Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

research

California residents

National
November 1, 2018

Teacher residencies have many admirers but still train few teachers. California may be about to change that.

California recently earmarked $75 million to create new residencies and expand existing ones — enough to jumpstart programs that face unique funding challenges.

the school improvement industry

National
October 29, 2018

Private groups have long tried to help turn around struggling schools. But it’s not clear if they’re doing any good.

There's little evidence on whether that school improvement industry, paid for by taxpayers, is actually boosting student learning, according to a new study.

evaluating evaluation

National
October 25, 2018

More work, worse relationships, and better feedback: How teacher evaluation has changed the job of the principal

Teacher evaluation overhauls were supposed to reshape teaching. New research suggests they may have had an even greater impact on what it means to be a school principal.

churning not learning

National
October 23, 2018

New research shows just how much losing a teacher midyear hurts students

The ill effects of teacher turnover identified in previous research may be driven largely by midyear departures, which might be more common than previously thought.

working toward proficiency

National
October 18, 2018

Maine went all in on ‘proficiency-based learning’ — then rolled it back. What does that mean for the rest of the country?

The latest developments suggest that Maine may become a cautionary tale rather than the successful proof point advocates had hoped for.

held back

National
October 11, 2018

Holding middle-schoolers back causes dropout rates to spike, new research finds

To hold back or not to hold back? For many policymakers, the answer was clear: it was time to stop allowing struggling students to keep moving through school.

personalized pathways

National
September 28, 2018

What happens when you pay students to get ready for college? One state is about to find out, with help from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

CZI is helping Rhode Island try out the strategy, aimed at high-scoring students from low-income families in the state.

a chalkbeat cheat sheet

National
September 26, 2018

Here’s a list of studies showing that kids in poverty do better in school when their families have more money

We compiled a list of studies of anti-poverty programs and the effects on children and families. We’re providing that here as a reference

income and outcomes

National
September 26, 2018

Want to boost test scores and increase grad rates? One strategy: look outside schools and help low-income families

Chalkbeat identified more than 20 studies published in the past decade that examine how increasing family income or benefits like food stamps and health insurance affect children’s outcomes in school in the U.S.

missed opportunities

National
September 25, 2018

A new report argues that students are suffering through bad teaching and simplistic classwork. Is that true?

America’s public schools are full of students who aren’t being challenged, a new study says. But It’s not clear its methods can support such strong conclusions.

Free for All

National
September 18, 2018

A benefit of free lunch for all: fewer students get repeatedly suspended, new study suggests

Allowing an entire school to eat for free can reduce the number of students who get suspended multiple times, according to a new study.

on the money

National
September 5, 2018

The salary slide: as other professionals see growth, teachers’ pay stagnates, new report finds

Teachers now earn about 20 percent less than other college-educated workers, according to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute, a union-backed think tank.

research update

National
August 23, 2018

Suspensions really do hurt students academically, new studies confirm, but maybe less than previously thought

New research provides some of the strongest evidence yet that suspensions do in fact harm students’ academic performance.

the portfolio push

National
August 21, 2018

40 cities in 10 years: Leaked presentation offers more details on new group’s goals to spread charter (and charter-like) schools

The City Fund wants to reach 5 percent of low-income students in the U.S. within five years, according to a presentation obtained by Chalkbeat.

spring breakthrough

National
August 7, 2018

Spring break at school? New research says it helps middle schoolers catch up

It has spread across Massachusetts as a school turnaround strategy: bring students into school over spring break for hours and hours of extra instruction.
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