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Today, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. released the final report of its IES/U.S Department of Education -funded randomized controlled trial (RCT) of comprehensive teacher induction. It shows a statistically significant and sizeable impact on student achievement in mathematics (0.20 standard deviations) and reading (0.11 standard deviations) of third-year teachers who received two years of robust induction support. That's the equivalent of moving students from the 50th to 54th percentile in reading achievement and from the 50th to 58th percentile in math achievement. As a basis of comparison, I note that in 2004, Mathematica conducted a RCT of Teach for America (TFA). In that study , it compared the gains in reading and math achievement made by students randomly assigned to TFA teachers or other teachers in the same school. The results showed that, on average, students with TFA teachers raised their mathematics test scores by 0.15 standard deviations (versus 0.20 standard d

Welcome to a special new series of the Education Optimists: the Promising New Teachers Award! We aim to identify, praise, and help place a few incredibly talented young women and men who are seeking the opportunity to work for schools across the country. Our inaugural choice is Stephanie Ake of New Hope, Minnesota. Stephanie is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Education with a degree in elementary education. She has also completed three years of extraordinary training and service as the nanny to the children of the Education Optimists! Stephanie has numerous qualities and dispositions that make her a stellar teacher. She is caring, patient, responsible and understanding -- skills necessary to manage a classroom of young children. She is reliable and trustworthy, always on time, always prepared, always ready. She is one of the most organized, and dependable people we have ever met, and at the same she is flexible and calm. It was a testament

As discussions about the future of for-profit colleges intensify, my email inbox has begun to fill with inquiries. Why haven’t I weighed in? What do I think—is Congress on the right track? What does my recent conspicuous silence portend? While I’m flattered (and a little confused) by a seeming desire to hear my opinion, the truth is I haven’t been ready to provide one. Over the past few months I’ve spent a lot more time thinking about the for-profits and the tough questions their growing presence in higher education raise. I’ve struggled with an intellectual exercise of sorts, attempting to set aside the financial interests associated with the sector and simply consider whether common objections to the industry would exist even if its colleges were not-for-profit. It’s not easy to sleep at night when wrestling with complex demons like that. I’ve come to the conclusion that yes, objections would continue. We’d be worried about the quality of what’s being proffered, what students are ac

The Chicago Public Schools residency requirement has ensnared a district social worker and recent kidney donor, the Chicago Tribune reports . He may lose his job, unless CPS chief Ron Huberman intervenes. We've written previously about such residency requirements being bad policy. 6/2/2010 UPDATE: So the man's job is safe ( Chicago Tribune ), but why necessitate special treatment? Why not eliminate the policy that restricts the district's ability to employ the best and the brightest regardless of whether they live within city limits or not?

Gaslight Anthem is an up-and-coming, New Jersey-based rock band. The band has two albums under its belt, including Sink or Swim (2007) and The '59 Sound (2008). It has been embraced by Bruce Springsteen, with whom it has performed, and lead singer Brian Fallon once lived four blocks from E Street in Asbury Park, NJ. Gaslight Anthem's new album, American Slang , is released on June 14th, but both NPR and Rolling Stone are live streaming the album to give you an early listen. The music mag says that the Anthem's sound "gloriously combines the Clash, Motown and the Pretenders." Visit the official web site for more information and concert listings. Look what you started, I seem to be coming out of my skin Look what you've forgotten here The bandages just don't keep me in And when it was over, I woke up alone And they cut me to ribbons and taught me to drive I got your name tattooed inside of my arm I called for my father but my father had died Wh

Updated 6/22/2010 12:15 p.m. CDT As predicted , 35 states plus DC submitted applications to the U.S. Department of Education today in Phase Two of the Race to the Top competition. Please click on the hyperlink below to view that state's RttT Phase Two application: Alabama [ application ] Arizona [ application ] [ appendices ] Arkansas [ application ] California [ application ] [ appendices ] Colorado [ application ] Connecticut [ application ] [ appendices ] District of Columbia [ application ] [ appendix A ] [ appendices B-F ] Florida [ application ] [ appendices ] Georgia [ application ] [ appendices ] Hawaii [ application ] Illinois [ application ] [ appendix 1 ] [ appendix 2 ] Iowa [ application ] Kentucky [ application ] Louisiana [ application ] Maine [ application ] [ appendices ] Maryland [ application ] Massachusetts [ application ] Michigan [ application ] [ appendices ] Mississippi [ application ] Missouri [ application ] [ appendices ] Montana

6/25/2010 UPDATE: Per the Capital Times story this morning about Wisconsin's chances, I stand behind my contention that the state is an unlikely Phase Two winner. As is the case with numerous states that fell in the middle or bottom of the pack in Phase One (WI was 26 out of 41 applicants), I don't believe that Wisconsin passed significant enough reforms since then to improve its competitive chances (as compared to Colorado, Connecticut, New York and Oklahoma, for example). However, state education leaders - including State Superintendent Tony Evers - deserve credit for authoring a much stronger proposal this time and for gaining widespread buy-in for the proposed reforms. Hopefully, many of those ideas can be carried forward regardless of the RTTT outcome. Although this is a joint blog, this post is entirely my own and not Sara's. -- Liam Goldrick Final Race to the Top Phase Two applications are not yet publicly available, so this may be a bit premature. But everyone l