3 key parts of a K-12 coding or robotics program
K-12 teachers and administrators have been listening to policy makers and industry leaders warn of the need for computer science instruction, such as a coding or robotics program,…
Policy
5 different ways IT directors handle student data privacy
As districts continue to go 1:1 and encourage teachers to integrate digital tools into their lessons, IT directors need to pay close attention to the way edtech companies…
Teacher absent? How tech can bridge the gap
The teacher-absence policy at my school was clear: The teacher isn’t coming to school? No technology for the class. The rationale is that it’s just not worth it.…
Are virtual schools failing students?
Virtual schools continued to under-perform academically, including in comparison to blended schools. Overall, 36.4 percent of full-time virtual schools and 43.1 percent of blended schools received acceptable performance…
Building a smarter network
Given the data, networking, and security implications of upcoming technology trends, K-12 schools will require a variety of innovations to meet dramatically increased wireless and wired network performance…
4 critical issues for competency-based education programs
As K-12 competency-based education programs become more widespread, educators and policymakers would do well to focus on four key issues that can make or break high-quality programs, according…
6 critical teacher policies states should monitor
Rapid modernization surrounding teacher policies has largely slowed in the past two years, with few states initiating new actions to improve teacher policies guiding teacher selection, preparation, evaluation…
Are gifted students now an underserved population?
With all of the focus on helping struggling students achieve grade-level proficiency, students at the very top end of the academic spectrum often aren’t getting the challenges they…
5 policies to help rural students get ahead
Rural students still face a staggering number of uphill battles when it comes to securing the same educational opportunities as their suburban and urban peers, according to a…
Innovative tech standards want your feedback
None of us would leave for a destination without a plan of action, without a direction and the right equipment to complete the journey. We all know that…
How to measure edtech impact in the ESSA era
The Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN) and Empirical Education Inc. recently released the Guidelines for Conducting and Reporting EdTech Impact research in U.S. K-12 Schools. These guidelines help…
Thriving special education programs have these 7 elements
Focusing on inclusion, using data, and forming partnerships are among the practices that can help make special education programs successful in schools, according to a report.
U.S. public wants more life skills for students
The American public wants more than academic quality from its local public schools--career skills classes, licensing and certificate programs, and technology and engineering classes are increasingly identified as…
6 paths to innovation under ESSA
The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a marked departure from its much-maligned predecessor, No Child Left Behind, and it puts much more power in states' hands.…
4 ways schools can combat Trump’s ed budget cuts
The Trump Administration’s 2017 and 2018 education budget proposes some drastic cuts, most notably, the elimination of the $2.3 billion Title II-A (ESEA) funding and $1.2 billion 21st…
Do you know about the “Trump Effect” on public education?
The 2017 Education Next annual survey of American public opinion on education shows public support for charter schools has dropped, even as opposition to school vouchers and tax…
Do education policy makers believe in science?
John Hattie is an education researcher who changed the way we think about what works in the classroom. His meta-study, Visible Learning (2009), analyzed 50,000 studies of more…
Where’s the buy-in for performance pay?
As more states across the nation look for ways to recognize and reward excellent teachers, a new study reveals at least one large pocket of resistance for providing…
5 ways to get the U.S. to a 90 percent high school graduation rate
The latest annual report in a series tracking the U.S. high school graduation rate reveals that, while the national graduation rate is 83.2 percent, the nation could miss…
5 ways technology can support educators in an environment of expanding school choice
President Trump’s recent education budget proposal has received a great deal of attention for cutting education by $9.2 billion or 13.6 percent. The administration is proposing an additional…
4 points DeVos makes about school choice
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos offered a vague look at the Trump Administration's plans for school choice during her keynote at the American Federation for Children's National…
In a shaky political climate, here’s why students are more important than ever
Politics is a funny beast. Being a journalist, I watch the gyrations and positioning with interest. When I was coming up in the business, I used to cover…
Making the case for common K-12 standards
Education is changing, things are in flux, and there is uncertainty. In this ever-dynamic landscape, “common” standards for education seemingly get a bad rap, but they’re useful, particularly…
Reactions flare to DeVos’ confirmation
President Donald Trump's nomination of billionaire Betsy DeVos for U.S. Education Secretary caused immediate and intense reactions from supporting and opposing sides. Her final approval by the U.S.…
Here’s what schools need to know about ESSA right now
Recently, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO) that states should continue to move forward with their ESSA plans. However, accountability regulations…
10 high-need education policy areas for 2017
Competition for jobs is increasing thanks to an ever-growing global economy. Today's students are preparing for jobs that, in some cases, do not yet exist. In order to…
After ethics review, Senate postpones vote for Betsy DeVos
According to the Washington Post: “The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has postponed the vote on Trump’s ... Read more
DeVos confirmation hearing elicits intense reactions
Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary, emerged from her confirmation hearings with Republicans praising her commitment to school choice and with Democrats voicing concerns over…
Is Betsy DeVos good or bad for edtech?
School choice, support of teachers unions, and her record in Michigan have been the leading controversial talking points in education when it comes to Donald Trump’s pick for…
5 state policies to sustain computer science education
Computer science skills are becoming a larger part of mainstream education with the emergence of Computer Science Education Week and efforts to introduce students to coding and programming.…
Are librarians the key to a Future Ready school?
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology, librarians are at the forefront of helping schools become “future ready.” However, too often librarians are left…
Report: States not making the grade on report cards
States are failing to effectively communicate essential information to families, educators, and communities about how their schools are doing, a ... Read more
Here’s what you need to know about Betsy DeVos, likely Education Secretary
With his nomination of billionaire Betsy DeVos for U.S. Secretary of Education, President-elect Donald Trump seems to be making good on his campaign promise to promote school choice.…
What is Obama’s K-12 education legacy?
Common Core, Race to the Top, and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—just a few top-down, often-controversial, metrics-heavy K-12 reform initiatives favored by the Obama Administration that seemed…
3 tips for teachers addressing the election
By now we’ve all been inundated with pre- and post-election coverage and analysis on numerous media platforms. It seems as if we might never escape the constant barrage…
Here’s where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stand on the biggest K-12 issues
With the election only about two weeks away, the long campaigning season is finally drawing to a close. With so ... Read more