The 1994 National Standards for Arts Education were succeeded by a new generation of standards published in 2014 by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS). This iteration of voluntary standards provided a new foundation for designing curriculum for visual arts education. The design of the standards utilized the curriculum model…

Naturalistic language and communication strategies (i.e., naturalistic teaching strategies) refer to practices that are used to promote the child's language and communication skills either through verbal (e.g., spoken words) or nonverbal (e.g., gestures, signs) interactions between an adult (e.g., parent, teacher) and a child. Use of naturalistic…

Teacher education programs in 40 states require teacher candidates working toward visual art certification to take edTPA, a high-stakes summative performance assessment developed by Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE) and distributed by Pearson's Evaluations Systems (Pearson Education, 2018). Since its implementation in…

The author shares that her journey with gifted homeschooling was filled with folly and a slow learning curve. By sharing some of the struggles and insights she faced, the author hopes others will benefit or find solace in knowing they are not alone when their square peg children do not fit into round holes. In this article the author discusses:…

In recent decades, research and practice have shown that investing in a positive school-wide social culture is a key component of effective education. Evidence demonstrates that educators and students succeed when students are present, engaged, socially secure, and academically successful. Developed by 2M Research in conjunction with an expert…

The Rhode Island 2020 Vision for Education defines an ideal Rhode Island graduate to be "one who is well prepared for postsecondary education, work, and life. He or she can think critically and collaboratively and can act as a creative, self-motivated, culturally competent learner and citizen." The updated Secondary School Regulations,…

The Rhode Island 2020 Vision for Education defines an ideal Rhode Island graduate to be "one who is well prepared for postsecondary education, work, and life. He or she can think critically and collaboratively and can act as a creative, self-motivated, culturally competent learner and citizen." The updated Secondary School Regulations,…

This article was written with the purpose of informing educators, agency service providers, family members, stakeholders, researchers in the field of transition, and individuals with intellectual disabilities themselves, of the guardianship alternatives that can be used, hence negating the need for a legal guardian. Guardianship refers to the…

The birth of a child can be a simultaneously joyous and challenging time for families. Virtually all parents will struggle with the enormous physical and emotional demands of parenting a very young child, but for too many California families those challenges are additionally compounded by poverty, housing instability, lack of social support, or…

An educational crisis in Black male representation in gifted programs exists, requiring a new lens through which to view problems and find solutions. Though many people observe that Black males face extraordinary barriers to successful participation in gifted programs, many stand by, watching as they are overlooked for or drop out of gifted…

Raising gifted children is a challenge, a big challenge. Often a dichotomy of emotions, gifted children can shift from happy and engaging, to angry and explosive, to sullen and withdrawn--all in a matter of minutes. Their behavioral extremes can often cause frustration and confusion in the strongest of parents. But why are these seemingly adept…

In her groundbreaking book, Educating Young Giants, Nancy Pine reveals how reliance on antiquated teaching methods and ineffectual reform efforts has left youth in the United States and China ill-equipped for the demands of modern technology and the global economy. Transporting us into Chinese elementary and high school classrooms, Pine, a U.S.…

This article introduces the concept of progress monitoring to parents, highlighting its goal of providing parents and teachers information that can help children learn more and learn faster, and to help teachers teach more effectively and make better decisions about the type of instruction that will work best with each student.

One of the most important factors in school performance is parental involvement. However, many parents do not have the flexibility in their work schedules or the leave policies necessary to attend school functions. As a result, legislators are creating policies to address this issue. School involvement leave policies provide parents with…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Yes He Will?: Campaign Details Suggest That Obama Presidency Will Make Education Reform a High Priority; (2) A New Way Forward…