While standards-based grading (SBG) has been implemented in school districts across the country, it faces two major challenges. As research on standards-based grading is limited, many practices under SBG are not substantiated by empirical evidence. Meanwhile, not all teachers are well prepared to implement SBG in the classroom. The lack of…

Imagine a mathematics classroom in which students engage in sharing ideas and reasoning through solutions to interesting mathematical problems. They are excited about mathematics and working on challenging problems that encourage collaboration and critical thinking. These are things that teachers want, but sometimes they do not know how to achieve…

Long before the release of the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI 2010), the Mathematical Tug-of-War was engaging students in the type of reasoning and problem solving described by the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP). In this updated version of a Marilyn Burns task, students use algebraic reasoning to determine the outcome of a contest…

Although the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) were released over two years ago, misconceptions about what they are--and are not--persist. The "NGSS" provide for consistent science education opportunities for all students--regardless of demographics--with a level of rigor expected in every location and…

Science education is central to the lives of all Americans. Students face a world where they will frequently be required to make important decisions on issues that range from health care to the environment. Achieving literacy in science will require coherence at all levels and across components of the system including curriculum, assessment, and…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the mathematics that emanates from the construction of an origami box. We first construct a simple origami box from a rectangular sheet and then discuss some of the mathematical questions that arise in the context of geometry and algebra. The activity can be used as a context for illustrating how algebra…

Math and English language arts seem such disparate content areas but the Common Core State Standards actually draw out their similarities in the teaching and learning process. Both require students to learn grit and perseverance; both ask students to use reasons or evidence to support arguments; both require precision; both require structures to…

This commentary explores pedagogical, societal, and political aspects of the college/career readiness reform movement as it impacts students in secondary classrooms. The authors begin with a snapshot of the students often left in the shadows of educational reform efforts, leaving them academically underprepared and destined for college…

Business and industry, in cooperation with governmental agencies, special interest groups, and educational outsiders, are not only siphoning public monies, but also influencing public education. The author suggests targeting the strengthening of school cultures from within and advancing what educators think is good for public education.

Intermediate-grade teachers often express concerns about meeting the Common Core State Standards for Reading, primarily because of the emphasis on deep understanding of complex texts. No matter how difficult the text, if teachers demand little of the reading, student meaning making is not challenged. This article offers a tool for teachers to…

In this article the authors present the concept of Coding Literacy and describe the ways in which coding apps can support the development of Coding Literacy and disciplinary and digital literacy skills. Through detailed examples, we describe how coding apps can be integrated into literacy instruction to support learning of the Common Core English…

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) has caused a shift in the expectations for student learning, with implications for teaching. It has also introduced a new kind of standard focused on the way that students think about content in the form of the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP). The SMP…

Teacher educators work diligently to prepare future teachers while navigating the surrounding political realities that challenge our schools. Demands placed on teacher educators are growing and are increasingly more complex. Well-prepared and successful teachers are exiting the profession at alarming rates in several places in the world, including…

Twenty-first century literacy requires students to analyze and create images for communication across and within academic disciplines. Thus, literacy teachers are now responsible for supporting students as they engage with visual texts. We must carefully and intentionally choose images for teaching practice and consider the reader, instructional…

Preservice teachers (PSTs) must be able to link content, effective teaching practices, and student learning; thus, it is critical for teacher educators to emphasize connections between research and practice in methods courses. Reflection plays an important role in this process. In this article, the authors discuss and illustrate a vignette…