Category Archives: Standards and assessments

New Report Continues the Dialogue on Testing Integrity

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Jack Buckley

Academic assessment plays an important role in making decisions about the education of our children. We — parents, educators, and administrators — all depend on valid and reliable data. Yet a series of high-profile cheating incidents over the last several … Continue reading →

Posted in Headlines, News, Standards and assessments | 2 Comments

Duncan to Congress: Giving States Flexibility is Working

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Cameron Brenchley

States and their schools are breaking free from the restrictions of No Child Left Behind and pursuing new and better ways to prepare and protect all students, Education Secretary Arne Duncan told a Senate committee Thursday. In a hearing before … Continue reading →

Posted in ESEA Reauthorization, Headlines, News, P-12 Reform, Standards and assessments, Teachers, Teaching Profession | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

How do U.S. Students Compare with their Peers around the World?

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Arne Duncan

New international assessments of student performance in reading, math, and science provide both encouraging news about American students’ progress and some sobering cautionary notes. The encouraging news is that U.S. fourth grade students have made significant progress in reading and … Continue reading →

Posted in Data, Headlines, News, Standards and assessments | Tagged , | 11 Comments

What is ED’s Stance on Using Testing Data in Teacher Evaluation?

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Guest Blogger

A recent letter to the Department of Education from a teacher in Cincinnati contained a quote that really struck me: “It is not at all that I am afraid of what my test scores might reveal.  I am more concerned … Continue reading →

Posted in Headlines, News, P-12 Reform, Race to the Top, Standards and assessments, Teachers, Teaching Profession | Tagged | 10 Comments

We Can’t Wait: 10 States Approved for NCLB Flexibility

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley

“We can’t wait,” President Obama said earlier today at a White House event to announce that 10 states have been approved for flexibility in exchange for reform from No Child Left Behind. The ten states approved for flexibility are Colorado, … Continue reading →

Posted in ESEA Reauthorization, Headlines, News, P-12 Reform, Standards and assessments, Teachers | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Obama in State of the Union: “America is Back”

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley

“Teachers matter,” said President Barack Obama last night during his State of the Union address. “Instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo” he said, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on … Continue reading →

Posted in College Completion, Headlines, News, P-12 Reform, Schools and Community, Standards and assessments, Teachers, Teaching Profession | Tagged , | 18 Comments

After 10 Years, It’s Time for a New NCLB

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Arne Duncan

The following op-ed appeared in the January 8, 2012 edition of the Washington Post. Ten years ago today, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act. The law has improved American education in some ways, but it also still … Continue reading →

Posted in ESEA Reauthorization, Headlines, News, P-12 Reform, Standards and assessments | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Navigating Technology and Art at a School of Contradictions

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Guest Blogger

In the 19th Century, the London Bridge was a marvel of technology and an example of artistic creativity, and nearly a century later, one innovative American town dismantled the original masonry of the London Bridge and rebuilt it to handle … Continue reading →

Posted in Headlines, Innovation, News, Schools and Community, Standards and assessments, Teachers | Tagged | 1 Comment

Arne on Dumbing Down Standards and the Next Generation of Assessments

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Cameron Brenchley

Secretary Duncan sits down several times a month to answer questions he receives via his Facebook page. This past week, Arne answered questions that had been received on Facebook’s Facebook in Education page. In the video, Arne responds to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Arne Answers Questions, Headlines, News, Standards and assessments | Tagged | 14 Comments

What NCLB Flexibility Means for You

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Cameron Brenchley

Earlier today President Obama provided details on how states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act- or No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The new flexibility supports local and state education reform across the country in … Continue reading →

Posted in ESEA Reauthorization, Headlines, News, P-12 Reform, Standards and assessments, Teachers, Teaching Profession | Tagged , , | 23 Comments

Back-to-School Bus Heads to the Great Lakes

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Cameron Brenchley

During last week’s #AskArne Twitter Town Hall, Sarah, a third grade teacher, asked if it is possible for Arne to “tour and sponsor real town halls with educators.” This week, ED announced that Secretary Duncan and his senior staff will … Continue reading →

Posted in Back to School Tour 2011, Civil Rights, Early Learning, ESEA Reauthorization, Headlines, Innovation, Join the Conversation, Labor-Management, Listening Tour, News, P-12 Reform, Promise Neighborhoods, Race to the Top, Rural, Schools and Community, Science and Math (STEM), Standards and assessments, Teacher Practitioner, Teachers, Teaching Profession, Turnaround Schools | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Top 5 Questions About NCLB Flexibility

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Cameron Brenchley

“We’re still hopeful that Congress can continue its work this fall. In the meantime, states and districts have an opportunity to move forward,” said Secretary Duncan in a statement earlier today announcing the Obama Administration’s plan to provide a process … Continue reading →

Posted in ESEA Reauthorization, Headlines, News, P-12 Reform, Standards and assessments | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments