A new report from the RAND Corporation finds that the children who could benefit the most from quality preschool are the least likely to be enrolled. Only half of preschool-aged children in economically disadvantaged families attended preschool, compared to 70 percent of children from wealthier families.

When carrying out complex tasks, most people tend to look away from nearby people. This phenomenon is known as "Gaze Aversion." Researchers are learning how to monitor gaze aversion to understand students' educational progress.

Since the No Child Left Behind Act took effect in 2002, mathematics and reading scores have improved in most states, and the achievement gap between black and white children has narrowed in many states. It would appear that the law is having a positive effect on education, but a new study from the Center on Education Policy says it's hard to measure how much of the improvement can be attributed to No Child Left Behind.

A new study from the University of Minnesota suggests that online social networks actually help students develop the kinds of technological, creative, and communications skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.

A new study published in the journal Science suggests that the "gender-gap" in mathematics scores between boys and girls is generally much smaller or non-existent in countries where men and women have similar rights and opportunities.

Researchers have found that students with dyslexia can effectively "rewire" their brains through intensive reading instruction to read and comprehend as well as their peers.

Grades, classroom behavior and test scores can be used as early-warning systems to identify students at risk of failing high school exit exams, giving educators a chance to help students get back on track before it is too late.

A new report finds that, unlike their urban counterparts, rural school students' success is tied more to their community involvement and the school's commitment to excellence than ACT scores and dropout rates.

This report summarizes current education trends based on 43 indicators. A shorter summary report, titled The Condition of Education 2008 in Brief, is also available.

Education Resource Strategies conducted a three-year study to identify ways to create cost-effective systems of high-performing urban high schools. The study found that building a successful school has less to do with the size of the budget, than on how school resources are used. Successful schools effectively manage the time, money, and human resources they have available.

A new report indicates that students taught by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards-certified teachers outperform students taught by teachers who are not board-certified. It is not clear whether the certification process itself improves teacher performance, or the strict requirements only allow high-performing teachers to achieve the certification.

New York City has effectively reduced the gap between teacher qualifications in high-poverty schools and those in low-poverty schools. The city has essentially stopped hiring uncertified teachers, and raised the bar for incoming teachers.

This report points out that the current system of public school financing is the result of a long string of historical accidents, resulting in a funding system that often works to defeat itself. While the pressure to ensure all students succeed continues to mount, many schools serving the most disadvantaged students end up with less money per student than schools serving students with more advantages.

McREL is working with Edinboro University of Pennsylvania to develop a new instructional framework to help science teachers improve the science knowledge and inquiry skills of students who are visually impaired. Learn to adapt science lessons for students who are visually impaired in order to provide multiple ways of accessing scientific concepts. Participants will be paid a stipend and earn graduate-level continuing education credits.

The summer 2008 issue of Changing Schools focuses on the importance of effective teachers and teaching on student achievement and how to ensure the presence of both in the classroom. Sign up for a free subscription to this and other McREL "free-sources."

This publication, updated in 2008, summarizes education research and surveys of best classroom practices and offers implications for improved teaching and learning, including Foundations for Success: Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel.

This high-quality image is an attractive reminder of the nine categories of instruction that McREL's research has shown to improve student achievement. Use this free wallpaper to quickly access the Classroom Instruction That Works strategies!

Two different sides have emerged in the rhetorical slash-and-parry about preparing students for life after high school. Side A: All students should be prepared, encouraged, and expected to enter college; Side B: Students must have the skills to be successful in the workforce when they graduate from high school. On the face of it, these two sides appear to advocate for different approaches to post-secondary preparation. How far apart are they really?

This week-long, intensive professional development experience provides hands-on, research-based guidance to help teachers design and deliver more effective science lessons. Learn how to identify the most important content for students to learn, develop their understanding of challenging science concepts, and create a learning environment that supports scientific discourse and higher order thinking.

Come to McREL's offices for a two-day workshop based on our popular ASCD manual, Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners.

Come to McREL's offices for a two-day workshop which will enable you to develop a step-by-step process for creating an alignment matrix, map assessments to standards, identify gaps in instruction and achievement, and evaluate a school or district curriculum framework for appropriateness.

Examine and experience for yourself the characteristics of effective mathematics learning environments through activities, dialogue, video clips, and selected readings. Learn strategies to increase student engagement and accountability and to incorporate data from formative assessment into the learning process.

School leaders can learn how to turn their classroom observations into "power walkthroughs" by using hand-held devices loaded with software that uses McREL’s Classroom Instruction that Works as the basis for observing teachers.

Come to McREL's offices for a two-day Designing Effective Science Lessons workshop to learn how to develop positive student attitudes and motivation to learn science, give timely and criterion-referenced feedback, keep students focused on learning, and involve students in assessing their own progress. Learn how to teach students to think scientifically and show them through your actions that you believe all students have the ability to learn.