"We were a high-performing school. Now we're not." These words--spoken in 2015 by the head of a respected network of "no excuses" charter schools--could have come from any number of school leaders across the country, as they adjusted to the "skyrocketing" demands of new college- and career-ready (CCR) standards. The…

While educators and parents recognize computer science as a key skill for career readiness, only five states have adopted learning standards in this area. Tides are changing, however, as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes with its call on states to provide a "well-rounded education" for students, to include computer science…

Just as July 4th celebrations are set to begin, ACTA's new report, "No U.S. History? How College History Departments Leave the United States out of the Major," reveals that less than 1/3 of the nations leading colleges and universities require students pursuing a degree in history to take a single course in American history. Only 23…

Elementary teachers often avoid the struggle of matching a science activity to a specific standard by using a lesson planning process known as Understanding by Design (UBD) (Wiggins and McTighe 2005). A main tenet of the UBD model involves starting at the end rather than at the beginning of the planning process. By starting at the end and visiting…

It is seldom that the accomplishments of secondary physical education students are celebrated. The Most Physically Educated Contest was developed to allow students from several school districts to gather for appropriate competition and to display the characteristics of physical literacy attained from participation in high-quality physical…

As states review, refine, and implement new academic standards, professional learning activities,also known as professional development (PD), should be scheduled in order to support educators. At the request of a state education agency, the Center on Standards and Assessments Implementation (CSAI) conducted a scan of six states' PD opportunities…

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. In this issue the authors discuss a design project they have used with upper elementary students (grades 4-6). They note ways to engage students in thinking philosophically about technology to meet engineering design outcomes in the "Next Generation Science…

Teachers who participate in the Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability (TISS) at the California Academy of Sciences commit to intensive professional development--that is, two two-week summer sessions, four evening workshops, and four Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings throughout each school year--focused on creating more…

An overview of standards related to demonstrating evidence regarding relationships with criteria as it pertains to instrument development was presented, along with heuristic examples. Additional measures and a comprehensive design are necessary to establish evidence related to the use and interpretation of test scores for the validation of a…

Quality and excellence are requirements that Society demands from universities. However, several questions arise in the real-world application of these concepts: How can they be incorporated into the classrooms or laboratories? What is the proper way to create a quality and innovation culture in daily teaching? In order to answer to these…

This article highlights the potential of teacher read-alouds of informational texts for building academic vocabulary. These represent the general, high-utility words with Greek and Latin roots and the discipline-specific words associated with increased academic rigor of curriculum in the upper elementary grades. The author provides the theoretical…

With the increase in the number of students with disabilities receiving the majority of their instruction in inclusionary settings, middle school teachers are seeking effective methods that support all learners. Cue cards are a flexible instructional tool that middle school teachers can use to differentiate instruction. This article describes cue…

In the early 20th century, proponents of the so-called "social efficiency movement" in the United States tried to apply methods and concepts for enhancing efficiency in industrial production to the organization of teaching and learning processes. This included the formulation of "educational standards" analogous to industrial…

All Catholic schools face difficulties of one kind or another, some self-made, some inherited. The rise and fall of new school models over the past 15 years remind us that there are no silver bullets to mend these challenges. Instead there are seeds, carefully selected and properly placed, tended and tethered as seedlings, taking root and…

At a time when innovation and flexibility have been lauded and prioritized in federal education policy, the passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) presents a unique opportunity for state education and workforce leaders to explore innovative ways to transform postsecondary outcomes for…