Teachers, like the students they serve, never stop learning. In-service teacher professional development (PD) gives educators opportunities over the course of the year to learn more about pedagogy and improve their own instruction methods to boost students' academic and social and emotional outcomes. On average, teachers participate in ten days of…

Teachers, like the students they serve, never stop learning. In-service teacher professional development (PD) gives educators opportunities to learn more about pedagogy and improve their own instruction methods to boost students' academic and social and emotional outcomes. Districts make a significant financial investment to provide teacher PD,…

This study aimed to determine the impact of the Math Matters Program on student achievement in third- and fourth-grade math and to understand leaders' perceptions of the Math Matters Program. Researchers analyzed end-of-year or spring Northwest Evaluation Association and Measures of Academic Preparation math results across treatment and control…

This study aimed to determine the impact of the Math Matters Program on student achievement in third- and fourth-grade math and to understand leaders' perceptions of the Math Matters Program. Researchers analyzed end-of-year or spring Northwest Evaluation Association and Measures of Academic Preparation math results across treatment and control…

The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSS-M) were released in 2010 with a goal to improve critical thinking skills and prepare all students to thrive in college, careers, and as informed citizens. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) followed in 2013. Using districtwide surveys of students in grades 6-8, conducted annually from…

In 2010, California adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for math and English. The new standards are part of a state effort to prepare students for college and careers in the 21st-century global economy and narrow longstanding achievement gaps. The state's implementation is complete, but because districts decide whether and when they…

The Common Core State Standards Initiative (Common Core) was spearheaded by policy entrepreneurs, unveiled nationally in 2010, and initially received strong support from leaders in state and federal government, philanthropic foundations, the business sector, and teacher unions. However, the reform came into the crosshairs of an ideologically wide…

This brief summarizes lessons from "positive outlier" districts in California that have excelled at helping African American, Latino/a, and White students achieve at high levels on new assessments of academic standards in English language arts and mathematics, after accounting for students' socioeconomic status. Drawing on case studies…

The success of any education reform depends on many factors. A critical component is whether school staff are supportive of the initiative and view it as likely to improve educational outcomes. Equally important is whether school staff have the professional development opportunities they need to ensure their practice is aligned with the goals of…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS)--adopted in 2010--are similar to California's current K-12 standards, but their emphasis on conceptual understanding and problem solving will require changes in classroom instruction. California's transition to the CCSS has gotten off to a slow start. Survey data suggest that many teachers will deliver the…

U.S. education has experienced many waves of reform in responding to rapid changes in knowledge, technologies, and the economy. It is now widely accepted that, to succeed in the future, all young people must have the opportunity to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication competencies--often referred to as…

Given the shift to Common Core, educational leaders are challenged to see new directions in teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the instructional practices which may be related to the effectiveness of a performance-based system (PBS) and their impact on student achievement, as part of a thematic set of dissertations…

To better understand educators' views of social and emotional learning, the Education Week Research Center invited users of edweek.org--"Education Week'"s flagship website--to participate in an online survey in April 2015. A total of 709 people participated, with 562 deemed qualified based on self-identification as a K-12 teacher or…

This monograph explores the ways in which large-scale school reform efforts play out in American Indian/Alaska Native communities and schools, starting from a historical and cultural perspective, and focusing on the translation of research into concrete steps leading to American Indian/Alaska Native student academic success and personal well-being.

The Center for American Progress previously examined the extent to which states applying for first-round Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waivers in 2012 planned to expand in-school learning time to turn around low-performing schools. This report provides an up-to-date review of states' ESEA flexibility plans and assesses…