The Education Consumers Foundation

What's New at the Foundation

Pacific Research Institute releases "Not as Good as You Think"

Not as Good as You Think: The Myth of the Middle Class School is a documentary that shatters the myth that “good” schools located in “nice” neighborhoods are shielded from the education crisis that pervades schools in poor, urban areas. ECF president Dr. John Stone is featured in the film, which is currently available on DVD.

Winners of the 2009 Value-Added Achievement Awards announced

In a May 4 ceremony held at the Tennessee state capitol, the Education Consumers Foundation recognized principals of 18 of the most effective elementary and middle schools in the state. Click here to see the list of winners and learn about their successful approaches to education; read the press release here; or see a collection of press clippings here .

NEW - 2008 School Performance Charts for Tennessee elementary and middle schools

The 2008 edition of the Education Consumers Foundation's School Performance Charts can be found here. Anyone interested in school performance in Tennessee can use these interactive and intuitive charts to compare the value-added performance of schools and districts against others in the state.

ECF launches new website focused on effective schooling

As part of its August 2008 outreach campaign in Nashville TN, the Education Consumers Foundation launched a new standalone website providing information on effective schooling. The site offers detailed information for those living in Tennessee, and information that can be applied to schools outside the state. Visit the website to learn more.

ECF Recommends: Annual Growth, Catch-Up Growth

This book, referenced by Dr. Stone at the Value-Added Achievement Awards ceremony, details easy to replicate and proven methods used by one school district to assure student achievement in reading and math. Go here to learn more and to order this book, or here to review the 93 maxims identified through their work.

ECF points to effectiveness of Direct Instruction in new document

The Education Consumers Foundation highlights the results of Project Follow Through, the largest federal education research program in history, in this chart. Direct Instruction was proven to be most effective in all three areas studied - academics, problem-solving, and self esteem - yet has still not been incorporated into the mainstream.

Movie Trailer: Two Million Minutes

Regardless of nationality, as soon as a student completes the 8th grade, the clock starts ticking. From that very moment the child has approximately two million minutes until high school graduation. How do they spend their time in the US, as compared with India and China? Click here to see a trailer for this new movie.

---

Education Consumers Foundation releases new report: Effective Schools, Common Practices

The ECF sent a researcher to interview principals of six of the most effective schools in Tennessee; read the Foundation's new report to learn about the 12 practices that all of these six schools have in common.

ECF hosts event on early childhood preparedness

On April 21, the Education Consumers Foundation hosted two events in Nashville centered on early childhood preparedness and the importance of effective intervention at an early age. The featured presenter was Lynn Fielding, chair of the Kennewick, Washington school board, which guided an early childhood initiative that brought the number of children reading at grade level by 3rd grade from 57% to 90%+ in ten years.

To see information from the event and learn about effective instruction at early grades, click here; to view videos showcasing Direct Instruction, click here; to see video clips of Dr. Stone's presentation, click here; or to view video clips of Mr. Fielding's presentation, click here .

Independent filmmaker releases new documentary on public education

Independent filmmaker Bob Bowdon has released The Cartel, billed as "a feature documentary on how American public education primarily serves its employees, not its children. Screenings are being held in New Jersey and elsewhere; DVD copies will be available in the fall.

ECF presentation to school board members now available

On November 15 and 16, ECF led breakout sessions for 200 Tennessee school board members on the link between workforce preparedness and early childhood education. You can review the entire presentation, including slides, comments, and links to supporting information, by going here.

New chart shows value-added and TCAP performance of Metro Nashville schools

The ECF has charted the value-added and TCAP scores of Davidson County's elementary and middle schools; click here to where your child's school falls and the system's distribution as a whole.

Education Consumers Foundation recognizes Tennessee's most effective elementary and middle schools

The ECF has launched a recognition program in Tennessee to highlight the achievements of the top 20% of elementary and middle schools as measured by value-added performance. Click here for more information.

Update: see here for an article in the Johnson City Press on the ECF Most Effective Schools initiative.

New chart shows effective schools in Johnson City and Washington County

The ECF recently recognized seven schools in Johnson City and Washington County through its Most Effective Schools program. See those schools charted on their TCAP and value-added performance in this PDF file.

ABCTE versus NBPTS

Two organizations offer advanced certification opportunities to teachers: the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Dr. George Cunningham, a member of the Education Consumers Consultants Network (ECCN), compares the two and provides his analysis in this new brief.

---

See Direct Instruction in Action

Despite its proven effectiveness, Direct Instruction has not been universally accepted in education. Those familiar with the controversy, but unfamiliar with the method itself, may be surprised by how well-liked it is by parents and students. Go here for a series of online videos made available by the Fairfield-Suisun (CA) Unified School District. And go here to read an article on Project Follow Through, a decade-long research project that conclusively proved the effectiveness of direct instruction.

Update: Another DI success story in Gering, NE is highlighted in this video.

---

ECF produces online video explaining TVAAS and School Performance Charts

The ECF has created a 10-minute video to help consumers interested in school effectiveness understand Tennessee's TVAAS value-added system and the Foundation's own School Performance Charts. Click here to go view the video.

Garrison Keillor Speaks Out

The host of A Prairie Home Companion, and author of numerous books, makes the case for the No Child Left Behind Act and Reading First in this article on Salon.com.