EdPolicy
ACTE Creates Outline for "Career Ready"
The Association for Career and Technical Education released a paper today that delineates their ideas on what students need to be career ready.
More Widgets, Fewer #2 Pencils
With last week's launch of the $350m federal grant program last week, National Journal is hosting a conversation about student assessment. Here's my contribution.
Why Great Teachers Matter to Low Income Students
"Consider the recent national math scores of fourth- and eighth-graders, which show startling differences among results for low-income African American students in different cities. In Boston, Charlotte, New York and Houston, these fourth-graders scored 20 to 30 points higher than students in the same socioeconomic group in Detroit, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and the District of Columbia. Boston fourth-graders outscored those in Detroit by 33 points. Ten points approximates one year’s worth of learning on these national tests, which means that by fourth grade, poor African American children in Detroit are already three grades behind their peers in Boston."
JD Hoye Taking NAF to Next Level
Sandy Weill can be very persuasive. About three years ago, a consultant enjoying a Bay Area lifestyle found the former Citi CEO’s pitch good enough to convince her to commute to New York City every week. Sandy formed National Academies Foundation in 1984 (when I was still working in…
Cristo Rey: Keeping Urban Catholic Education Vibrant
Out of financial desperation, Father Foley created a corporate sponsored work-study program at this Little Village Catholic high school on Chicago’s westside. Soon student work was helping to pay the bills. And then something surprising occurred to students, teachers, parents, and Father Foley—the work-studies were often the most important experience…
Harlem Success
Harlem Success Academy runs the best elementary schools I’ve visited with the most: reading; students in 4th grade read at least 25 leveled books per month. science: students get hands on science every day starting in Kindergarten well equipped classrooms: teachers use every square inch of floor and wall…
Book of Work
Had an encouraging conversation at College Board this morning about the potential for a new AP assessment system that would allow several testing times each year (eventually many times or anytime) and reduced reliance on the end of course assessment but considering a ‘book of work’ during the course taking…
The 3×5 Learning Revolution
Twenty years after technology began transforming every other sector, there is finally enough movement on a sufficient number of fronts—15 to be precise—that, despite resilience, everything will change. New and better learning options are inevitable, but progress will be uneven by state/country and leadership dependent. The 5 Drivers.
Entrepreneur Thinking: What It Is, What It Ain't
My superintendent in the East Village apartment I rent would like me to believe that his solution for the cracks around the somewhat faulty plumbing in my bathroom ceiling and wall is entrepreneurial in its deployment and conceptualization. It most certainly is not. It is not Entrepreneur Thinking to “patch”…
Postcards from 2015
Here’s a couple snapshots of high school a few years from now using currently available tools and a few in development. These pictures are student-centric; there are obviously a number of teachers and learning professional involved in the success of each of these students. Comments, suggestions, alternatives welcome.