Out-of-school factors v. teacher quality

What Research Says About the Effect of Teachers

from National Educators Writers Assoc.

Achievement gap and testing posts

Achievement gap and testing posts: "Why the Achievement Gap Matters and Will Remain Bitter Lessons from Chasing Better Tests"

The Hunger Crisis

The Hunger Crisis

Right here in the United States, one in four children don't have enough to eat. The impact this has on their health, their development -- their future -- is staggering. Our special report introduces you to two families who struggle every single day to put food on the table.

 

By Virginia Sole-Smith

Move over Finland: The New International Lie about Education (Germany)

See "The German Example" in the NYT.

Specifically:

"Beyond the job market, Germany has also made a big effort to improve its education system. Eric Hanushek, a Stanford University economist, notes that Germany’s performance on the main international math, reading and science tests have become such a matter of national concern that the name of the tests — Pisa — is now a household word. 'In the U.S.,' he says, 'Pisa is still a bell tower in Italy.'”

Wow, all the U.S. needs to do is focus on PISA, like Germany!

Except, Germany has half (10%) the childhood poverty of the U.S. (20%), and when you consider poverty. . .oops!. . .the U.S. has HIGHER PISA scores than Germany.

So Germany is the New Finland in the misleading education reform debate. . .

Being Poor Can Suppress Children's Genetic Potentials

Being Poor Can Suppress Children's Genetic Potentials

"AUSTIN, Texas — Growing up poor can suppress a child's genetic potential to excel cognitively even before the age of 2, according to research from psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin.

"Half of the gains that wealthier children show on tests of mental ability between 10 months and 2 years of age can be attributed to their genes, the study finds. But children from poorer families, who already lag behind their peers by that age, show almost no improvements that are driven by their genetic makeup. . . ."

Are We in the Process of Creating a New and Enduring American Underclass?

Are We in the Process of Creating a New and Enduring American Underclass?

@ truthout

Class Struggle: India's Experiment in Schooling Tests Rich and Poor

Class Struggle: India's Experiment in Schooling Tests Rich and Poor

"Miracle" schools just aren't what people claim. . .

The push back against claims of "miracle" schools is gaining some momentum. . .

Let's recall a great piece by Gerald Bracey, who argued, rightfully, that "miracle" schools were more often than not mirages back in 2007. . .

It's Being Done. Oh, Really?

Radical Scholarship: NBA Finals and "No Excuses" Charters

Radical Scholarship: NBA Finals and "No Excuses" Charters: "NBA Finals and 'No Excuses' Charters"

Teacher accountability, poverty, and "miracle" schools

Policy makers and pundits would do well simply to consider the evidence:

Waiting for a School Miracle By DIANE RAVITCH

Inputs Do Matter in Education
 
The Ethics of Testing Children Solely To Evaluate Adults