What Common Core State Standards look like in a second grade classroom. NPR

Mississippi: A state and its status with Common Core standards. The Hechinger Report

D.C. students’ proficiency rates inch upward on annual city tests, one year after city leaders announced 4-point gains in math and reading. The Washington Post

Read Entire Post

Wisconsin schools oppose Common Core repeal

Officials in some Wisconsin school districts say they oppose Gov. Scott Walker’s recent call to abandon Common Core curriculum standards because doing so would cost them time and money. The Post Crescent

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s decision to cut ties the Common Core State Standards in his state has led to a lawsuit on behalf of parents and teachers and left some Louisiana schools lacking critical resources as the academic year approaches. The Huffington Post

When it comes to Common Core State Standards, teachers are noticing an improvement in learning among students with special needs, but the speed at which they pick up on the material remains a concern. The Hechinger Report

Michelle Rhee, founder of StudentsFirst and former D.C. schools chancellor, discusses her campaign to challenge tenure and seniority laws. NPR

Read Entire Post

Report: 31 Million Americans have college credits, but no college degree

Research from the National Student Clearinghouse shows there are more than 31 million Americans with accumulated credits who quit college before graduating. Experts say helping these students finish could boost education rates. The Hechinger Report

Plaintiffs in the New York suit on teacher tenure say they are looking for change so that ‘the teachers in classrooms really want to teach children.’ NPR

A new report from the Policy Analysis for California Education concluded that California’s deteriorating mentoring program for new teachers will leave future educators incoherent and inconsistent beginning teacher policies.

While you’re reading that, be sure to check out the Alliance’s latest report on how crucial peer mentoring is to ‘Improving the Effectiveness of Beginning.’

Read Entire Post

 Students’ in Maryland’s largest school system to receive 40,000 laptops and tablets

Montgomery County, MD Board of Education has given the go-ahead for the purchase of 40,000 laptops and tablets for students in Maryland’s largest school system as part of a major technology initiative. The Washington Post

A group of seven families are slated to file a complaint with the New York State court today in relation to what they deem are unconstitutional teacher tenure laws. ChalkBeat NY

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) research suggests principals in some countries vastly overestimate the poverty level of their students, which negatively correlates with student math achievement. The Hechinger Report

New York City Department of Education data show that in cases it filed in the past two school years, arbitrators terminated 40 educators for egregious transgressions or poor performance and suspended 19. The Wall Street Journal

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy (PCSP) is calling for strengthened FERPA legislation and more parent involvement in school decisions about privacy practices. edSurge

Read Entire Post

The ‘Deeper Learning Digest’ is a bi-weekly roundup of articles, blog posts, and other content around deeper learning. Make sure to add High School Soup to your RSS feed to stay up-to-date on all deeper learning news. Please be sure to follow @deeperlearning on Twitter for more on deeper learning.

A teacher struggles with the tension between depth and breadth in the curriculum. Learning Deeply

In West Philadelphia, The Workshop School is giving students from the city’s most troubled high schools the chance to engage in workshops and experiments in the not-so-ordinary classroom. NPR

A two-month study into mindset interventions, conducted by the Project for Education Research that Scales (PERTS) suggests words of encouragement can improve students’ academic performance. edSurge

Read Entire Post

Going inside the classroom for a first hand experience with Common Core curriculum

Fourth graders can adequately demonstrate their writing ability on computer-based tests, according to a new study released Thursday by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, clearing the way for more testing in technological format. PR Newswire

While you’re reading that, be sure to check out the blog from the Alliance’s Robert Rothman on the importance of adequate assessment testing.

What does the Common Core State Standards look and sound like in the classroom? NPR

A new report from the Center for American Progress studied the salaries of teachers throughout the U.S. in relation to turnover rates and that of other countries and suggests little growth in a teacher salary over time. Check out what the study concluded: Center for American Progress

Read Entire Post

A California court rules on privacy and teacher performance ratings

Common Core State Standards across the country: Where is it implemented, what challenges remain and what does the coming school year have in store? NPR

The public has no right to know the names of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers in connection with their job performance ratings, according to a court ruling issued Wednesday. The LA Times

The Oregon Department of Education is siding with part of a Portland School Board, saying it’s too soon to use the new student the new Common Core State Standard test result to evaluate teachers, but it’s not too soon to use for schools and school districts. The Oregonian

The Anne E. Casey Foundation recently released its 2014 Data Book: State Trends In Child Well-Being, which attempts to rank states based on factors such as student proficiency in math and reading, preschool enrollment, and graduation rates. Click the link to view the data book and see where your state ranks. Data Book: State Trends In Child Well-Being

Read Entire Post

Can the Common Core standards solve America’s math problem?

The Common Core State Standards could fix the historic mathematics lag in U.S. schools, but it will take proper training for teachers and adequate implementation. The New York Times

A group of parents, teachers and a foundation that runs charter schools filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal lacks the authority to withdraw his state from the Common Core national academic standards.   The Washington Post

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD) and Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) are slated to introduce legislation Wednesday that will authorize funding for public K-12 schools that bring together various educational and social service programs. Real Clear Education

President Obama announced new executive actions and signing new workforce investment legislation that reauthorizes a federal law to provides states and municipalities with money for post-secondary education job training. Inside Higher Ed

Read Entire Post

The Alliance’s new report  On the Path to Equity: Improving the Effectiveness of Beginning Teachers released July 17, was a major topic of discussion following a panel briefing and webinar. Check out the articles below featuring the report’s state-by-state attrition costs and the comprehensive induction programs to improve teaching effectiveness and retention:

‘“Roughly half a million U.S. teachers either move or leave the profession each year,” reads a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. And this kind of turnover comes at a steep cost, not only to students but to districts: up to $2.2 billion a year.’ NPR

‘Amid intense debate about new education standards, and teacher tenure and pay, the Alliance for Excellent Education has turned the focus to new teachers – and their tendency to quit. Researchers estimate that over 1 million teachers move in and out of schools annually, and between 40 and 50 percent quit within five years.’ The Hechinger Report

Read Entire Post

Obama’s initiative to improve education outcomes for male students of color grows

President Obama will announce today that 60 of the nation’s largest school districts are joining his initiative to improve the educational futures of young African-American and Hispanic boys, beginning in preschool and extending through high school graduation. The New York Times

D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson hired an expert in urban education to help improve the outcomes for African American boys in D.C. Public Schools. The Washington Post

Large numbers of new teachers and teachers getting ready to retire have left a gap of experienced classroom instructors in Arizona’s public schools. Arizona Daily Star

While you’re reading that, be sure to check out the Alliance’s latest report on teacher attrition and retention.

Montgomery County, MD schools add Ps to student report cards – focusing more on ‘Performance and Progress’ as the Common Core State Standards hit schools. The Washington Post

Read Entire Post