive stance is forcing states to rethink traditional approaches to education." --Washington Post editorial, describing Obama's demands for accountability and an increase in charter schools.

Is There a Plateau Effect in Test Scores?

Naomi Chudowsky and Victor ChudowskyCenter on Education PolicyJuly 2009

District of Columbia Public Schools: Important Steps Taken to Continue Reform Efforts, But Enhanced Planning Could Improve Implementation and Sustainability

Government Accountability OfficeJune 2009