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What's a 'good' school? Parents have more choices, need more info
As school choice expands, parents need to evaluate test scores to find a "good school."

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 193 min read
13 comments


Data-loving district sees big learning gains: Is there too much testing?
Math and reading scores are way up in a high-poverty California district, but some teachers say there's too much testing.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 183 min read
1 comment


Ignorance isn't bliss: We need testing to know what students don't know
Testing is essential to improve schools and inform parents.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 52 min read
2 comments


Who was the Good Samaritan? Let there be Bible stories in Texas schools
Texas' board of education has narrowly approved a new K-5 curriculum that includes Bible stories , reports Shaun Rabb for Fox News....

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 2, 20242 min read
4 comments


The honesty gap: 'How are parents supposed to understand this?'
States are hiding pandemic learning loss by lowering the bar for "proficiency" on state tests.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 26, 20242 min read
2 comments


Anti-racist math: 2 + 2 = whiteness
Apples and oranges featured heavily in my elementary school math curriculum, and yet I knew math was about the numbers, not about the...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 29, 20232 min read
10 comments


AP tests are tough: Is the bar too high for disadvantaged students?
"The basic philosophy of the Advanced Placement Program is simply that all students are not created equal," said the program's director,...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 21, 20233 min read
6 comments


Disarming grades
"Handwringing" about grade inflation is "inflated," suggests Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post. She offers a piece by Jack Schneider...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 16, 20232 min read
5 comments


Oregon keeps grad requirements low: No need for reading, writing, math competency
Oregon won't require students to show mastery of reading, writing or math to collect a high school diploma, reports Sami Edge in The...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 24, 20232 min read
13 comments


The case for quizzes: Students learn more -- and feel less anxious
Timed tests are unpopular with progressive educators, writes Hechinger's Jill Barshay. They think they're stressful and reward the...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 29, 20231 min read
4 comments


AI will change testing: Can it grade essays?
Number 2 pencils and fill-in-the-bubble are out, writes Matteo Wong in The Atlantic. Standardized tests are going digital. In a few...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 23, 20232 min read
1 comment


Competency counts: No lectures, no mandatory classes, lots of tests
"Competency-based education," which assesses students on skills rather than seat time, is finally becoming a reality for vocational...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 17, 20232 min read
3 comments


U.S. schools devalue academics, celebrate failure
Are you excessively cheerful? Did you turn your frown upside down and now it's stuck that way? David Steiner will remove your...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 28, 20233 min read
0 comments


What works in teaching English (discussion) may not work in teaching math
The most effective use of class time depends on the subject, concludes a study conducted in high-poverty English high schools, reports...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 26, 20231 min read
4 comments
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