A Deep Dive on U.S. Reading and Math Scores, and What to do About Them

“It’s not just that students are failing to catch up, but that students are continuing to fall behind,” says one of the report’s authors, Harvard’s Tom Kane. That reading trend…

Why the Buzz Around Teaching Facts to Boost Reading is Bigger Than the Evidence for It

The idea of forcing children to learn a specific set of facts and topics is controversial. It runs counter to newer trends of “culturally relevant pedagogy,” or “culturally responsive teaching,”…

What Does the US Department of Education Do? Some Facts About Its Role in Schools

Two of the most important federal funding streams to public schools are: Title I, which provides money to help districts that serve lower-income communities. In 2023, the Education Department received…

Three Tools to Help Teach About Black Historical Figures in a Modern Light

James makes sure to show historical figures alongside others to “expand the narrative.” Adding that, “Sometimes with children, especially kindergartners, they kind of have this disconnect, thinking that people live…

Reading and Math Scores in Latest National Report Card Highlight COVID and Pre-COVID Trends

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which provides data for the Nation’s Report Card, is mandated by Congress and is the largest nationally representative test of student learning. NAEP…

Four Strategies for a Successful Second Semester 

Like Luther, many teachers might have new students in their classrooms in the spring semester. Luther kick-starts these classes with value setting activities and check-ins, much like he would do…

A Researcher Said the Evidence on Special Education Inclusion is Flawed. Readers Weighed In

The article notes that Dr. Fuchs “is concentrating on academic outcomes” and acknowledges that inclusion may have “psychological or social benefits” that were [not] studied. Yet, this seems to imply…

Gamification Fatigue? Try Game-Based Learning

Gamified learning activities can get students engaged really quickly, but these strategies don’t breed the long-lasting motivation for learning that most teachers look for, said Higgin. Because gamification is extrinsically…

Writing Notes Instead of Typing Research Pits Scholars Against Each Other

Neither mode approximated real life conditions. The students were instructed to write in cursive without lifting the stylus from the screen. And they were only allowed to type with their…

Top Scholar Says Evidence for Special Education Inclusion is ‘Fundamentally Flawed’

Fuchs’ view challenges hundreds of studies that have consistently found that inclusive educational settings have substantial benefits for the cognitive and social development of children with disabilities. That research has…