Curriculum reform: Can a higher-quality textbook alone improve student achievement?
According to a recent policy paper published by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, switching to a higher-quality math textbook did not improve student achievement across the six Common Core states that were studied. These findings refute the notion that curriculum alone — namely textbooks and supporting instruction materials — is enough […]
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Posted in Curriculum Advances
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Making literacy programs work
According to the 2019 Reading Report Card by the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the average reading score has dropped since 2017. 65 percent of fourth- and eighth-grade students perform below the NAEP Proficient achievement level. The NAEP defines its proficient level as a “solid academic performance” where students “have demonstrated competency over challenging […]
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Posted in Education News, Reading Instruction
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Gender diversity in education leadership
According to a recent policy paper published by the Chiefs for Change, a nonprofit network of state and district leaders that advocates for educational equity for all students, the vast majority of top-level, education leadership positions — namely district superintendents and state chiefs —are white men. While women make up three-quarters of all teachers as well […]
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Posted in School Leaders
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Involving students with curriculum development
The idea of involving students with curriculum development is not new. Much has been written about the power of incorporating students’ interests into classroom instruction as a way to drive student motivation and deepen engagement. In some countries, the interest in validating student voices and incorporating student views into education has resulted in a wide […]
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Posted in Curriculum Advances
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The challenge of continuous school improvement
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which took full effect in the 2017-2018 school year, largely lessened the federal government’s role in education policy allowing states more control over everything from testing to how to deal with low-performing schools. One of the key elements of the law includes a mandate for states to identify lowest-performing […]
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Posted in Curriculum Advances
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The pressure of education innovation and its challenges
The Education Week Research Center recently conducted a national online survey among teachers, principals and district leaders to learn more about their views on innovation. Innovation has often been associated with wide-scale adaptation of technology-enabled learning. However, innovation in education refers to a much larger phenomenon that can be described as the introduction of new […]
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Posted in Education News
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Education trends: The double standard of bilingualism
The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, school district or county office of education to recognize students who have reached proficiency in two or more languages by the time they graduate from high school. The idea has been around for more than 10 years, developed by Californians Together, a statewide education […]
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Posted in Education News
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Youth Athletics: Character building through sportsmanship
If you are pursuing Master of Education (MEd) in Athletics/Activities Administration at William Woods University, one of the courses you’ll take is EDU 526 – Developing Character & Citizenship. This course is designed to help aspiring athletic directors and other leaders of athletic programs build positive character traits among program participants. It’s often said that […]
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Posted in Athletics Administration
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5 Online teaching resources for aspiring teachers
If you are pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education at William Woods University, then you are no stranger to the effort it takes to prepare lesson plans and get organized for the week ahead. Whether you are just starting your supervised teaching experience or are already a certified teacher fully entrenched in the […]
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Posted in Books & Resources
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How Education students and professionals can get involved in Activism
Education reform continues to be a hot topic on both the state and national levels. Issues such as college affordability, standardized testing, school safety, teacher compensation, among others, are all part of a larger debate on how to make the American school systems better for all. And it’s not just policy makers and activist organizations […]
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Posted in Education At Work
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