The Education Trust research report "Stuck Schools" suggests a framework for identifying chronically low-performing schools in need of turnaround. The study uses Maryland and Indiana to show that some low-performing schools make progress while others remain stagnant. The report has four serious problems of reliability and validity,…

Art is visual literacy, some would say more basic than writing and speaking, because it is not hampered by the barrier of language. The process of creating a visual narrative and understanding visual literacy is multi-faceted. Because similar cognitive strategies are used in the practice of both visual and written literacy, incorporation of…

K12 Inc. enrolls more public school students than any other private education management organization in the U.S. Much has been written about K12 Inc. (referred to in this report simply as "K12") by financial analysts and investigative journalists because it is a large, publicly traded company and is the dominant player in the operation…

This paper examines the charges made in the highly publicized report, "How Schools Shortchange Girls," published by the American Association of University Women (1992). The paper shows how the findings in this report are based on a selective review of the research and how findings contrary to the report's message were suppressed. The paper reviews…

Responded to four articles in a recent issue of the journal which defended John Dewey against some of the criticisms of revisionist historians. Claiming to be neither an historian not a revisionist as these articles suggested, the author praised Dewey's spirit of open inquiry and recommended this same spirit to liberal scholars in their research.…

With contributions from leading scholars, this compelling volume offers fresh insights into literacy teaching and learning--and the changing nature of literacy itself--in today's K-12 classrooms. The focus is on varied technologies and literacies such as social networking sites, text messaging, and online communities. Cutting-edge approaches to…

This analysis responds to a generation of criticism leveled at 1:1 laptop computer initiatives. The article presents a review of the key themes of that criticism and offers suggestions for reframing the conversation about 1:1 computing among advocates and critics. Efforts at changing, innovating, and reforming education provide the context for…

This article contains an exercise developed for a preservice teacher's methods class, on the differences and nuances in value judgments and judgments about matters of fact. Teachers must encourage students to be aware of these differences. (Author/RM)

High-stakes testing is the practice of attaching important consequences to standardized test scores, and it is the engine that drives the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The rationale for high-stakes testing is that the promise of rewards and the threat of punishments will cause teachers to work more effectively, students to be more motivated,…

The historical method should be understood as an independent principle in the approach to a work of art. Examples are provided of analysis of artistic works in literature lessons for grades 4-10. (Author/ND)

Critical review of critical pedagogy, a body of education theory represented by the work of Henry Giroux and others. (PKP)

Retired Pennsylvania superintendent uses three fictional medical terms to describe negative attitudes and actions of certain governmental and corporate leaders toward public education: Perverted distortionism, quantification syndrome, and simple simonitis. Describes perverted distortionism, for example, as a disease of organizations and…

Criticism of "A Nation at Risk," a report on the deteriorating state of American education published by the National Commission on Excellence in Education 20 years ago. Report stimulated state and federal educational reform efforts in the 1980s and 1990s. (Contains 13 references.) (PKP)

The idea of a personal style in learning has grown during the past decade to dominate teacher discourse in the UK. The theory supporting this idea is work in understanding cognitive and learning style. A recent review of learning styles for the Learning and Skills Development Agency in the UK has been widely publicised and is deeply critical of…

Contends that art educators should work toward an educational practice that works to change discriminatory practices, encourages students to reflect about how and why art is produced in all cultures, and recognizes human commonalities in art. States that an art program grounded in feminist views will focus on diverse artistic traditions. (CMK)