March, 2007 
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March, 2007 |
Study: Spend more on schools For years, state officials have been talking about the need to give each child in Ohio a world-class education, and finally a price tag has been attached to the idea: $2.4 billion to $4.8 billion in new money. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington, funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A working draft of the study suggests that Ohio should spend as much as 31% more on public education for such changes as longer school years, lower pupil-teacher ratios and significant improvements in early education. Hidden Benefits: The Impact of High School Graduation on Household Wealth The difference in earnings between high school graduates and non-graduates is well documented. This report, however, goes beyond earnings to examine household wealth, or assets. In addition to increasing the potential earnings, a high school graduate will accumulate ten times more household wealth, including cash investments, material possessions, and nontangible investments (such as advanced degrees). Thus, if all heads of households in the United States had graduated from high school, our citizens would have over $74 billion more in accumulated wealth. Reports: Grades improving despite weak test scores Two conflicting reports on high school achievement were recently released. One, examining the 2005 NAEP scores, showed that high school seniors are still performing poorly on national math and reading tests. The other, a review of high school transcripts from 2005 graduates, shows that students are getting better grades, taking more difficult courses, and earning more credits prior to graduation.
Summer Professional Development Designing Effective Science Lessons Workshops (May-June, 2007) Curriculum & Instruction Institutes (June, 2007) Balanced Leadership Institutes (July-August, 2007) You’ve read the ASCD member book, School Leadership that Works. Now attend McREL’s Balanced Leadership Institutes, a series of four two-day sessions on how to lead your school and students to better achievement. Join us for An Overview on July 31–Aug. 1, Developing a Purposeful Community on Aug. 2–3, Managing Change on Aug. 6–7, and Choosing the Right Focus on Aug. 8–9. AERA Annual Meeting and Exhibition The American Educational Research Association (AERA) will hold its 2007 Annual Meeting and Exhibition from April 9-13 in Chicago. The following McREL staff will be presenting on these topics: Andrea Beesley: Tuesday, April 10 (2:15-3:45 p.m.); Motivation for Learning in Developing Experts: Profiles of Multiple Goals (Poster Session) Andrea Beesley and Zoe Barley: Thursday, April 12 (2:15-3:45 p.m.); Rural School Success: What Can We Learn? Lynn Waldorf: Monday, April 9 (2:15-2:55 p.m.); Benefits and Pitfalls of Attempts to Quantitatively Measure Academic Learning Through Arts-Integration
School board aims high Sikeston R-6 will be recognized March 1 Sikeston R–6 school district in southeast Missouri received the Commissioner of Education's Award of Excellence for Professional Development. One of the significant factors leading to this award was Sikeston's involvement in McREL's "Close the Gap" consortium, now in its third and final year. |
The Primacy of Superintendent Leadership In the cover article for the March 2007 issue of School Administrator, Tim Waters and Robert Marzano of McREL report on the strong connection between superintendent leadership and student achievement they found in their research. They base their conclusions on a meta-analytic study of 27 research reports which comprise 4,434 ratings of superintendent leadership and achievement scores of 3.4 million students. In addition to finding a statistically significant relationship between district leadership and student achievement, Marzano and Waters identify five district-level leadership responsibilities that are significantly correlated with student academic achievement—all related to setting and keeping districts focused on teaching and learning goals. Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom The Benefits of Out-of-School Time Programs In the March issue of Principal’s Research Review, a publication available to members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), McREL Senior Consultant Kirsten Miller writes about the benefits of out-of-school time (OST) programs. The article explains that, although the research on these benefits is limited, there is evidence that, if properly implemented, OST programs support student learning, especially for at-risk students. The article outlines components of high-quality programs and makes recommendations for success: aligning the OST program with the day program, being intentional in terms of program goals and outcomes, and collecting data to keep track of what’s working and what’s not.
Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006 In their fourth annual report on the state of online learning in U.S. higher education, the Sloan Consortium attempts to address the following questions regarding online education:
Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness "It's Different Now": How Exit Exams Are Affecting Teaching and Learning in Jackson and Austin This study focuses on the affects of high school exit exams on local policy and practices. Through case studies of Jackson, Miss., and Austin, Texas, schools, the report examines how classroom instruction and educational initiatives are preparing students for the exit exams and how the exams affect student engagement in learning, as well as their plans for postsecondary education. The Effects of NBPTS-Certified Teachers on Student Achievement This study examines the effectiveness of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification. Using a unique set of four-year longitudinal data, the authors examine the relationship between NBPTS certification and the impact of teachers on student test scores. The results are mixed, and in some cases NBPTS certification appears to signal teacher productivity. However, there is little evidence that the process of becoming NBPTS certified automatically leads to an increase in teacher productivity. Educator Community and Elementary Student Performance While much research has been done on the connections between individual teachers' achievements and student performance, this report examines a much less emphasized area of personnel development — how the school's staff members work together as a team. This report attempts to address the question: Does staff teamwork actually affect student achievement? The report finds that students in schools where the staff is working well as a group generally outperform their peers in schools where the staff is not functioning as well.
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