This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Justine E. Fox, Leslie David Burns, Maria Childrey, Mariana Haynes, David Conley, Nicole J. Glen, Sue Kaiser, Catherine Gewertz, Jason Amos, and Daniel Capps.
(2012). Measuring up: A Simple Lesson That Engages Students in Scientific Practices and Mathematics, Science Scope. A well-known lesson taught by many upper-elementary and early-middle-school teachers at the beginning of the school year asks students to compare how arm span relates to height. Students measure their height and arm span and compare their measurements to those of their classmates. This lesson gets students measuring, graphing, and practicing important science skills, and it can be used to build the necessary foundation to discuss science concepts such as variation within a population. Here the author presents how he has taught this lesson and discusses how to incorporate mathematical standards from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSO and NGA 2010) and scientific practices from the new "Framework for Science Education" (NRC 2012). [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Educational Practices, Mathematics Curriculum, Mathematics Instruction
(2012). Districts Gear up for Shift to Informational Texts, Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review. The Common Core State Standards' emphasis on informational text arose in part from research suggesting that employers and college instructors found students weak at comprehending technical manuals, scientific and historical journals, and other texts pivotal to work in those arenas. The common core's vision of informational text includes literary nonfiction, as well as historical documents, scientific journals, technical manuals, biographies, autobiographies, essays, speeches, and information displayed in charts, graphs, or maps, digitally or in print. Helping students tackle complex examples of such genres across the disciplines–from English to engineering–bolsters them for work and higher education by building foundational knowledge, vocabulary, and literacy strategies, common-core advocates contend. Many states and districts are responding to the new emphasis on nonfiction with new materials and training. But as this article points out, funding for professional development and instructional materials that reflect new standards is at issue. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, State Standards, Reading Comprehension, Nonfiction
(2012). Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 12, Number 5, Alliance for Excellent Education. "Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Committee Passes Education Reform Legislation: On Party-Line Votes, Committee Passes Accountability and Teacher Effectiveness Bills as Part of Work Rewriting NCLB; (2) Alliance President to Serve on National Commission on Educator Preparation; (3) Marked Improvement: New York City's Small High Schools of Choice Boost Graduation Rates by 8.6 Percentage Points, MDRC Analysis Finds; and (4) State of the States: Governors Stress Education-Economy Link, NCLB Waivers, High School Graduation Rates, and Common Core State Standards. [More] Descriptors: Teacher Effectiveness, State Standards, Educational Change, Graduation
(2012). Confronting the Crisis: Federal Investments in State Birth-through-Grade-Twelve Literacy Education. Policy Brief, Alliance for Excellent Education. Literacy is one of the most critical components of academic success, but the majority of students are leaving high school without the reading and writing skills needed to succeed in college and a career. According to ACT, fewer than 40 percent of black and Latino students are ready for college-level reading when they graduate from high school. This policy brief describes two state-led initiatives–the English language arts common core state standards, and comprehensive birth-through-grade-twelve state literacy plans–to help all young people attain the advanced literacy skills needed to succeed in the modern world. It concludes with a set of policy recommendations to invest fully in efforts to catalyze nationwide improvements in literacy achievement. [More] Descriptors: Literacy Education, Language Arts, English, State Standards
(2012). Leading Change: Transitioning to the Common Core, School Business Affairs. For many school districts in the United States, making the transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is proving to be a challenge at a time when they are already facing many obstacles, not the least of which is dwindling financial resources. A change of this magnitude cannot be made haphazardly; to be successful in its goal of helping students better prepare for the 21st century, it must be done with strong leadership and true intentionality. For the majority of states, ready or not, the CCSS are coming and now is the time to take the lead in making implementation as seamless and successful as possible. In this article, the author provides some background information about the CCSS, and offers some steps in implementing the CCSS. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Program Implementation, Alignment (Education), Change Strategies
(2012). Aligning Competencies to Rigorous Standards for Off-Track Youth: A Case Study of Boston Day and Evening Academy, Jobs for the Future. For over 17 years, Boston Day and Evening Academy has served a population of young people often left behind: those who are off track to high school graduation or who have dropped out altogether. Through its competency-based approach, BDEA has tackled one of the toughest education conundrums of our time: how to recover low-skilled students two or more years off track to graduation, provide them a rich and rigorous education aligned with the Common Core State Standards, and graduate them quickly and college ready. This report uses BDEA as a model to describe the process of aligning competency-based pathways for off-track youth with rigorous standards. It details how BDEA designs its competencies for struggling students. In addition to a narrative of the process, the brief contains a glossary of terms and numerous examples, tools, and resources to assist educators tackling this work for their schools. Endnotes are included. [More] Descriptors: Academic Standards, State Standards, Competence, Alignment (Education)
(2012). Math, Literacy, & Common Standards. Nearly every state has signed on to use the Common Core State Standards as a framework for teaching English/language arts and mathematics to students. Translating them for the classroom, however, requires schools, teachers, and students to change the way they approach teaching and learning. This report examines the progress some states have made in implementing the standards, what preparations need to be undertaken, and the challenges that policymakers and educators face in achieving the goals of the standards. Articles in this supplement include: (1) "Advocates Worry Implementation Could Derail Common Core" (Catherine Gewertz); (2) "Concern Abounds Over Teachers' Preparedness for Standards" (Stephen Sawchuk); (3) "Reading on Science, Social Studies Teachers' Agendas" (Catherine Gewertz); (4) "Big Shifts Ahead for Math Instruction" (Erik W. Robelen); (5) "Standards Open the Door for Best Practices From Special Ed." (Nirvi Shah); and (6) "Language Demands to Grow for ELLs Under New Standards" (Lesli A. Maxwell). [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Academic Standards, English Instruction, Mathematics Instruction
(2012). Enhancing Understanding of Transformation Matrices, Mathematics Teacher. With the Common Core State Standards' emphasis on transformations, teachers need a variety of approaches to increase student understanding. Teaching matrix transformations by focusing on row vectors gives students tools to create matrices to perform transformations. This empowerment opens many doors: Students are able to create the matrices for composite transformations and make the leap to three dimensions. Most important, students truly understand the connection between the algebraic and the matrix descriptions of the transformations. This understanding is fundamental for students not only as they go forward in their studies but also because these matrices are so ubiquitous–from Pauli matrices used to describe quantum iso-spin to color adjustments in the Adobe[R] Flash[R] Player. And giving students the ability to solve complex problems is what mathematics education is all about. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Mathematics Education, Core Curriculum, Alignment (Education)
(2012). Does Common Mean "the Same"?, State Education Standard. The Common Core State Standards and the attendant assessments being developed by state consortia create a tremendous opportunity and simultaneous challenge for state boards of education. Many of the issues apply to all boards, even those in states that have not adopted the standards or assessments. Boards will need to think carefully about the nature of college and career readiness, the nature of sufficient performance to demonstrate readiness, and whether readiness is the same for all students or varies based on student skills in relation to the postsecondary program to which they aspire. This article explores these issues and suggests strategies that will result in the most students being ready for postsecondary educational success. [More] Descriptors: State Boards of Education, Core Curriculum, Alignment (Education), State Standards
(2012). Lift-off to the Common Core, Leadership. Hands-on science activities help to make science more interesting for children and create that sense of wonder and excitement. But hands-on science and teacher lectures do not offer the full course meal. The textbook is often missing. As stated in the Common Core State Standards, students must have multiple opportunities to become independent in their ability to extract meaning from expository text in order to prepare for exams that will require them to read multiple sources to extract meaning, as well as develop arguments and opinions regarding information presented. The authors suggest that educators must seek ways to integrate pedagogy in efficient ways in order to help students master essential reading skills. In this article, the authors offer five steps schools can take to help students become independent, literate learners in content areas. [More] [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Reading Comprehension, Hands on Science, Science Activities
(2012). Standards, Policy Paradoxes, and the New Literacy Studies: A Call to Professional Political Action, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. In this commentary, the author uses New Literacy Studies theories to examine the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). Through analysis and critique of the CCSSI and related reform efforts underway in the United States, the author discusses how policy mandates can and have resulted in paradoxes. Corporate discourses of effectiveness and bureaucracy (intentionally or otherwise) undercut the use of research-based knowledge for literacy education reform. Consequently, professional literacy educators are positioned to subordinate themselves in the governance of their own profession despite statements by reform leaders that they must have the autonomy to make expert decisions that help students learn and practice literacy in contemporary society. The author calls for organizations like the International Reading Association to act politically and strategically, create knowledge, mobilize members, and educate stakeholders so that policy reforms become more equitable, just, and successful for the ends they are intended to meet. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Stakeholders, Literacy Education, Literacy
(2012). Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 12, Number 21, Alliance for Excellent Education. "Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Four More Years: Obama Wins Re-election, Plans to Continue Education Reforms Through Race to the Top, NCLB Waivers; (2) Dispelling the Myth: Duncan Defends NCLB Waivers in First Post-Election Speech; (3) Back to Business: Averting "Fiscal Cliff" Next Priority for Obama and Congressional Leaders; (4) Raising the Bar: More Kentucky Students Prepared for College and a Career, According to New Tests Pegged to Common Core State Standards; (5) Talking 'Bout the Young Folks: Record Shares of Young Adults Have Finished Both High School and College; and (6) "Teacher Absence as a Leading Indicators of Student Achievement": No Substitute for Teacher's Presence in Classroom, Report Finds. [More] Descriptors: Teacher Attendance, State Standards, Teacher Student Relationship, Educational Change
(2012). Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 12, Number 14, Alliance for Excellent Education. "Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Halfway Point: Obama Administration Approves Seven More States for NCLB Waivers Bringing Total to Twenty-Six; Iowa First State to Be Turned Down; (2) "Growing Awareness, Growing Support": National Poll Findings Show Growing Support for Common Core State Standards and Assessments; and (3) "Building and Sustaining Talent": Improving Conditions for Teaching and Learning Key to Attracting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers in Hard-to-Staff Schools, Says New Education Trust Report. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Teacher Recruitment, Public Education, Teacher Persistence
(2012). Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress. Volume 12, Number 11, Alliance for Excellent Education. "Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Moving from Technology Optional to Technology Essential: Alliance President Testifies Before Michigan Senate Education Committee on Importance of Digital Learning to Preparing All Students for College and a Career; (2) Secretary Duncan Announces $400 Million Race to the Top Competition for School Districts; (3) "Condition of Education 2012": Report Includes Special Focus on High Schools, Finds that One-Quarter of High Schools Are "Low-Retention"; and (4) "Common Core State Standards and Career and Technical Education": New Report Outlines Greater Role for CTE in Common Core Implementation. [More] Descriptors: Educational Indicators, State Standards, Educational Change, Public Education
(2012). A Special Assignment from NASA: Understanding Earth's Atmosphere through the Integration of Science and Mathematics, Science Scope. Have your students ever wondered what NASA scientists do? Have they asked you what their science and mathematics lessons have to do with the real world? This unit about Earth's atmosphere can help to answer both of those questions. The unit described here showcases "content specific integration" of science and mathematics in that the lessons meet content objectives from both science and mathematics. The content objectives for mathematics from the new Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are to understand and reason about ratio concepts, including converting measurements, solving problems involving area, and representing real-world problems graphically using one quadrant. The content objectives for science are the properties of Earth's atmosphere and understanding about science and technology. In this unit, students will explore Earth's atmosphere with an air-pressure activity. [More] Descriptors: State Standards, Mathematics Instruction, World Problems, Problem Solving