Sarah Schwartz

2 weeks ago | edweek.org | Sarah Schwartz

As states pass laws requiring schools to follow the “science of reading,” one aspect of these policies has stirred up particular controversy: Holding back struggling readers who don’t reach proficiency by the end of 3rd grade. Some research shows that states with these retention policies have seen bigger student test-score increases than states without them. Now, a new study suggests that the benefit to kids doesn’t actually come from having them repeat a grade.

3 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Sarah Schwartz

9 hours agoCharlie Munger, the late vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett’s closest business partner, was an investing master and a lifelong reader. Munger believed in building what he called a “latticework of mental models.” These 18 books were the key tools in that process. Poor Charlie’s …

3 weeks ago | edweek.org | Sarah Schwartz

In math, Algebra 1 is a make-or-break course. The class is the gateway to high school math, and struggling to complete it can close off those higher-level pathways—and even jeopardize students’ ability to graduate. Still, a substantial proportion of students fail Algebra 1 on their first attempt. Why is the class so challenging for so many teenagers?

3 weeks ago | edweek.org | Sarah Schwartz

Just a few years ago, the United States almost eliminated the gap between middle school girls’ and boys’ performance in math and science. Now, boys are pulling ahead again, finds a new analysis from researchers at the testing group NWEA. Results from several national assessments show that, in some of the first large-scale tests students took after the disruptions of the pandemic, 8th grade boys have scored slightly higher in the subjects than 8th grade girls, gaining a small but growing edge.

3 weeks ago | edweek.org | Sarah Schwartz

Civics education, long a source of tense political debates about the content of the curriculum, has become even more of a minefield for teachers and schools in recent months. Through an executive order, President Donald Trump is trying to end what he sees as “radical indoctrination” and promote “patriotic” education, defined in part as a celebration of America’s “greatness.”Texas and Oklahoma have recently seen fierce debate over proposals to include Bible stories in social studies lessons.