One central component of a great school system is a clear set of expectations, or standards, that educators help all students reach. In Iowa, that effort is known as the Iowa Core. The Iowa Core represents the statewide academic standards, which describe what students should know and be able to do in math, science, English language arts, and…

This report provides a detailed analysis of Nebraska's progress toward increasing its educational attainment. This report presents the Nebraska Legislature with comparative statistics to monitor and evaluate progress toward achieving three key priorities for Nebraska's postsecondary education system: (1) Increase the number of students who enter…

The Common Core wave has swept the country. The expectation is in place for a rapid implementation of both the curriculum and the assessments. The author visited schools across the country as an external evaluator to review their transition plans, and he was struck by the great unevenness of the preparation across districts and schools. What are…

For the past decade, Finland has been lauded for consistently being a top performer on international assessments of student achievement. Having spent 25 years in the Ministry of Education, and then another 8 as director general of the National Board of Education, the author was heartened by these accomplishment--but he is also concerned about how…

The powerful and complex mandates arising from reports such as "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health" and "Health Professionals for a New Century: Transforming Education to Strengthen Health Systems in an Interdependent World" challenge colleges and universities to reconsider how they deliver nursing…

At a time when 87% of employers believe that our colleges must raise the quality of students' educations in order for the United States to remain competitive globally, and four in five Americans say they believe all graduates should have to take the key courses outlined in the study, few colleges require a real liberal arts education. "What…

Research indicates that children with visual impairments demonstrate delays in fundamental motor skills, including locomotor, object control, and balance skills (Haibach, Lieberman, & Pritchett, 2011; Houwen, Hartman, & Visscher, 2010; Wagner, Haibach, & Lieberman, 2013). All of these skills are prerequisites to living an independent…

Consider the high-priority challenges facing education stakeholders today, such as measuring teacher effectiveness, implementing the Common Core State Standards, aligning K-12 and postsecondary education efforts with workforce demands, efficiently allocating resources, and ensuring that students stay on track to success. These efforts all rely on…

This study investigated how core content high school teachers perceive the collective efficacy of faculties of their schools and whether those teachers who were involved in high school collaborative teams which met daily within the school day for instructional purposes had a greater perception of collective efficacy than those who were not. This…

The nation's urban public school districts have been bracing for the fiscal impact that would result from a sequestration of federal funds, a financial provision in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The result of this across-the-board cut would be felt most severely by programs serving poor urban students, students with disabilities, and English…

It has been well-documented that many students do not understand the meaning of the equal sign. Thus, researchers have called for instruction that specifically addresses misconceptions about the equal sign, and have indicated that such work must start at the elementary level. In response to these recommendations, some state curriculums require…

There are a variety of technologies that are increasingly being integrated into mathematics classrooms for their potential to increase student engagement, motivation, understanding, and achievement. YouTube can be an especially useful technology for students to create, share and interact with others, and learn more about mathematics. However, the…

The article "There Is No Culturally Responsive Teaching Spoken Here: A Critical Race Perspective" by Cleveland Hayes and Brenda C. Juarez suggests that the current focus on meeting standards incorporates limited thoughtful discussions related to complex notions of diversity. Our response suggests a strong link between standardization and White…

As states and districts begin the work of turning common academic standards into curriculum and instruction, educators searching for teaching resources are often finding that process frustrating and fruitless. Teachers and curriculum developers who are trying to craft road maps that reflect the Common Core State Standards can find themselves in a…

This study uses audio-recordings of naturally occurring classroom discussions to examine how adult numeracy students drew on their informal knowledge as they worked together to solve mathematical problems. Analysis of the recordings not only reveals the knowledge which the participating students contributed to their discussions, but also…