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McCain speaks; Obama, too
A lot of people, and not just Republicans, have been waiting for John McCain to unveil his thinking about education policy.
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Narrowing the rhetoric
The latest study out of the Manhattan Institute makes a mountain out of the proverbial molehill. While the report contributes importantly to a largely neglected area of research, it also overextends its findings.
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Cancellation canard
For all the weight that high schools and colleges place on the ACT and SAT, they're in the dark about why students' scores are sometimes "cancelled." That's because of a 25-year-old policy whereby neither ACT nor the College Board will divulge the reason to a student's current or future school.
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No Common Denominator: The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics by America's Education Schools
Julie Greenberg and Kate WalshNational Council on Teacher QualityJune 2008
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The genius of American education
Even if education isn't at the top of the list for Senators Obama or McCain during this election season, it remains a major concern for governors and CEOs. That's because they see a direct link between educational achievement and economic growth.
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Don't mind the gap
Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews thinks the ed reform lexicon needs a rewrite. He's particularly peeved by the term "achievement gap," which he observes is often used "in a way that suggests narrowing the gap is always a good thing, when that is not so." What if, for instance, the shrinking gap reflected not just a catching-up at the bottom but also a leveling-off at the top?
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Schools that do everything but teach
A quarter century after A Nation at Risk, a growing number of America's education leaders appear to be abandoning hope for schools that significantly boost student achievement and are instead coming to view schools as multi-service community centers that do everything but teach.
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It's all in the swirl
Will variations on this wine trick never grow old? Never, it seems. Yes, there is an education angle .
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McCain's plan
The candidate's education plan is available. From a reform standpoint, there really is??much to like.
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Teach for America in WWC
A??new "quick review" out of the What Works Clearinghouse finds that Teach for America teachers improved student performance on standardized end-of-course tests in math and science-by about one-tenth of a standard deviation. This is equivalent to moving a student from the 50th to the 54th percentile.??
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Rhee inspires reform in South Korea
"We Need Someone Like Michelle Rhee" proclaims an editorial headline in the South Korean newspaper
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The countdown is on
John McCain is supposed to take the stage in 40 minutes at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati.
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EEP in 08?
Critics of NYC schools chancellor Joel Klein (of which there is at least one important one in this office) and/or Al Sharpton (ditto) may not like reports that the duo is
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Denver developments
This fall, Denver Public Schools will introduce the Mile High Parent Campaign, which encourages moms and dads to devote 5,280 minutes a year to their children's educations. Cities situated at lower elevations are advised not to emulate the plan.
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Great idea
Why don't we??round up??some Los Angeles high school students, put them in a room together, and ask them to pontificate??about why Asian students do better academically than Latino students?
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Schools strike in the U.K.
Perhaps the U.S. could foment more such strikes in other nations, and thereby give its students a better shot on comparative??international tests.??In the U.K.:
Commentary
McCain speaks
A lot of people, and not just Republicans, have been waiting for John McCain to unveil his thinking about education policy. While Barack Obama has made multiple speeches on the subject (most recently to both teacher union conferences) and has elaborate position papers on his campaign website, the Arizona senator said little, except for tantalizing bits about his own education.