McREL is upgrading our compendium of content standards and benchmarks for K–12 education, and we need your help! If you have a teacher's interest in science education, especially for the middle grades, we want to hear from you.
 
Qualified individuals selected to participate in the hour-long review of the new compendium features will receive a $25 Visa gift card as a token of our appreciation.
 

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.

New research has shown that using calculators in elementary school mathematics classrooms does not detract from students' skills, as long as they have already mastered the basic concepts.

New research has shown that children's innate abilities to estimate relative numbers of objects can provide a strong predictor of their future success in mathematics. These findings may help identify children likely to struggle with mathematics early, allowing parents and educators to provide interventions before they fall behind in the classroom.

Researchers have long believed that increased television viewing has a negative impact on student achievement. A new study, however, suggests that television can have some benefits on childrens' cognitive ability, particularly for children in non-English speaking homes. The researchers do point out, however, that the study was conducted using data from 1950s-era television, and today's programming may not yield the same benefits.

A new Carnegie Mellon University brain imaging study of dyslexic students and other poor readers shows that the brain can permanently rewire itself and overcome reading deficits, if students are given 100 hours of intensive remedial instruction.

McREL and ASCD have published companion manuals for the best-selling Classroom Instruction that Works With English Language Learners book.

 

The Facilitator's Manual contains all of the materials professional developers need to deliver this effective training in their schools, districts, areas, or states.

 

The Participant's Workbook will help participants gain the expertise they need to successfully implement the strategies with English language learners.

Anyone who has filled up at the gas station the past few months knows the price of fuel has increased significantly. Most people who have emptied their wallets for a tank of gas have also had to make decisions about where that gas money will not go. Schools and universities across the country are faced with similar decisions as they struggle to pay increased fuel costs. The entire education system is dependent on fuel to transport and house students. How will the system respond to the price pressures that may make these fundamental activities untenable?

This study examines American Indian parents' perceptions of parent involvement in their children's education and factors that may encourage or discourage involvement.

This report presents comprehensive and detailed information on grades 7-12 dropout rates and on high school graduation rates in the Central Region. Dropout and graduation rates are presented for the region as a whole and for each state in the region, by gender, race/ethnicity, locale, and grade. The rates provide a comprehensive reference for state and local educators and policymakers on the student subgroups most at risk of not completing high school.

The Central Region states have greater percentages of rural students and schools than the U.S. average. This report describes how nine teacher preparation programs in the region prepare their graduates for teaching positions in rural settings.

This report presents demographic data about the 2007 population of children ages 3–6 who have not yet entered kindergarten, the characteristics of their parents or guardians, and the characteristics of their households.

A study titled Promoting Broad and Stable Improvements in Low-Income Children’s Numerical Knowledge Through Playing Number Board Games found that children who played a number-based board game showed improved counting and number identification skills, were better at picking the highest number in a pair, and did a better job of identifying positions on a number line than children who played different games.

This report examines the percentage of teachers who held an in-field postsecondary major, in-field certification, or both, among 2003–04 high school teachers.

Are you a  middle or high school science teacher or itinerant teacher of students with a visual impairment in grades 7–12 interested in helping students visualize science concepts?

 

The Visualizing Science with Adapted Curriculum Enhancements program (ACE ) offers you an opportunity to be an integral part of the formulation, modification, and perfection of a unique instructional framework to help science teachers improve the science knowledge and inquiry skills of students who are visually impaired.

 

If you are interested, but do not currently have access to a student with a visual impairment, we will work with you to match you with a student at the Colorado School for the Blind.

 

You will receive a $200 per day stipend (plus travel expenses) for project meetings and six graduate level credits from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania while learning how to adapt science lessons for students who are visually impaired.  Your participation in this study will contribute to research that will help all students achieve success in science. Deadline for registration is September 22. For more information, see http://www.ace-education.org/getinvolved/recruit.asp

 

Note: This project is sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Vision Magazine quotes McREL's early childhood expert, Elena Bodrova, in an article about the importance of play in developing executive function in young children. Bodrova points out that children are having a harder time self-regulating, a critical component of higher executive functions, than they did 60 years ago.

Former elementary school principal and teacher Kay Frunzi has joined McREL as a consulting associate on the leadership team.

A recent article discussing ways to maximize a school or district's return on investment for technology purchases lists McREL as one of the most common and most reliable sources for cutting-edge research.