Several factors, such as declining birth rates, and the COVID-19 pandemic, have contributed to the current downward trend in college enrollments in the United States (Marcus, 2021, May 22). Declining enrollments create a greater focus on retention of students. Retention, however, is complicated by factors such as rising tuition costs, an uncertain…

Launched to "advance a new vision for what constitutes success for our schools and our students," the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (NCSEAD) began their work by listening to students who shared their thoughts on how they learn best. The young people were clear and unequivocal: They want positive…

"The Practice Base for How We Learn: Supporting Students' Social, Emotional, and Academic Development" outlines promising practices that show how students, teachers, parents, and administrators can integrate social, emotional, and academic learning in preK-12 education. The report, which represents the vision of the 34-member Council of…

When this author first started graduate school, she was an incurable snoop--deeply curious about the lifestyles of her professors. She looked through the bookcases in their offices, studied the clutter on their desks, and asked personal questions about everything from how they balanced work with family to how many hours they slept at night. She…

Nearly half (45%) of students in DC Public Schools are males of color. Despite improvements district-wide, there are still considerable achievement gaps between young men of color and their peers. We must work harder to ensure that all students--particularly boys and young men of color--share equally in District of Columbia Public Schools' (DCPS')…

In the past two decades, a large body of research has examined the differences between novices and experts in subject areas ranging from physics to poetry. Yet research on developing expertise has found no "magic bullet" in becoming an expert and has concluded that innate talent plays a less prominent role than previously imagined.…

The American School Counselor Association developed national standards for students to provide a framework for a holistic approach to student academic, career, and personal/social development. While the ASCA Student Standards are comprehensive, little attention is given to stress. Adolescents are experiencing greater stress associated with…

This issue of ETS Policy Notes focuses on highlights from the ETS African American Education Seminar. The day-long event, which drew more than 100 education and public affairs professionals, assessed the challenges facing African Americans in all levels of education, including access to high-quality prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, and…

Women are making progress in many areas of science, but a gender gap still remains, especially in physics, computer science, and engineering, and at advanced levels of academic and career achievement. Today's teachers can help narrow this gap by instilling a love for science in their female students and by helping them to understand and develop…

Developing children's capacity to learn is at the forefront of all endeavours in schools. Teachers strive to capitalise on a wide range of teaching styles and innovations to stimulate, motivate and engage their children to become "better learners". Since September 1999, the Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam University has…

This article presents the author's response to Edmund Gordon and Beatrice Bridglall's paper titled "The Affirmative Development of Academic Ability: In Pursuit of Social Justice." Placing her comments in a historical context, the author states that Gordon and Bridglall point out that the "Brown v. Board of Education" case was the result of decades…

This book focuses on the psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence the achievement of black youth who are gifted or potentially gifted, the prevention of underachievement, and appropriate interventions in cases of underachievement. The roles that families, educators, peers, and students themselves must play in promoting the…