Category Archives: K-12

Here’s how Idaho can develop academically strong ELA and Mathematics Standards when it revises its current standards*

By Sandra Stotsky, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas Idaho can develop effective non-Common Core standards for mathematics and English/reading if its Legislature requires the development of K-12 standards in mathematics and in English/reading with the following features and guiding policies: … Continue reading

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

What can we do now: Education in America is a victim of Covid 19

AL’s education rating is already at the bottom of the heap nationally, but I don’t think any states are faring well today, and I don’t think any states have a solution. Am I alone in thinking that American education is … Continue reading

Posted in Betty Peters, Education policy, K-12 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

K-12 is a land of mystery

Bruce Dietrick Price* For those who enjoy a good puzzle, K-12 education is more intellectually entertaining than most people imagine. Classrooms are full of convoluted theories and mystifying methods. Probably the teachers themselves can’t explain the reasoning behind approaches that … Continue reading

Posted in Bruce Dietrick Price, constructivism, Curriculum & Instruction, Education Fraud, Education policy, K-12, reading | 2 Comments

Who’s Telling the Truth about Alabama’s Constitutional Amendment One?

As a former member of the Alabama State School Board (2003-2019), I would like to share my concerns about the ballot language for Amendment One. When voters get a ballot on March 3, this is all that is printed in … Continue reading

Posted in Common Core, Curriculum & Instruction, Education Fraud, Education policy, information suppression, K-12 | Tagged | 2 Comments

Response to John Merrow’s advocacy of Project-based Learning

John Merrow has started a series of posts advocating project based learning. I just posted the following to his website: Project-Based Learning, part two John, It’s disappointing to see you disparaging the teaching of factual information: “I also endorsed project-based learning … Continue reading

Posted in constructivism, Curriculum & Instruction, Education journalism, Erich Martel, K-12, science, STEM | Leave a comment

Test Critics Fail the Test: Critics of Testing Don’t Understand the Basics of Testing

by Glynn D. Ligon, now posted in the Nonpartisan Education Review. https://nonpartisaneducation.org/Review/Articles/v15n2.htm The Preface: Critics of testing students don’t understand the basics of testing. We let critics get away with bogus arguments that undermine the benefits of testing our students. … Continue reading

Posted in Education policy, K-12, Testing/Assessment | 2 Comments

Romanian officials’ nonchalant reaction to 2018 PISA results

Juan A. Martinez Constanta, Romania Two Romanian officials have reacted publicly to the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. They appear to be unfazed by the results. This is atypical for persons responsible for national education quality. Their … Continue reading

Posted in International Tests, Juan A. Martinez, K-12, math, OECD, reading, Testing/Assessment | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Beware New Quality Counts State Rankings

Education Week just released the final segment on its 2019 ranking of state education systems, and it is unfortunate that this generally pretty good news outlet continues to mess this up. Point of Order: I just ranked Kentucky’ s All … Continue reading

Posted in Education journalism, Education policy, K-12, Richard Innes, Testing/Assessment | Tagged , , , | 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

Indoctrinating our youth: How a U.S. Public School Curriculum Skews the Arab-Israeli Conflict

https://www.camera.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Monograph-Spring-2017.pdf Anti-Israel Indoctrination Continues In Newton Public High School

Posted in Censorship, Education policy, K-12, Sandra Stotsky, Social Studies | 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

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

There are Only Two Sides to US Education Policy (Thanks to the Parties)

https://ivn.us/2018/04/03/two-sides-us-education-policy-thanks-parties/ …at the Independent Voter Network website, https://IVN.us

Posted in Censorship, Education policy, information suppression, K-12, partisanship, research ethics, Richard P. Phelps | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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

New in the Nonpartisan Education Review: Dan Koretz’s Big Con

The Testing Charade: Pretending to Make Schools Better, by Daniel Koretz [book review] Reviewed by Richard P. Phelps http://nonpartisaneducation.org/Review/Reviews/v13n1.htm

Posted in Censorship, Education Fraud, Education journalism, Education policy, Education Reform, information suppression, K-12, research ethics, Richard P. Phelps, Testing/Assessment, Uncategorized | 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