In 2009, legislatures in New York and California, among other states, enacted laws that limit, to one degree or another, the use of student achievement data in teacher performance evaluations. New York's legislature prohibited the use of student test scores in teacher tenure decisions. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was publicly opposed to these laws, saying, "Believe it or not, several states, including [...]
For incoming college freshmen, it’s the number one most frequently asked question: “What’s your major?” Choosing a major can be a Big Deal. It outlines what courses you’ll be taking, what professors you’ll have, what internships you’ll apply for, and how you approach your college experience as a whole. But making a decision like that can often be overwhelming. What if you don’t [...]
Soon after the Obama administration allocated billions of dollars in Federal aid to our Nation's schools, dozens of new companies sprang up looking to capitalize on the funds. Under the rules of the stimulus package, school districts are permitted to hire companies or a nonprofit to help in the turnaround, but the availability of such companies is slim. Companies formerly involved in markets [...]
In a recent interview on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" program, Eva Moskowitz, the founder and CEO of the Success Charter Network, discussed her opinion that class size is not nearly as important as people make it out to be. The theory has been that a smaller class size enables teachers to spend more time one-on-one with their students, thus improving the quality [...]
Much of the push for education reform revolves around smaller schools, smaller class sizes, and as much one-on-one time with teachers as possible. Yet some schools have eschewed this model, opting to focus instead on changes that don't require a complete overhaul of the entire school system. In Brockton, Massachusetts, Brockton High School, which caters to over 4,100 students, proved that the focus [...]
Although solid, accurate content continues to be at the core of successful instructional programs, the means by which content is delivered to students and teachers has taken on a variety of forms that have gone way beyond traditional print products. Here are some of the "non-print" projects we've been involved in lately at Publishing Solutions Group: PSG prepared Spanish translation and audio recordings [...]
As technology continues to develop, getting cheaper, faster and more versatile, more and more courses are being taught partially or exclusively online. Virtual classes have innumerable benefits such as no commute, the ability to learn on your own time (and often at your own pace), and multiple options ranging from typing classes to full degree programs. And yet I would argue that virtual [...]
With the school year just beginning, it has become clear that there is one American industry that seems wholly unaffected by the recession: private tutoring. While spending and employment is down in most areas, parental spending on tutors is growing at a rate of more than 5 percent a year, according to the Education Industry Association. According to Sandi Ayaz, executive director of [...]
Mount Olive School District in New Jersey is implementing a somewhat controversial new grading policy this year aimed towards raising standards and prompting student to work harder - they've eliminated 'D' grades. The only grades now available to students are A's, B's, C's and F's. Larrie Reynolds, superintendent, explained that students should not receive credit for a class that they did D-level work [...]
As recently as May 24, 2010, the principal, assistant principal and three teachers from an elementary school in Texas resigned. These five educators were part of a test-tampering scandal that shocked the district and caused a large-scale investigation of test practices and invalidation of student scores. And why? Because teachers were being offered bonuses of almost $3,000 for high achievement on state exams. [...]