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The research missing from the LA charter debate? 3 key studies show gains for students
In Los Angeles, a leaked draft of a plan to dramatically expand charter school access in America’s second-largest school district has become a lightning rod development for advocates of traditional public schools. The war of words intensified last week at the Huffington Post when American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten attacked LA charter expansion as “part of a coordinated national...
By Matt Barnum | April 21, 2016
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5 key lessons from the successes (and failures) of President Obama’s teacher evaluation reforms
The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the waning of the Obama administration bring to a close federal efforts to improve teacher evaluation — a practice once widely derided for its infrequent and pro forma observations, inflated ratings and lack of consequences. Today most states combine different measures, including classroom observations and student test data,...
By Matt Barnum | April 4, 2016
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Data show 3 of the 5 biggest school districts hire more security officers than counselors
School security officers outnumber counselors in four out of the 10 largest public school districts in the country — including three of the top five — according to data obtained by The 74. New York City, Chicago, Miami-Dade County and Houston schools all employ more security staff than counselors. New York City, Chicago and Miami-Dade...
By Matt Barnum | March 30, 2016
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Report: California is 15th friendliest state for charter schools
As educators from around the state head to Long Beach next week for the 23rd annual California Charter Schools Conference, California is holding steady in its friendliness to charter schools, says a January report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS), a pro-charter advocacy group that releases an annual study of state-level policies. The survey...
By Matt Barnum | March 11, 2016
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Study finds change in California testing policy helped English learners in Los Angeles
Removing services for high school students learning English may have harmful effects on test scores and graduation rates if done too quickly, according to a study conducted in Los Angeles. The research, published in October in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, provides a cautionary note to policymakers hoping to swiftly move students to...
By Matt Barnum | February 18, 2016