Rafael Heller, principal policy analyst at Jobs for the Future and former Alliance for Excellent Education staffer, shares candid perspectives on teacher change in Education Week’s Learning Deeply blog and introduces two recently released papers on deeper learning. In his post, Heller explores the idea that many education reforms occur at a policy level, but very few changes are actually made in the classroom. He explains: “From one decade to the next, policy talk may swing back and forth among competing ideals, movements, and initiatives, but instructional practices change at their own pace (which is to say, very slowly).” This pattern drives the question of whether there are new and different ideas about education, or if we continue to re-package similar concepts over the years. This question is answered in the first of the two reports Heller discusses, called The Why, What, Where, and How of Deeper Learning in American Secondary Schools.

Innovative efforts to better prepare students for the demands of college and a career are taking hold in communities across the country. These solutions are increasingly needed, as states like Tennessee are seeing large numbers of high school graduates entering college without the necessary skills to succeed.

A new report reveals startling data on the educational progress of traditionally underserved students in major metropolitan areas across the United States, USA Today reports. The study, released by the Center for American Progress (CAP), combined demographic data on students in twenty-one metro areas with scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test—also known as the “Nation’s Report Card”—which measures students’ reading and math skills, to show estimates of scores by student group.

As we brace for a storm in Washington, D.C., we bring you several education news stories happening around the country:

A new report shows that spending for education technology (edtech) has risen this school year, with more districts anticipating an increase in hardware and software spending compared to School Year 2014–15, THE Journal reports. “The expansion of instructional technology is being driven by an increase in online testing, ‘marketplace demand,’ and sheer innovation,” the article says. The report, State of the K–12 Market 2015, published by EdNet Insight, reveals that the use of digital content in schools is growing, and importantly, that districts expect these digital materials to support personalized learning. However, the findings also show that budgets for teacher training and tech support have dropped.

During his first major speech on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Acting Education Secretary John King discussed the issue of educational equity under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As the new law, which replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB), shifts power to the states, King said “that the federal government retains key authority to ensure equity for all students—and he expects to use it,” reports Education Week’s Politics K-12 blog.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the new education law that replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB), provides opportunities for deeper learning. A new section on the deeperlearning4all.org website outlines these key deeper learning wins, including that:

• ESSA specifically outlines that students can be assessed using portfolios, projects, and performance tasks. This means that states will have the resources and flexibility to develop high-quality assessments, as well as competency-based assessments, that support student-centered approaches.
• Multiple measures are required and states have the flexibility to incorporate indicators of deeper learning into their accountability systems.
• States and districts can use funds to help teachers learn how to implement high-quality project-based learning, integrate career and technical education and rigorous academics, and use other methods to make learning more personalized and engaging.

Common Core made an appearance during the Republican debate last night in South Carolina, where Sen. Marco Rubio and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie both addressed the standards. Vox reports that Rubio took issue with having a leader who supports the standards, saying: “I like Chris Christie, but we can not afford to have a president of the United States that supports Common Core.” In response, Christie said “Common Core has been eliminated in New Jersey.” This isn’t exactly the case.

Acting Education Secretary John King discusses the needs for standards for college and career readiness, the education standing of the United States, and the necessity of discussing increasing graduation rates in an interview this week with CBS This Morning’s Norah O’Donnell.

Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union address. During his speech, which you can watch here if you missed it, Obama hit several key education topics, including the nation’s new education law, rising graduation rates, and closing the digital divide.