In order to have more time to prepare for testing during the school day, some Texas students are exercising for short increments during their regular classes.  A few minutes here and a few minutes there add up to required minutes for P.E.  Are do they? Now I am an enthusiastic exerciser and totally believe that it's possible to work in ...

I have always been a fan of learning new vocabulary.  Sometimes I hear a word and wonder if it's a real word.  Therefore, I have a new word pop up on my computer every day.  Part of the fun is seeing how I can relate the word to my life.  I admit that sometimes it's a stretch.  Today's word, worriment,  hit me as ...

DISD has been rating teachers with something called a CEI (Classroom Effectiveness Index) for a decade and are thinking about using this index to determine how to distribute $22 million worth of employee bonus money.  How original.  There are a lot of people that seem to be confused about how a teacher's CEI is determined, ...

Texas has had its share of headaches when it comes to testing.  Does anyone else remember the TECAT?  That was a test that every Texas teacher had to take to keep on trucking.  It was an absurd, expensive ordeal where teachers were treated like cattle because lawmakers weren't sure that they were educated enough ...

It does not come as a surprise to me that researchers are confirming that test anxiety can play a factor in test results.  Although they are just talking about the subject of math, I think those of us who freak out over tests of any kind limit our chances of doing our best.  I once sat for thirty minutes unable to even think about ...

In an effort to help teachers facing problems with low performing students, the state of Rhode Island has placed step by step lesson plans on a Web site available to teachers and everyone else.   The article on boston.com also explains that using the plans is voluntary. The materials include more than 70 lesson plans, ...

In an effort to increase state money flowing to universities, Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has outlined a plan that ties funds to students graduating from college earlier and willing to pursue high demand engineering and computer degrees. The money, a net increase of $1.7 billion over two years for schools, also would be ...

Everyone wants to blame teachers for low test scores.  After all, teachers are the easiest targets.  I have to wonder how much money is being spent on all of the research studies about improving teacher quality.  What about the time and effort spent on discussions about the No Child Left Behind Law?  Are ...

Test yourself on three questions from the 2004 standard eighth-grade reading test released by the Virginia Department of Education.  I credit washingtonpost.com with sharing this and making me laugh this morning, and I needed a laugh today.  So, go ahead, read the poem, and test yourself. Dragonflies Shimmering, they ...

Parents are scrambling to get their kids tested for the gifted-and-talented programs due to a new admissions process in New York City.  Confusion seemed to be the name of the game in an article on nytimes.com as parents sought testing times and locations. A new admissions process for highly coveted gifted-and-talented ...