Category Archives: Curriculum & Instruction

Should we switch from mandated “standardized” tests to mandated “performance” tests?

Sandra Stotsky, August 1, 2019 According to many education writers in this country, there are no tests in Finnish schools, at least no “mandated standardized tests.” That phrase was carefully hammered out by Smithsonian Magazine to exclude the many no- … Continue reading

Posted in Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Reading & Writing, Sandra Stotsky, Testing/Assessment | Leave a comment

Richard Phelps: Is our education system failing us? Critically Speaking

CriticallySpeak @CritiSpeak https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/013-dr-richard-phelps-is-our-education-system-failing-us/id1463016517?i=1000445232433 K12 is in trouble! Johnny can’t read, write or do arithmetic, even with a college degree. Interview with Dr. Richard Phelps CriticallySpeaking podcast ‎Critically Speaking on Apple Podcasts ‎@@string1@@ · 2019 podcasts.apple.com

Posted in constructivism, Curriculum & Instruction, Education Fraud, Education policy, Education Reform, International Tests, K-12, Richard P. Phelps, Testing/Assessment | Leave a comment

Education Next, the Fordham Institute, and Common Core

In years of observing the behavior of staff at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation and Institute I haven’t noticed much of the “open-mindedness and humility” claimed on its website.[1] More common has been a proclivity to suppress dissent, shun or … Continue reading

Posted in Censorship, Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Education Reform, information suppression, partisanship | Leave a comment

New “science and society” podcast

ANNOUNCING: Critically Speaking, a new podcast series hosted by Therese Markow, who writes:       ” … we separate facts from fallacies at the intersection of science and society. “Every day we make decisions that affect our own lives, … Continue reading

Posted in Curriculum & Instruction, Education journalism, Education policy, Higher Education, Richard P. Phelps, STEM, Wayne Bishop | Leave a comment

Mathematics and Science Courses Required or Recommended for Admission into Engineering and Engineering Technology Programs at Massachusetts Institutions of Higher Education (2003)

https://nonpartisaneducation.org/Review/Resources/MassMathEngReqs.htm This survey of the high school mathematics and science requirements for admission to the 11 colleges of engineering in Massachusetts in 2003 provides interesting facts in Tables 3 and 4. It is no longer clear if the required coursework … Continue reading

Posted in College prep, Curriculum & Instruction, Mathematics, Sandra Stotsky, STEM | Leave a comment

News Flash! AL’s Senate Pro Tem, who has previously stopped all anti-CC bills, filed an anti-CC bill today

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/searchableinstruments/2019RS/bills/SB119.htm?fbclid=IwAR1PKg4sFJhE3A1QxjyAJDPTQm6V2HTJ306VURV2jm-17KGp7lR7MBBxFNo The AL Senate has 35 members; 27 sponsored it.

Posted in Betty Peters, Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Education policy, K-12 | Leave a comment

Links to articles on standards-based grading

Competency based ed which is the method that will come as an outgrowth of SBG. What is measured will improve.  So this from Peter Greene applies.  https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/11/can-competency-based-education-be.html?m=1

Posted in Curriculum & Instruction, Education Reform, K-12, Sandra Stotsky | Leave a comment

Interesting review of Arne Duncan’s book, by fellow Chicagoan Bill Ayers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1X8WUX1KNXQ3B/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1501173065 Arne Doesn’t Learn customer review, by Dr. William C. Ayers If you pick up Arne Duncan’s How Schools Work hoping to learn something about, well, unsurprisingly I suppose, about “how schools work,” you’ll be sorely disappointed. There’s no policy … Continue reading

Posted in Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Education policy, Education Reform, K-12, Sandra Stotsky | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Letter to NPR’s Ari Shapiro and producers of their “individualized learning” podcast

From: Erich Martel Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2018 To: ‘mediarelations@npr.org’ Dear Ari Shapiro and Individualized Learning (and Project Based Learning) Podcast Producers, I want to make three points re “Individualized Learning” and all claims pertaining to education: 1) Always look … Continue reading

Posted in Censorship, constructivism, Curriculum & Instruction, Education journalism, Education policy, Erich Martel, information suppression, K-12, research ethics | Leave a comment

Common Core Collaborators: Six Organizational Portraits

New in the Nonpartisan Education Review: https://nonpartisaneducation.org/Review/Articles/CommonCoreCollaborators.htm Phelps, R. P. (2018). Common Core Collaborators: Six Organizational Portraits. Nonpartisan Education Review/Articles, 14(3–7). – The Organization Named Achieve: Cradle of Common Core Cronyism – The Council of Chief State School Officers and … Continue reading

Posted in Censorship, College prep, Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Education journalism, Education policy, Education Reform, Higher Education, information suppression, K-12, partisanship, research ethics, Richard P. Phelps, Testing/Assessment | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

State of ELA under Common Core

The Fordham Institute just came out with its “research” on reading and writing under Common Core. Fordham 2018 “research” No mention of three baseline studies that preceded Common Core. Stotsky, Goering, Jolliffe study of Arkansas high school English teachers’ assignments … Continue reading

Posted in Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Education Reform, information suppression, Reading & Writing, Sandra Stotsky | Leave a comment

My letter to Bill Gates on how to prepare students for algebra

May 17, 2018 Dear Mr. Gates, You recently wrote, “Math is one area where we want to generate stronger evidence about what works. What would it take, for example, to get all kids to mastery of Algebra I?” I believe … Continue reading

Posted in Betty Peters, Curriculum & Instruction, Education Reform, K-12, Mathematics | 2 Comments

What I learned at the ResearchED (US) Media Panel

For those still unfamiliar with it, ResearchED is “a grass-roots, teacher led organisation” founded in the UK whose mission is to “raise research literacy, bring people together, promote collaboration, increase awareness, promote research, and explore what works.” It has also … Continue reading

Posted in Censorship, Curriculum & Instruction, Education journalism, Education policy, Education Writers Association, information suppression, K-12, research ethics, Richard P. Phelps | Tagged | Leave a comment

Fewer Students Learning Arithmetic and Algebra

by Jerome Dancis This summer, I obtained the college remediation data for my state of Maryland. Well just 2014, the latest available. So BCC i.e. before Common Core became the state tests in Maryland. Does anyone know of similar data … Continue reading

Posted in College prep, Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Jerome Dancis, K-12, Mathematics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What Led to the “Massachusetts Education Miracle”?

Most governors, state commissioners of education, state boards of education, and Chambers of Commerce seem to have an unshakable confidence in Common Core’s standards as the silver bullet that will make all K-12 students college and career ready. This confidence … Continue reading

Posted in Curriculum & Instruction, Education policy, Education Reform, K-12, licensure, Sandra Stotsky, teachers | Leave a comment