In an effort to help their students attain the kind of stellar math scores regularly achieved by Singapore students, some U.S. schools are adapting the Asian city-state’s mathematics teaching model.

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on A Promising Math Model

Tags: International K-12 Education, Math teachers, Mathematics, Research on Learning

A National Academy of Engineering report says it’s not time to introduce a new set of K-12 engineering education standards. Given the importance of national technological development, however, engineering learning should be incorporated into existing subjects.

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | 2 Comments »

Tags: Education Policy, National Academy of Engineering, Public Policy, Publication, Research on Learning, STEM education

This report discusses how 15 public high schools excelled. The schools were featured at the Fifth Annual Conference of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University in June of 2009. At the conference, teams from each of the schools made brief presentations with evidence of their impressive achievements and then faced extensive questioning from experts about the methods by which they achieved such progress.

Read More

Filed under: Web Resources | Comments Off on Report: How High Schools Become Exemplary

Tags: Education Policy, Research, Research on Learning

Many American children engage in no physical activity outside of school, and slashed state budgets mean even fewer phys-ed classes in some districts. But new studies indicate that aerobic exercise can strengthen minds, as well as bodies.

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on Exercise Strengthens Brainpower

Tags: Education Policy, Health, Public Policy, Research, Research on Learning, Sports

The Obama Administration has pushed for greater use of merit pay to reward teachers when students make gains in standardized tests. Yet, a new study has found that merit payments of up to $15,000 didn’t improve academic performance.

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on Does Merit Pay Make a Difference?

Tags: Education Policy, Math teachers, Public Policy, Research on Learning, Teacher Training, Teachers

Math teachers who want to refine their teaching methods might want to check out a new volume of articles that presents the latest research findings for improving math education. Published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the articles are jargon-free and include references and a handy use guide.

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on On the Path to Stronger Math

Tags: Math teachers, Mathematics, Publication, Research, Research on Learning

American educators too often fail to identify and cultivate potentially high-achieving students who could become tomorrow’s Thomas Edisons or Marie Curies, the National Science Board says in a new report. As a result, the country risks losing innovators key to U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness.

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on What Happens to Our Best and Brightest?

Tags: Education Policy, Gifted and Talented, Honors Students, Public Policy, Research on Learning

Science writer Benedict Carey says there is no empirical evidence that grinding study schedules, quiet work spaces, and hard-set goals help students learn. There are, however, at least four effective approaches that are backed by cognitive-science research. “But they directly contradict much of the common wisdom about good study habits, and they have not caught on.”

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on Best Study Practices Reassessed

Tags: Research, Research on Learning

The College Board, which administers the SAT test, recently released a breakdown of this year’s results. And, how did the class of 2010 fare? Exactly the same as the class of 2009. The average total SAT score was 1,509 points out of a possible total of 2,400 — the same as last year.

Read More

Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on No Change in SAT Scores

Tags: Research on Learning, Testing