Blog Posts
The Banality of Deeper Learning
Deeper Learning is the current term for an old idea. The notion is that schools spend too much time focused on the acquisition of knowledge, especially knowing facts. In the past century, several alternatives have arisen to dethrone the prominent role of knowledge in schools: project-based learning, inquiry and discovery learning, higher-level thinking, critical thinking, outcome based education, and 21st Century Skills. Now it is deeper learning.
Ability Grouping, Tracking, and How Schools Work
The 2013 Brown Center Report on American Education was released two weeks ago. One of the studies is on ability grouping. A key finding is that elementary teachers are using ability grouping again. Ability grouping is the practice of dividing classes into small instructional groups, especially for teaching reading. According to data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the frequency of ability grouping’s use in fourth grade reading instruction rose about two and a half times, from 28 percent in 1998 to 71 percent in 2009.
When Does a Policy Start?
The question in the title should be easy to answer. Everyone knows that policies are debated and adopted by a legislative body (Congress, state legislature, or city council), signed by an executive leader (president, governor, or mayor), and then implemented by an administrative unit (federal, state, or city department). Once implemented, a policy starts.
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International Tests Are Not All the Same
Last month, the latest results were released from the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The scores dispelled the myth that all international tests are the same.
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Uncle Sam's Math Books
Washington is now in the business of “helping” local authorities pick math books for elementary, middle, and high school students. In October, the Department of Education declared Five math programs “exemplary” and another five “promising.”
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