On social work training. 'Degrees in social work are viewed as being "difficult to fail" - a reputation that is unacceptable, a select committee of MPs has said.' From James A: As I wrote several years ago; When I taught on social work courses, on which the majority of other tutors were former social workers, they were often exemplary tutors.…
Category Archives Education – Policy – International
Do Teachers Matter?. A psychology study hit the headlines last Friday under the banner ‘Teacher quality makes little difference, study shows’. AN AUSTRALIAN study has cast doubt over the “teacher effect”, by suggesting differences between teachers play only a minor role in how well a child will learn. The global study, led by the University of New England, monitored 500 pairs…
Schools That Transform. - Andrew Leigh David Brooks reports on some surprisingly large impacts from a randomised trial of New York “Harlem Children’s Zone” schools. The effects are so big that I find it hard to imagine they’re readily replicable, but it’s tantalizing stuff. The fight against poverty produces great programs but disappointing results. You go visit an inner-city school, job-training program…
Protecting rural economies in Scotland. Scotland's rural schools can be fundamental to safeguarding small, fragile local economies and the Scottish Government is committed to protecting their often unique place in the community. [eGov monitor - A Policy Dialogue Platform - Education & Skills]
Impact of creative partnerships on young people's attainment: Results from 2005 and 2006. Schools involved with Creative Partnerships, the UK government's national creative learning programme, have reduced truancy by up to a fifth and pupils have gained better exam results by up to two and a half grades at GCSE, according to this research. [Creative Economy : Reports]
What is school for? Seth Godin Seems like a simple question, but given how much time and money we spend on it, it has a wide range of answers, many unexplored, some contradictory. I have a few thoughts about education, how we use it to market ourselves and compete, and I realized that without a common place to start,…
1.23 Million Students Will Fail to Graduate in 2008; New Data on U.S. Congressional Districts Detail Graduation Gaps Report Finds State-Level P-16 Councils Are Increasingly Popular but Often Lack Support, WASHINGTON
If ever there was essential reading for every teacher and every teacher-educator, the work of Professor John Hattie from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, would be at the top of my reading list. The clarity and focus of such an extensive, system-wide meta-study that focusses on the EFFECTs of what teachers, schools and education systems DO is very compelling.…
91.2% of Class Time in Their Seats. USA Today is reporting on a new comprehensive study of elementary school classrooms that is being published in this week’s Science magazine. Aside from not being overly engaged, the study of over 2,500 classrooms showed that “The typical child in the USA stands only a one-in-14 chance of having a consistently rich, supportive…