Curriculum & Instruction

More than five years after many states implemented Common Core, the impact on student achievement remains unclear—though some states show small academic gains, with persistent achievement gaps. “Common Core is alive and well” says Adam Ezring, policy director of the Collaborative For Student Success, a nonprofit that supports use of the standards. “While it’s still […]

Meeting students’ psychological needs, improving STEM programs and fueling college and career access exemplify innovative solutions increasing student achievement nationwide. The 24 school systems honored in this round of District Administration’s Districts of Distinction national recognition program found creative ways to raise graduation rates and to build up administrative effectiveness. These districts, representing 16 states […]

Biology students in 13 Howard County public high schools have a new tool to study the Chesapeake Bay watershed. By using the survey tool, students help environmental scientists keep an eye on pollution and other factors that might harm the bay or its creatures, including Maryland’s renowned blue crabs. Howard County sits southwest of Baltimore, […]

Few teachers receive individualized professional development, though many are expected to personalize learning for students. Microcredentials—digital badges that teachers earn by learning a skill and demonstrating mastery through student results—offer a PD pathway designed to be highly differentiated and engaging. The microcredentialing process starts with teachers choosing a skill they want to develop. They take […]

English language learners remain the least represented group in gifted programs—meaning districts do not sufficiently tap the talents of the growing number of immigrant students entering U.S. schools. “It’s a shame because these are kids who have enormous potential not only to be among the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs, but to be upwardly […]

Invasive fish species can harm Florida’s waterways. And now students from Miami-Dade County’s BioTECH @ Richmond Heights work with Zoo Miami scientists to monitor the invaders and their effects on local lakes. The conservation-biology-focused STEM high school—which opened in 2014-15 with help from an $11 million federal grant—focuses on zoology, botany, genetics, ecology, chemistry and […]