Five absurdities about high-stakes standardized tests
The Washington Post reports that barely a day goes by when the education world isn’t treated to some new story involving high-stakes standardized tests, the chief metric of…
Washington Post
How much time do school districts spend on standardized testing? This much.
Exactly how much standardized testing are school districts subjecting students to these days? A nearly staggering amount, according to a new analysis, The Washington Post reports.
New Common Core tests: Worth the price?
Now that both of the federally-funded consortia of states designing standardized tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards have released pricing data for each exam, states are…
Florida’s change to school rating system called ‘scam’
Last year, Florida gave a new standardized writing test to students in various grades and the scores were awful, the Washington Post reports.
‘Stand Your Ground’ group pushes privatization of public education
The group that pushed “Stand Your Ground” laws in Florida and other states has been mighty busy working to get laws passed in the area of school reform…
Study: Most states don’t score well on financial literacy
Given the extraordinary amount of debt that Americans wallow in daily, you’d think that teaching financial literacy in school and at home would be a priority, the Washington…
The secret war on afterschool programs
The Obama administration has for some time been supporting the expansion of learning time in school—which sounds useful but often isn’t—by diverting money intended for afterschool programs.
America’s most challenging high schools
According to the Washington Post, America's Most Challenging High Schools ranks schools through an index formula that's a simple ratio.
Why it’s time for a reset of education reform
The end of another school year is leaving a bad taste in many people's mouths, The Washington Post reports.
Maryland adopts Next Generation Science Standards
Maryland became the fourth state to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, a new set of voluntary, internationally benchmarked K-12 standards that are said to be a huge…
Are unpaid internships illegal?
Unpaid internships* are increasingly a fact of life for college students, The Washington Post reports.
Avoid the hype: Online learning’s transformational potential
In Larry Cuban’s recent piece in the Washington Post, “Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching,” he in essence says that our research showing that online learning…
Why grouping students by ability makes sense
The Washington Post reports that a recent post by Joanne Yatvin argued against ability groupings of students, saying: Teaching to the presumed level of a whole class never…
Why schools should relax about cheating
Here’s a rather unconventional view on cheating, says the Washington Post.
The toll high-stakes tests take on non-traditional learners (and their teachers)
Bobbi Snow reports for The Washington Post: He was already exhausted and had 58 questions to go.
Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’
In the video below, veteran teacher Ellie Rubenstein of Highland Park, Ill., resigns after eloquently explaining how teaching has changed over the past 15 years.
What do you do if your child isn’t going to college?
The Washington Post's Jay Mathews reports: A parent asked me recently what she should do if her child doesn’t appear headed for college.
All Virginia students to use computers for standardized tests
All Virginia students will have to log on to a computer to take this year’s Standards of Learning tests, making Virginia one of the only states to wholly…
Preteens’ use of Instagram creates privacy issue, child advocates say
On the photo-sharing app Instagram, search the keywords #Fairfax, #Rockville or #DC and up pops hundreds of photos from children, The Washington Post reports.
What if Finland’s great teachers taught in U.S. schools?
The Washington Post reports that many governments are under political and economic pressure to turn around their school systems for higher rankings in the international league tables.
Fourth-grade creationist science quiz: Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago — False
The following fourth grade science quiz for a unit called “Dinosaurs: Genesis and the Gospel” has been making the rounds on Facebook and elsewhere on the internet, and…
Senators to debate immigration bill amendment on foreign students
The Washington Post reports that a Senate panel took up amendments to a comprehensive immigration bill Tuesday and was expected to consider a proposal aimed at tightening the…
Report: Why it is hard to monitor bullying at schools
The Washington Post reports that a new report that reviewed years of research says that it is hard to accurately monitor levels of bullying in schools because there…
Watch: What you may not know about 4D printing
Quick: What’s the difference between 4D printing and self-assembly?
BlackBerry CEO: Tablets will be dead in five years
Forget the death of the PC: BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins thinks tablets are on their way out as users shift to doing more through their smartphones, the…
Obama’s big second-term education problem
President Obama has a big problem in his second term in terms of education policy: his first term, the Washington Post reports.
In shift, White House favors incentives for optional cybersecurity measures for companies
The White House has backed away from its push for mandatory cybersecurity standards in favor of an approach that would combine voluntary measures with incentives for companies to…
Can computers really grade essay tests?
Can computers really grade essay tests? The National Council of Teachers of English say “no,” even if there is new software that says “yes,” the Washington Post reports.
Motivated student seeks challenge. School says no.
Fayette County, Ga., population 106,567, resembles many Washington-area suburbs, the Washington Post reports.
Boys guilty in Fairfax ‘sexting’ case
The West Springfield High School student crept up to the car where his buddy was having sex with a teenage girl, a prosecutor said, and shot a cellphone…
Harvard kids use 3D printing to help the blind ‘see’ paintings
For the visually impaired, the basic problem with art is that, well, they can’t see it, the Washington Post reports.
Schools demanding news literacy lessons to teach students how to find fact amid fiction
News literacy programs are expanding in classrooms across the country, with a growing nonprofit sector dedicated to the cause and new education standards that require students to read…
Bush, Obama focus on standardized testing leads to ‘opt-out’ parents’ movement
A decade into the school accountability movement, pockets of resistance to standardized testing are sprouting up around the country, with parents and students opting out of the high-stakes…
‘Learning disabilities’ movement turns 50
This month, we will commemorate an important historical event that opened doors for generations of students with learning differences and, in essence, may have made Landmark College, where…
What teachers need and reformers ignore: time to collaborate
One of the primary things that teachers value but that school reformers have given short shrift is time to collaborate.
Report: Next Apple iPhone could land as soon as this summer
Apple’s next iPhone could land as soon as this summer, judging from a Wall Street Journal report April 2, the Washington Post reports.
Why Common Core tests won’t be what Arne Duncan promised
On Sept. 2, 2010, Education Secretary Arne Duncan gave a speech called “Beyond The Bubble Tests: The Next Generation of Assessments.” Duncan was referring to standardized tests that…
The new challenges of teaching
The Washington Post asks: What can we learn about assessment from photographs?
Google, Hulu pull their usual April Fools’ pranks
The new month has already brought a lot of major tech news: Google announced Saturday that it’s closing YouTube and launching a scent search engine; meanwhile, Twitter is…
Five ways to get kids to want to read and write
How can teachers get students to want to learn? Asks the Washington Post.