The latest stir on Capitol Hill could spell trouble for ESSA. Late last week, House Republicans have started moving toward disassembling the ESSA accountability rules created by the Obama administration. Get the full run-down of what’s happening on the federal front for ESSA and check out the rest of the week’s top stories in education.
House Republicans Move to Scrap Rules on ESSA, Teacher Preparation
Last Thursday, Republican lawmakers in Congress announced their resolutions of disapproval regarding two ESSA rules regarding accountability and teacher preparation. While these moves won’t immediately end these regulations, they could have far-reaching consequences for states. Read more
Future K-12 Educators Learn to Teach Through Virtual, Mixed Reality Simulations
At East Carolina University, they are using virtual reality to train future K-12 teachers. The innovative pilot program simulates a typical classroom environment that mimics real student behaviors, giving ECU students the chance to practice classroom management techniques and instructional strategies. Read more
Do Quizzes Improve Student Learning? A Look at the Evidence
Tracking down evidence that supports quizzing is challenging, because although quizzing has been studied across disciplines, it’s not easily searchable. In this article, a former college professor compares the results of seven different surveys on the impact of using quizzes. Read more
One Campus’ iPad Revolution Results in Education Evolution
Two years ago, Maryville University, in Missouri, took a significant step to innovate the classroom with iPads. Find out how they invested in an active-learning program, providing their students with 2,800 iPads preloaded with 80 free learning apps to personalize and improve student learning. Watch the video interview with the university president and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Read more
Bett 2017: Use Technology to Support Student Outcomes
According to the Microsoft vice-president of worldwide education, technology can help universities deliver on their mandated task of preparing industry-ready graduates. In an interview with Times Higher Education, Anthony Salcito talks about the potential of technology-enhanced learning, including the developing field of learning analytics that will help improve students’ employability. Read more
Decades After Civil Rights Gains, Black Teachers a Rarity in Public Schools
D.C. public schools may have the lowest number of white teachers (26 percent), but nationwide, schools look quite different. At last count, 82 percent of teachers in American public schools were white, down from 83 percent last year. And U.S. schools have made little progress in the past three decades in recruiting and retaining minority teachers. Read more