What are the characteristics of formal formative assessments that are both effective in improving student learning and an efficient use of a teacher's time and efforts? That's the question that the authors explore in this article drawing on a five-year research study. First, formal formative assessment is defined as being planned in advance,…

Miguel A. Cardona, the former commissioner of education in Connecticut, became the U.S. Secretary of Education on March 2, 2021, taking office in the midst of an historic pandemic that had profoundly reshaped the nation's schools. In his initial months on the job, Cardona- also a one-time public school teacher and principal--has focused closely on…

As a new wave of unaccompanied minors flowed across the border between Mexico and the United States in 2014, educators began to scramble to educate students who came to them with little or no English, having survived traumatic and arduous immigration journeys, and often with significantly limited formal schooling. Many of these children were…

When it comes to professional practice, getting a clear picture of how you're teaching in the classroom is easier said than done. The instructional coaches and teachers whom the author interviewed as part of a study on using video in professional development were, in almost all cases, surprised by what they saw in a video of them teaching. In many…

In this wide-ranging interview with Educational Leadership, Stanford University Professor of Education Linda Darling-Hammond discusses the kind of preparation and support new teachers need to survive their critical first years in the classroom. Among her central recommendations are more intensive mentoring that lasts through the first year of…

In this interview with "Educational Leadership," pediatrician Dr. Mel Levine, cofounder of "All Kinds of Minds," explains why students and educators should learn about eight neurodevelopmental functions that undergird our strengths and weaknesses. For the most part, he notes, adults who lead successful lives mobilize their strengths and compensate…

Ralph Tyler answers questions about his work in educational evaluation during the past 50 years and identifies the major problems in education today as educating disadvantaged children, improving the transition of youth into constructive adult life, and rebuilding the total educational environment for children. (MLF)

Skillfully interviewing students can elicit useful information about the quality of the educational program. (JM)

In this interview, James Block explains the model of mastery learning, developed by himself and B. Bloom, according to which individual differences in academic ability are lessened by appropriate teaching methods. (GW)

In this interview with Executive Editor Ron Brandt, Bloom answers criticisms of mastery learning and explains why he believes it is so important. (Author/JM)