Policy, Research, & Analysis

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Technology in the Classroom: Does it Help or Hurt?

Policy, Research, & Analysis, Technology June 8, 2015 at 7:30 am

A recent study by scholars at the London School of Economics has revived the argument over using mobile technology in schools, and whether students should be allowed to use their own devices. The study found that schools that banned cell phones had a 6% stronger test score improvement than schoolsRead More

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Gender Biases in Choosing Tech for Kids

In this day and age, children start using digital devices early on and grow up with technology. But how do we decide which devices our children will use? A recent study from PlayScience asked that very question, and some of the answers it found were unsettling. In addition to devices’Read More

Governor Greg Abbott. Image courtesy of the Texas Tribune.

Abbott-Backed PreK Bill Poised to Become Law

Policy, Research, & Analysis, PreK May 25, 2015 at 10:03 am

  Last week, after two months of back-and-forth, House Bill 4 won its final passage in the Texas legislature. The bill, which provides state funding for public prekindergarten programs, is now ready to be signed into law. In its finalized form, House Bill 4 provides for $130 million in grantsRead More

Picture Provided Courtesy of Ky Wilson.

New Report Suggests Causes, Solutions for Graduation Rate Gaps

National K-12, Policy, Research, & Analysis May 22, 2015 at 7:30 am

The sixth annual Building a Grad Nation report, released last week, showcases an encouraging trend. According to the most recent data, the United States is still on track to achieve a 90% high school graduation rate by 2020. The 2013 graduation rate of 81.4% was a record high. More importantly,Read More

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Research Roundup: E-Reading and Literacy

From Curriculet’s student-centered e-edition of USA Today to HISD’s partnership with MyON, schools are increasingly using screen-based tools to help students build literacy. And at home, parents can use e-books and tablet apps for the same purpose. A recent article on Education Week highlights some of the latest research onRead More

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Study Links (Some) Video Games to Improvements in Math

As we’ve discussed at length elsewhere, educational video games have proliferated considerably in the past 20 years. From Quantum Leap to iPad apps, there are games across subject areas for every level. But of course, not all of these games are equally valuable – the preponderance of evidence from currentRead More

Top HISD Magnets More Selective Than Ivy League Schools

Top HISD Magnets More Selective Than Ivy League Schools

HISD, Policy, Research, & Analysis, Schools April 15, 2015 at 7:30 am

For high school seniors and magnet school applicants, acceptance season is here. Universities have issued their  initial round of acceptance offers; students with offers from multiple schools have until May 1 to decide where they will attend. Meanwhile, in HISD, students were notified of their magnet admission status in mid-March;Read More

Finland Rolls Out Radical Restructuring of K-12 Curriculum

Finland Rolls Out Radical Restructuring of K-12 Curriculum

Education News, International April 1, 2015 at 8:30 am

Finland has one of the top educational systems in the world. And now, it’s considering a major overhaul that administrators hope will make it even better. Teaching by subjects – a curriculum element so fundamental most of us take it for granted – is to be phased out and replacedRead More

Teach for America Losing Ground in Recruiting

Teach for America Losing Ground in Recruiting

Best of the Web, National K-12 March 5, 2015 at 4:10 pm

Teach for America, or TFA, is a program which recruits high-achieving college graduates to teach for two years in low-performing or underserved public schools. Some Houstonians may know it as an organization whose alumni went on to found Houston’s YES Prep and KIPP charter schools. Many others may know TFARead More

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Increased PreK Funding on the Horizon for Texas Public Schools

Policy, Research, & Analysis, PreK March 2, 2015 at 8:30 am

In the State of the State address on February 17, Governor Greg Abbott identified five key issues which he intends to be the top legislative priorities in the immediate future. One of these issues was PreK funding. In his gubernatorial campaign, Abbott declared his support for state-funded PreK programs andRead More

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Research: Memorizing Times Tables Misses the Point

Policy, Research, & Analysis, Study Skills February 18, 2015 at 8:00 am

Do you remember learning your times tables as a child? And what about “Minute Math”? Timed math quizzes and drills are commonly used as classroom tools to reinforce basic concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. But according to Stanford professor and education scholar Jo Boaler, these teaching methods canRead More

Improving School Performance Through Parental Engagement

Improving School Performance Through Parental Engagement

Policy, Research, & Analysis, Study Skills February 9, 2015 at 6:00 am

How much do you know about your children’s homework? How many assignments do they have tonight? Are they on track with their longer-term projects? If you don’t know, you should look into ways of finding out – it could actually make a difference in your child’s academic performance. A 2014Read More

Gates Foundation Education Grants Favor College Prep & Common Core Initiatives

Gates Foundation Education Grants Favor College Prep & Common Core Initiatives

Best of the Web, Education News, National K-12 February 5, 2015 at 1:38 pm

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation annually awards millions in funding to education initiatives aimed at impacting both students and policy. One of the goals stated by the Gates Foundation in regards to education are to support innovation that can improve U.S. K-12 public schools and ensure that students graduateRead More

PreK and K-12 Education in the State of the Union: Recap

PreK and K-12 Education in the State of the Union: Recap

Best of the Web, National K-12 January 28, 2015 at 8:30 am

President Obama’s State of the Union address last week has already received much media attention, and the policies discussed in it have drawn considerable commentary from both sides of the aisle. On the topic of education, most attention has been focused on the President’s ambitious plan to make community collegeRead More

30% of HISD Schools Require Improvement According to Texas Education Agency

30% of HISD Schools Require Improvement According to Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency published its annual Public Education Grant list which is used to rate which schools across the state require improvement. Houston ISD, the state’s largest district, topped the list with 86 different elementary, middle and high schools requiring improvement due to low test scores and other factors contributingRead More

Texas Loses Controversial Bid for Federal Pre-K Grant (And What This Means for You)

Texas Loses Controversial Bid for Federal Pre-K Grant (And What This Means for You)

Last week, it was announced that Texas would not be among the 18 states awarded a federal Preschool Development Grant for the expansion of Pre-K programming. The Houston Chronicle‘s Ericka Mellon has more. Pre-K has come to be a contentious issue within education policy; during the recent gubernatorial race, itRead More