1. College Board Backtracks on ‘Adversity Score’
“The College Board abandoned its plan to capture the socioeconomic profile of students with a single score, opting instead to provide admission officers with bulleted information about a student’s high school and neighborhood and make public the methodology it uses to do so.
2. Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who’s Doing It Best
“Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence,” sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has said. Arts education, on the other hand, does solve problems. Years of research show that it’s closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.
3. What’s Lost When We Rush Kids Through Childhood
“Being little” is of critical importance because we see the signature of early childhood experience literally in people’s bodies: their life expectancies are longer and their social-emotional capabilities are more robust when they have a chance to learn through play and through deep relationships, and when their developing brains are given the chance to grow in a nurturing, language-rich, and relatively unhurried environment. It’s clearer than ever before that young children are not simply mini-adults.”
4. How Building in Time for Exam Review Supports Advances in Student Learning
“Too often, exams or essays are seen as the end goal of teaching. After a busy period of learning, students sit down, fill in their papers and hand them in. We mark them, grade them and hand them back. But many of us don’t realize that assessment itself provides opportunities for learning and growth.”
5. A Simple Practice Yields Big Results in Middle School for Less Than $2
“The proposed solution is simple: New middle school students in the study completed two 15-minute writing exercises at the beginning of the year that asked them to reflect on statements like these from prior students: “Almost all 7th graders said they had worried a lot about taking middle school tests at the beginning of 6th grade, but almost all 7th graders say that they now worry much less about taking tests,” and “Almost all 7th graders said they had worried at first that they did not ‘fit in’ or ‘belong’ at the beginning of 6th grade, but almost all 7th graders say that they now know that they ‘fit in’ and ‘belong.’”
6. International Survey: U.S. Teachers Are Overworked, Feel Underappreciated
“According to the survey, 90 percent of U.S.teachers are satisfied with their jobs, but only 36 percent believe that American society values the teaching profession – a sentiment that’s fueled the discontent among teachers that’s been on public display since 2018.”
7. How to Raise a Kid with a Conscience
“Showcase character-rich movies and TV shows. On your next family movie night, choose a film or TV series that promotes the “soft skills” such as empathy, gratitude, and integrity. After the show, talk about what traits you value and how your family can focus on and strengthen them in your daily lives. Consider having a “character day” where everyone practices a skill such as gratitude. This helps kids see how they make right-vs.-wrong decisions even in their everyday interactions.”
