Education Consumers Foundation

“Since 2005” Reports on Educationfrom a Consumer Perspective • Was this school a good choice? • Why is my child behind? • Should my child be reading? • Is the problem my child or the school? Let Us Show You What to Look for & WhyWe show parents, taxpayers and officialshow to identify good schools &get the best from the rest. Go to slide 1 Go to slide 2 Go to slide 3 Go to slide 4 Go … Read More

Teachers & Teacher Preparation

Disconnected and Unaccountable Teacher Training is at the Heart of Schooling Failure Evidence from the few states where such data is collected indicates that many elementary and secondary school students fail to make adequate progress because they too frequently encounter ineffective teachers, i.e., teachers whose students’ achievement growth is significantly less than one year of achievement gain per school year. Part of the problem is that many school districts are only now beginning to systematically monitor or address the problem … Read More

ECF Cost Calculator

Reading Failure Is Costing Us Our Future: Here Are the Numbers for Your School or District

Consumer Empowerment

American Decline can be Reversed through Grassroots Action Public education has been decaying on the inside for decades. Educators blame poverty, poor parenting, changing demographics, the growth of hedonistic popular culture, insufficient funding, and myriad other factors. Seldom mentioned, however, is education’s failure to adapt and overcome these conditions. In the view of most educators, schools are doing all they can–an explanation that is contradicted by the measurable differences in effectiveness among teachers within the same school and … Read More

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

TN: Are Your District High School Graduates Ready for College?

posted in: General Information

The ACT is a college readiness exam that measures the likelihood of a high school graduate’s success in college. The test covers reading, math, science and English and uses multiple choice questions to predict a graduate’s chance of earning a B or C grade in four critical college courses. An individual’s score in each of the four subject matter areas are compared to College Readiness Benchmarks that ACT established from its studies of successful and unsuccessful students. The … Read More

Early Reading Success Predicts Later Educational Success

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

Are states reporting the truth about student achievement?

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) vs State Self Reports Are States Being Honest with Themselves About Student Achievement? The charts below compare the most recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reports on reading and math achievement with the state self-reports required by the No Child Left Behind Act. The discrepancies are shocking and they clearly illustrate the need for higher standards, but not necessarily for Common Core. What these discrepancies more directly reveal is a continuing … Read More

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