Some say that children with social and economic disadvantages can’t learn. However, the Education Consumers Foundation’s analysis of data in various US markets contradicts that conclusion: there are schools in every market that greatly outperform those with virtually identical student populations. See here to review school performance charts in a sampling of markets across the US.
Each year, ECF takes the value-added performance data provided by the state of Tennessee and presents it in the form of charts for elementary and middle schools in the state. This format allows parents and others to easily compare the performance of schools in their district or region; just follow the links below to explore ECF’s interactive and intuitive charts. 2013 elementary 2013 middle 2012 elementary 2012 middle 2011 elementary 2011 middle
Testing outcomes of the past 20 years show that less than half of Tennessee’s school children are mastering reading by the end of the 3rd grade. At some metropolitan schools, less than 10% of students are proficient. Click on the links below to see whether children in some of the largest metropolitan areas of the state are reading or just being promoted: Anderson and Blount 2012 2013 2014 2015 Hamilton County 2012 2013 2014 2015 Knox County 2012 2013 2014 2015 Memphis 2012 2013 Nashville 2012 2013 2014 2015 East of Nashville 2012 2013 2014 2015 West of Nashville 2012 2013 2014 2015 … Read More
Getting a Second Opinion The Need for Consumer-Friendly Expertise Local and state school boards, legislative committees, parent organizations, and business and community groups are often asked to endorse or approve education policy. Typically, the policy is supported by an authoritative recommendation—usually a panel of educators, an employee of the recommending agency, or a handpicked consultant. Rarely are such requests accompanied by an appraisal by an expert that is sympathetic to the consumer’s perspective. The result: Every year, public … Read More
The National Council on Teacher Quality has released a landmark report, evaluating more than 1,100 colleges and universities that prepare elementary and secondary teachers and largely finding them wanting. Kate Walsh, CEO of NCTQ, writes on the issue here. This effort aligns closely with ECF’s work on the subject, a summary of which can be found here. Update: J.E. Stone, President of the Education Consumers Foundation, pens an article on this new report here.
For the past several years, Tennessee has published a report on outcomes from the state’s teacher training programs. The Education Consumers Foundation looks at how effective these programs are, and what can be learned from the differences found between programs.
Written by veteran journalist Shepard Barbash over a period of 10 years, Clear Teaching is a well-researched, highly readable introduction to Direct Instruction (DI). Click here to download this book in PDF format along with a host of support materials, including directories of resources, a list of trainers, and much more; those wanting print copies can order them from Amazon or can contact ECF for bulk orders.
In a November 2011 position paper, the Education Consumers Foundation highlights the lack of progress in boosting literacy rates in Tennessee schools and introduces Direct Instruction as a proven solution. Click here to access this paper along with a host of support materials, including charts highlighting reading proficiency rates in each Tennessee district; directories of resources, trainers, and contacts experienced with DI in Tennessee; and more.
Each state defines for itself what “proficient” means; some states have a rigorous definition, while others are less strict in their standards. To see how states compare, ECF has published charts showing the percentage of students deemed proficient in various subjects and grade levels and compared them to percentages reported for each state by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, or “The Nation’s Report Card”), considered to be the gold standard.
In the early 1990s, KY attempted to use constructed-response test items as part of its school accountability system; the results were unusable. Despite this, the state pursued the same goal with its new Common Core assessments and, not surprisingly, came to the same conclusion as before. See a press release on the subject from the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, and a chapter on this exact issue from Dr. George Cunningham.