This paper provides the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) community with information that may help maintain the validity and utility of the NAEP assessments for civics and U.S. history as revisions are planned to the NAEP…

The inclusion of writing is implicit within the expectations of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), particularly within the science and engineering practices component of the standards. NGSS goals include educating all students in science and engineering and providing the foundational knowledge for…

Background: As of 2016, 42 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Tens of millions of students across the country completed high school before their schools were able to fully implement the CCSS. As with previous standards-based reforms, the transition to the CCSS-aligned state education standards…

The purpose of this study was to determine if elementary English language arts (ELA) teachers in a northern New Jersey school district perceived they were receiving quality professional development that enabled them to shift their instructional methodologies to address the learning outcomes identified by the Common Core State Standards and ensure…

This design research study examined how professional development in the context of a research practice partnership developed Algebra 1 teachers' collective understanding of the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs), part of the Common Core State Standards. Over two years, 15 teachers participated in a task analysis routine that included…

This work attempts to examine instructional leadership from a peer influence perspective within a districtwide network of educational leaders. This approach to instructional leadership supplements a conventional understanding of technical core of professional collaboration. We argue from a social network perspective that individual perception is…

Every year millions of Americans gain valuable college credit-worthy learning through workplace training, the military, apprenticeships, & professional certifications. Nearly all of this learning goes unrecognized by colleges & universities. Without a consistent way to recognize, reward, and transfer this learning, many people are left…

This report stems from the Data Innovation in US Education initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The work was led by the Preva Group, in partnership with IMPAQ and Periscopic. The initiative had three overarching goals: to support the Foundation's efforts to better understand the impact of their education investments; to…

In the United States, the prevailing high school mathematics course sequence begins with a year of Algebra I, followed by a year of geometry and a year of Algebra II. Educators and others have raised concerns about the extent to which this sequence, which prioritizes the mastery of algebra, is appropriate for the longer-term education and career…

Although the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) were released over two years ago, misconceptions about what they are--and are not--persist. The "NGSS" provide for consistent science education opportunities for all students--regardless of demographics--with a level of rigor expected in every location and…

Science education is central to the lives of all Americans. Students face a world where they will frequently be required to make important decisions on issues that range from health care to the environment. Achieving literacy in science will require coherence at all levels and across components of the system including curriculum, assessment, and…

Students who demonstrate mathematics difficulties in the early grades are at risk for poor educational outcomes. Fortunately, strategic early mathematics intervention programs can improve academic outcomes for students with mathematics difficulties, and instructional technology has demonstrated promise in delivering targeted and individualized…

This paper is based on action research to help support an initiative in a NJ suburban high school of about 600 students aiming to improve student achievement. The main problem addressed is a recent trend of low test scores. Rather than look at socio- economic factors, school leaders as well as leaders at the district level are concerned that the…

Transition curricula are courses, learning modules, or online tutorials typically developed jointly by secondary and postsecondary faculty and offered no later than 12th grade to students at risk of being placed into remedial math or English programs in college. Based on interviews and other data, this brief describes key elements of English…

This study explores the assessment of the alignment of mathematics instructional materials with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). First, focus, rigor, and coherence, identified in TIMSS studies and also established for CCSSM, were chosen as criteria of alignment. Then, the CCSSM Graph (Zimba, 2012) was used as a yardstick to…