Search results matching tags 'school reform' and 'research studies'

New Research Shows Why Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Character Education Are Not Enough

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:16:01 GMT

With my two books and constant blogging about Social Emotional Learning/Character Education, it’s obvious that I’m a big believer on its importance for our students. It’s critical for our students to strengthen their appetite for learning, their self-control, their perseverance, … Continue reading →

Two More Studies Show The Flaws Behind Using “Value-Added Measures” To Assess Teacher — Is Gates Foundation Listening?

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:07:50 GMT

Education Week reports on two new studies done by very well respected researchers, including Douglas Harris (who literally wrote the book on value-added measures), finding that VAM does not accurately measure teacher performance in middle and high school. They point … Continue reading →

Offering Financial Incentives ““may hinder the empathic processes needed to succeed” in “helping professions”

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 04:26:28 GMT

The Wall Street Journal reports on a new study: Psychologists at the University of California-Santa Barbara found in two separate tests that young adults who were encouraged to focus on a financial incentive to infer someone’s feelings did so less … Continue reading →

“If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail” — Economists Go After Schools Again

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 03:04:15 GMT

Last month, I wrote about a questionable study that touted the idea of “loss aversion” as a successful strategy to get students to do better at tests. In other words, they gave students a trophy or some cash before they … Continue reading →

Prof. James Heckman Says Adolescence Is Key Time To Teach (& Learn About) Self-Control & Perseverance

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 21:20:36 GMT

James Heckman is an American economist and Nobel laureate best know for his research about and advocacy for investment in supporting early childhood interventions (thanks to Alexander Russo for the tip about his website). I was surprised, though, to learn … Continue reading →

Can’t Economists Stay Away From Schools? Don’t They Have Enough Other Things To Do?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 02:50:43 GMT

Just what we need, another study from economists telling us how to make schools more effective (one released earlier this year concluded that “The message is to fire people sooner rather than later” ). This new study, The Behavioralist Goes … Continue reading →

The Best Posts Questioning If Direct Instruction Is “Clearly Superior”

Anonymous — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:44:41 GMT

Over the past couple of years (and I assume for a much longer time, too), a number of people, particularly “school reformers,” have been saying that direct instruction is clearly superior to guided inquiry. Listen, I certainly do my fair … Continue reading →

Krashen On Bribing Students To Read

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:36:01 GMT

In the next week or two, The Washington Post will be publishing a piece I’ve written about some recent examples of schools paying students cash for attendance and performing academic work. While I was writing it, I revisited a well-known … Continue reading →

The Best Posts/Articles On National Research Council Finding That Carrots & Sticks Don’t Work

Anonymous — Sat, 28 May 2011 13:10:38 GMT

Earlier this week, the National Research Council released a very important report detailing how the rewards and punishments offered by No Child Left Behind are not effective in helping schools, teachers or students. I’ll be writing a more in-depth analysis of the report, as I’m sure will others, and thought I’d get a start [...]