Researchers from Vanderbilt University have shown that students benefit the most from learning the mathematics concepts behind the problems, instead of memorizing a formula or procedure to solve a specific type of problem.

A new study from Johns Hopkins University finds that district-run schools in Philadelphia out performed privately managed schools. Similar results have also been found in other studies comparing district and private management for schools.

Six years ago, Boston schools began teaching all subjects in English, regardless of a students' native language. According to the report by the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and the Center for Collaborative Education, this policy has nearly doubled the dropout rate for English-language learners.

New research from the University of Illinois identifies the academic benefits of physical education classes, recess periods, and afterschool exercise programs. Research has shown time and again that exercise and play time benefit learning, yet these opportunities during the school day have diminished significantly over the past few years.

A new report, published in the International Journal of Science Education, finds that self-led, self-structured inquiry may not benefit science students. The research indicated that giving more control over their education to the students works well only if those students have a very strong mathematical background. Students with a weaker background fell at least one grade level behind.

A new study published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy found that students learning mathematics through the "I CAN Learn Education Systems" made significant test score gains compared to their peers. The key to their success: individually tailored instruction based on their specific needs.

A new study finds that students who focus on relatively few topics, in great depth, perform better in college-level science courses than students who are exposed to a wide variety of scientific topics. The researchers suggest that students who "master" a few topics gain confidence in their ability to succeed in science and establish a baseline for success.

Most of the students we teach today are in the Millennial Generation. These students are comparatively optimistic, confident, achieving, pressured, and cooperative team players. Many positive trends in educational achievement have been successful because of the attributes of this generation. How will the newest generation compare with our current students?

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This at-a-glance report summarizes the findings from reading, mathematics, and writing report cards based on 2007 NAEP results. The report groups the findings on national, state, and district-level results as well as trends for different student groups such as gender, race, students with disabilities (SD), English-language learners (ELL), and socioeconomic status.

A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has shown that children’s academic accomplishments are directly related to their emotional health. The report recommends that schools use the resources they already have on hand to provide mental health services for students, but need to focus on making these services a part of the mainstream academic experiences for more students.

A new report from REL Northeast compares the efforts of five states—Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Rhode Island—to improve adolescent literacy. Each state has engaged stakeholders, built capacity, established goals and standards, aligned resources to support those goals, and measured progress through data collection.

This report compares the status of U.S. education with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom. U.S. 4th-graders ranked in the middle in reading and math, and low in science. U.S. teacher pay is second only to Germany, and U.S. teachers work more hours than teachers in other countries.

This report compiles statistics from pre-K through graduate school for the United States in 2008. Data includes the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, graduates, educational attainment, finances, and federal funding.

This report suggests that schools are incapable of narrowing the achievement gap because the primary factors that cause differences in performance are out-of-school factors such as low birth-weight and non-genetic prenatal influences; inadequate medical, dental, and vision care; nutritional insecurity; environmental pollutants; family relations and family stress; and neighborhood characteristics. The report suggests that underperforming schools struggle because these problems tend to occur in certain neighborhoods more than others.

Access the full report here.

Many preschools and kindergartens are reducing or eliminating play time as they increase their focus on academic achievement. This practice, which is not supported by research, is resulting in increased behavioral problems and even expulsions, especially for boys.

A new study by the RAND Corporation evaluates charter schools in eight states. The study did not find any indication that charter schools perform substantially better than traditional public schools. However, the report does indicate that measuring the achievement of elementary schools (a substantial number of the charter schools studied) are difficult to assess. In the two locations with available data for high schools, however, charter high schools may increase the probability of graduating by up to 15 percentage points.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will add much-needed funding to U.S. schools over the next two years. With more than 40 years of experience helping educators translate research into lasting results for their systems and students, McREL can help your state or local agency ensure these one-time investments provide a long-term benefit to your students.

We’re happy to answer your ARRA-related questions. Contact us today at info@mcrel.org or 1.800.781.0156

Classroom teachers and afterschool educators, are you interested in testing the "Comet on a Stick" classroom activity? The Education and Public Outreach team for NASA's EPOXI mission offers a standards-driven activity designed to meet the needs of all students, including disadvantaged and underserved. To learn more and sign up for the spring field study, contact Dr. Stephanie B. Wilkerson EPOXI E/PO Principal Evaluator, Magnolia Consulting, LLC; 434.984.5540; stephanie@magnoliaconsulting.org.

Target is offering grants of $1,000–3,000 to schools, libraries, and non-profit organizations for programs that encourage children (birth through age 9) to read together with their families.

Application Deadline: May 31, 2009

Join us for a free Webinar on May 6

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/499402610

This Webinar is based on REL Central’s Issues & Answers report, Examining American Indian Perspectives in the Central Region on Parent Involvement in Children’s Education. Learn about American Indian parents' perceptions of parent involvement in their children's education and factors that may encourage or discourage involvement.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees:
Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees:
Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

The Fund for Teachers offers grants of up to $5,000 to teachers for summer learning opportunities. The grants are available to full-time K–12 teachers with at least three years experience.

Application Deadline: varies by state.

McREL, in conjunction with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, has published "Transforming Urban Education: Implications for State Policymakers," a brief that describes the process of scenario building and how it can help school districts in urban centers prepare for the future of education.