The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), are the biggest change to American science education since the National Science Education Standards (NSES) were published. While inquiry was central to the NSES, science assessment largely addressed factual knowledge acquisition. The NGSS represent a significant practical change for teachers as they…

This document describes the features of a statewide summative science assessment that has been designed to embody standards based on the "Framework for K-12 Science Education," such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)--to reflect its intent, grounded in the specific expectations of three-dimensional standards. Importantly,…

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…

In schools around the country, students are increasingly asked to create visual representations of ideas and information. Slideshows, infographics, and websites have become nearly as common as text documents. Years are spent teaching students grammar and paragraph construction so that they can become strong written communicators, but rarely is the…

This chapter describes the process and challenges of implementing a civic engagement graduation requirement at Kingsborough Community College.

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…

Positive behavior support (PBS) has been a dynamic and growing enterprise for more than 25 years. During this period, PBS has expanded applications across a wide range of populations and multiple levels of implementation. As a result, there have been understandable inconsistencies and confusion regarding the definition of PBS. In this essay, we…

The precision of terminology and language used with students can be a help or a hindrance to teaching writing. This article explores the writing instruction terms mode, genre, and format, and establishes the need for a common language to understand and apply them consistently across teachers and grades.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was established in 1987 and is an independent, non-profit, and non-governmental organization that works to advance accomplished teaching. At the time of my residency, the National Board was in the midst of several significant changes: a major re-design of its board certification assessment,…

The "State of Preschool 2022" annual report covers the 2021-2022 school year and is NIEER's 20th report tracking preschool enrollment, funding, and policies state-by-state. This report focuses on the recovery since the 2020-2021 school year, where we are compared to before the pandemic, where we've come over the last two decades, and…

Determining the appropriate use of national or multicampus leadership assessments requires careful consideration of program goals and resources. This chapter explores quantitative dimensions of assessing leadership.

The "no excuses" charter school model is widely regarded in public debate as an effective policy intervention to politically and economically empower historically marginalized student populations. The organizing principle of the "no excuses" model is to do whatever it takes to close the achievement gap and to prepare students…

Changes in the economy and society lead to a growing necessity of financial education. In this context, we investigate the approaches to financial education in secondary schools in the United States and Germany. We seek to answer the question if and how the implementation of financial education is similar and different between the two countries.…

The vast majority of U.S. teachers supplement their officially adopted curriculum materials with unofficial materials. Despite this, the body of supplementation-relevant literature tends not to focus on supplementation specifically, so lacks cohesion, and sometimes fails to capture all aspects the phenomenon. I systematically review…

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance, after controlling for potential confounds. Participants: The sample comprised 2,324 college students representing three Chinese universities. Methods: Physical fitness was measured using the Chinese National Student Physical Fitness…