Members of the ECF Board

Shepard Barbash Education Journalist   Dr. Harold Black Professor (ret) Haslam College of Business Dr. Raymond Brown Private Practice (ret) Charlotte, NC   Dr. George Cunningham Professor (ret) College of Education & Human Development The University of Louisville (Ret.)   Dr. Mark Y. Herring Dean of Libraries (ret) Winthrop University   Marilyn Reed Education Consultant Commonwealth Education Organization   Dr. J. E. Stone Professor (ret) East Tennessee State University Chairman, ECF Board

Early Reading Success & College

posted in: News & Announcements |

In most states, a school district’s number of proficient third-grade readers is highly predictive of the number of 8th graders who will be proficient five years later.  The significance of this fact is that 8th-grade reading skill is highly predictive of high school outcomes and preparedness for work and college.   In other words, third grade reading success is vitally important because it predicts the trajectory of a child’s educational career.  The above chart school district reading scores illustrates … Read More

Mission

The world of publicly funded education is comprised of numerous institutions, agencies, organizations, and regulatory bodies.  They range from schools and colleges to teacher organizations, to vendors of books and desks, to academic interest groups. All share in the growth and prosperity of the multibillion-dollar industry of which they are a part.  All are stakeholders in the industry’s successes and failures. By contrast, the Education Consumers Foundation (ECF) is a non-profit organization that is financially and otherwise independent … Read More

Teacher Ed Needs Accountability

posted in: General Information, News & Announcements |

Tennessee Education Schools Need Accountability, Not a New Report Card J. E. Stone, Ed.D. December 8, 2016 Tennessee has had a Teacher Preparation Report Card since 2007 and it has had no impact on the effectiveness of Tennessee’s newly trained teachers. The reason is that the sanctions promised by Tennessee’s $500 million Race to the Top grant were never implemented. As of 2015—the last year for which the number of “highly ineffective” teachers are reported–the state’s teacher training … Read More

Early Reading Success Predicts Later Educational Success

posted in: Home Carousel, home-carousel |

In most states, a school district’s number of proficient third-grade readers is highly predictive of the number of 8th graders who will be proficient five years later.  The significance of this fact is that 8th-grade reading skill is highly predictive of high school outcomes and preparedness for work and college.   In other words, third grade reading success is vitally important because it predicts the trajectory of a child’s educational career.  The above chart school district reading scores illustrates … Read More

Vicki Shelton: Recipe for Success – 2015

Lakeside Park Our recipe for success begins in kindergarten and emphasizes school culture and solid instruction. As Coach Pat Summitt writes, “Your focus better be on the small things and having the discipline and patience to do things right.” We focus on welcoming families and nurturing students. We focus on what we teach by identifying the most powerful standards and then we focus on how we teach. Instruction is always active and engaging. The teachers and their commitment … Read More

Renee’ Bernard: Recipe for Success – 2015

McPheeter’s Bend Elementary There are many factors that contribute to the success of McPheeter’s Bend Elementary. We have had excellent Value-Added scores for many years, but still strive to achieve more. I strongly believe Todd Whitaker’s stance that it is “People not Programs” that is the core of our success. The faculty and staff of McPheeter’s Bend Elementary School work together as a team to improve student achievement. Every day begins with a 120 minute reading/literacy block. During … Read More

Caught in a Vise: The Challenges Facing Teacher Preparation in an Era of Accountability

posted in: General Information |

Ginsberg, R. & Kingston, N. (2014). Caught in a vise: the challenges facing teacher preparation in an era of accountability. Teachers College Record 116(1). Online: http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=17295 Reflecting the view of most teacher educators, “Caught in a Vice” says that teacher educators hear all of the criticisms and are working diligently to address them. They are faced, however, with insurmountable technical problems in assessing teacher and training effectiveness. In other words, they are doing everything that the state of … Read More

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