Two organizations interested in improving the quality of education in the US have joined together to solicit support for their efforts. The organizations—Great Schools, and ED in 08—created a quiz that challenges parents to take a quiz about their knowledge of math or science (or both) and compare their results to those of students in the US and other countries. They’re using it to promote their agenda that they dub “Strong American Schools.” The image at the right opens a pop-up window from Ed in 08 for you to take the quiz.
Links for the sponsors: Great Schools (”the parent’s guide to K-12 Education”; interesting that they used the singular possesive) and Ed in 08.
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Multiple sources accross Canada have covered a distressing story: Nearly ½ of parents of students with disabilities say they had problems securing special education for their children and nearly ¼ of the parents of students with disabilities in Canada said the needs of their children were not being met, according to a survey called “Participation and Activity Limitation Survey” (PALS) conducted in 2006. Overall the report shows that children with disabilities are served well, regardless of variations in type of education provided (full inclusion, part-time special education, or full-time special education) and students’ levels of severity.
As in most other developed countries, Canadian schools are required by law to provide “free and appropriate public education.” Apparently, lots of parents don’t think their children are getting it. To be sure, these are perceptions, but parents’ perceptions are powerful influences on schools’ functioning.
Continue reading ‘Which needs unmet?’
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Don Hirsch published an editorial in Education Week that tells it true. We need, he argues, to place a greater emphasis on what and how we teach during children’s early school years. Of course, he champions his recommendation for adopting a clear curriculum during the early years, too. But, the big idea is that the primary and elementary grades are very important if students are to be able to excel in high school and college.
Continue reading ‘Hirsch hits homer’
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In its current newsletter (No 63, Winter 2007: “The Great Reading Disaster; Beware BSF”), the UK Campaign for Real Education alerts readers to a dozen contemporary concerns about the quality of education. There are sections recounting the “great reading disaster,” concerns about the government program called “Building Schools for the Future,” notes about how English students scored on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, recognition that the Department for Children, Schools and Families has now (finally?) published guidance on teaching synthetic phonics, and much more. Link to the newsletter here.
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It appears that there is a disagreement about how to teach mathematics effectively in at least a half dozen communities around the US. You may already know about rumblings in the states of Washington, as represented by the folks at “Where’s the Math?”, and Missouri, where it’s Columbia Parents for Math that Works. But, what do you know about Ridgewood (NJ, US), Beaverton (OR, US), New York (NY, US), Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Newbury Park (CA, US), and Chicago (and elsewhere in IL, US)? If you know of other groups such as these, please drop a note about them in the comments.
Continue reading ‘Math reform matters’
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Sometimes it just gets to me.
Learning Upgrade may have fabulous products that produce wondrous outcomes for students (I do not know whether the company does), but I’m not buying those products on the basis of testimonial evidence. The Web site’s blog offers testimonial statements (e.g., “Reading Upgrade Helps Texas 3rd Graders Avoid Retention” and “Teenager with Learning Difficulties Makes 3 Years Growth With Comprehension Upgrade“) that are no more than anecdotal evidence.
Continue reading ‘Testimonials don’t count’
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The Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE) from the Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (CDDRE) at the Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, US) provides a marvelous set of resources to help educators and the public understand effective practices. BEE, which is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, summarizes the results of meta-analyses or other integrative sumamaries that have examined the efficacy of curricula, computer applications, and instructional practices.
Continue reading ‘BEE cool’
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Michelle Pruitt, who blogs at Columbia Parents for Real Math, claims that “myths about math education are still alive and well in Missouri.” She’s convinced—and she provides time-series data supporting her convictions—that students’ readiness for algebra has declined in Columbia (MO, US) Public Schools (CPS).
Continue reading ‘Maththatworks’
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