While it's widely known that breast-feeding has many health benefits, a new study has reinforced earlier research to indicate that breast-feeding can boost your test scores!
A study from Australia in the journal "Pediatrics" found that babies, especially boys, who were breast-fed for the first six months of life or longer, scored higher academically, including in standardized tests when they were older, than children who were not breast-fed.
The research found that breast-fed boys scored 30% better in writing and 20% better in math at 10 years old than their formula-fed peers.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Early Findings from Gates Foundation on How to Measure a Teacher's Impact on their Students Learning Outcomes
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are researching the widely disputed issue of how to measure a teacher's efficacy through their Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) initiative. The more effective the teacher, the better the student outcomes.
The foundation is trying to uncover "a more complete indicator of a teacher’s impact on student achievement" and how such an indicator relates to how teachers are recruited, developed, rewarded, and retained.
The initiative just published their initial findings.
In getting to the answer to the massive question concerning teacher efficacy, the MET initiative captured 13,000 classroom lessons on video, student vs teacher perceptions of these lessons, and consider standardized tests and their relationships to students and their teachers. Based on this raw data, here are some early findings from the researchers:
Exciting stuff! Again, these are early findings so more findings are coming.
Thanks Bill & Melinda for your awesomeness.
The foundation is trying to uncover "a more complete indicator of a teacher’s impact on student achievement" and how such an indicator relates to how teachers are recruited, developed, rewarded, and retained.
The initiative just published their initial findings.
In getting to the answer to the massive question concerning teacher efficacy, the MET initiative captured 13,000 classroom lessons on video, student vs teacher perceptions of these lessons, and consider standardized tests and their relationships to students and their teachers. Based on this raw data, here are some early findings from the researchers:
1. In every grade and subject we studied, a teacher's past success in raising student achievement on state tests (that is, his or her value-added) is one of the strongest predictors of his or her ability to do so again.
2. The teachers with the highest value-added scores on state tests also tend to help students understand math concepts or demonstrate reading comprehension through writing.
3. The average student knows effective teaching when he or she experiences it.
4. Valid feedback need not be limited to test scores alone. By combining different sources of data, it is possible to provide diagnostic, targeted feedback to teachers who are eager to improve.
Exciting stuff! Again, these are early findings so more findings are coming.
Thanks Bill & Melinda for your awesomeness.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
New exams coming for math and language arts for third graders to high school
U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan Announces Education Grant Awards aimed at Improving Student Assessments. Two winning applications composed of 44 States and D.C. Win Grants to Fund Assessments Based on Common Core Standards.
The grant requests, totaling approximately $330 million, are part of the Race to the Top competition and will be awarded as follows.
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, (PARCC), (PARCC) is a coalition of 26 states including AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MS, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC and TN.
The PARCC coalition will test students' ability to read complex text, complete research projects, excel at classroom speaking and listening assignments, and work with digital media. PARCC will also replace the one end-of-year high stakes accountability test with a series of assessments throughout the year that will be averaged into one score for accountability purposes, reducing the weight given to a single test administered on a single day, and providing valuable information to students and teachers throughout the year.
The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium is a coalition of 31 states including AL, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, ME, MI, MO, MT, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WV. The assessments will be ready for use by the 2014-15 school year.
The SMARTER coalition will test students using computer adaptive technology that will ask students tailored questions based on their previous answers. SMARTER will continue to use one test at the end of the year for accountability purposes, but will create a series of interim tests used to inform students, parents, and teachers about whether students are on track.
For both consortia, these periodic assessments could replace already existing tests, such as interim assessments that are in common use in many classrooms today.
For more, read ed.gov's article here.
The grant requests, totaling approximately $330 million, are part of the Race to the Top competition and will be awarded as follows.
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, (PARCC), (PARCC) is a coalition of 26 states including AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MS, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC and TN.
The PARCC coalition will test students' ability to read complex text, complete research projects, excel at classroom speaking and listening assignments, and work with digital media. PARCC will also replace the one end-of-year high stakes accountability test with a series of assessments throughout the year that will be averaged into one score for accountability purposes, reducing the weight given to a single test administered on a single day, and providing valuable information to students and teachers throughout the year.
The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium is a coalition of 31 states including AL, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, ME, MI, MO, MT, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WV. The assessments will be ready for use by the 2014-15 school year.
The SMARTER coalition will test students using computer adaptive technology that will ask students tailored questions based on their previous answers. SMARTER will continue to use one test at the end of the year for accountability purposes, but will create a series of interim tests used to inform students, parents, and teachers about whether students are on track.
For both consortia, these periodic assessments could replace already existing tests, such as interim assessments that are in common use in many classrooms today.
For more, read ed.gov's article here.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Sleeping for performance
I stumbled across these two articles on sleep. Both give tips on how to increase performance.
Lying in at the weekend boosts your brain power, study shows
Seven hours sleep is the recipe for health
Lying in at the weekend boosts your brain power, study shows
Seven hours sleep is the recipe for health
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Research Brief: Optimal Testing Environment
There's new research out from The Principals' Partnership which explores secrets of acing standardized exams. Some of the tips are consistent with what I've documented in other posts on this blog. According to the research, you should:
• Feel good when entering a testing arena, possessing a positive frame of mind
• Think of the tests as exciting challenges, not something to be endured
• Review and discuss the formats regularly prior to the exam
• Use a lot of practice tests and make sure to learn the vocabulary of the instructions
• Periodically, administer timed tests
• Teach specific skills such as: how to read a passage, reading questions before the passage, outlining writing prompts before writing, underlining key words in the test questions and directions, planning the use of time, completing the questions they know first, going with their first answer, answering every question and not allowing themselves to be distracted by others.
• Get a good night’s rest before the test and to allow sufficient time to arrive at the testing locating with time to settle in and get comfy
• Practice deep breathing and counting to ten to help relax
• Dress in layers so that you can keep comfy during the exam
• Eat a good breakfast and bring a snack that is not salty
• Find and study your weaknesses.
• Feel good when entering a testing arena, possessing a positive frame of mind
• Think of the tests as exciting challenges, not something to be endured
• Review and discuss the formats regularly prior to the exam
• Use a lot of practice tests and make sure to learn the vocabulary of the instructions
• Periodically, administer timed tests
• Teach specific skills such as: how to read a passage, reading questions before the passage, outlining writing prompts before writing, underlining key words in the test questions and directions, planning the use of time, completing the questions they know first, going with their first answer, answering every question and not allowing themselves to be distracted by others.
• Get a good night’s rest before the test and to allow sufficient time to arrive at the testing locating with time to settle in and get comfy
• Practice deep breathing and counting to ten to help relax
• Dress in layers so that you can keep comfy during the exam
• Eat a good breakfast and bring a snack that is not salty
• Find and study your weaknesses.
Better readers get better test scores
I came across a report entitled The Data Are In:
Teaching Reading Prepares Students for Standardized Tests.
The report analyzes data from tests taken from New York's ELA in November 2008, March 2009, and June 2009 involving data from 50,000 students. Students were in 3rd through 8th grades. The study found the following trends.
• As reading levels increase, percentages of students passing the state exam increase.
• As reading levels increase, scale scores increase.
• The increase in percentages of students passing and scores rising, taken together, creates a precise pattern that is repeated over and over in each grade and time frame of the year.
• Benchmarks are sometimes wider, sometimes narrower, and often higher than we previously thought.
• Benchmarks also sometimes show slippage from one grade to the next, particularly from 5th to 6th and from 6th to 7th.
Might be a good time to read that order that subscription to Science Magazine after all...
Teaching Reading Prepares Students for Standardized Tests.
The report analyzes data from tests taken from New York's ELA in November 2008, March 2009, and June 2009 involving data from 50,000 students. Students were in 3rd through 8th grades. The study found the following trends.
• As reading levels increase, percentages of students passing the state exam increase.
• As reading levels increase, scale scores increase.
• The increase in percentages of students passing and scores rising, taken together, creates a precise pattern that is repeated over and over in each grade and time frame of the year.
• Benchmarks are sometimes wider, sometimes narrower, and often higher than we previously thought.
• Benchmarks also sometimes show slippage from one grade to the next, particularly from 5th to 6th and from 6th to 7th.
Might be a good time to read that order that subscription to Science Magazine after all...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
2010 Mahindra Scorpio 4x4
Here's a real truck...
It's a turbo diesel from India with a better towing capacity that Toyota's equivalent offering yet $10,000 cheaper in Costa Rica.
It's a turbo diesel from India with a better towing capacity that Toyota's equivalent offering yet $10,000 cheaper in Costa Rica.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
NYT: In Hard Times, Lured Into Trade School and Debt
This story discusses the economics of trade school education and how trade schools benefit from their students' hope that new skills = new jobs, despite the current recession.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Costa Rica Tourism Forecast to be on the Rebound
This report just out shows that the sky isn't falling in Costa Rica's tourism industry.
That follows common sense... as they're not making any more paradise, except in Dubai perhaps. Costa Rica's consistently rated as one of the happiest places to live with great healthcare to boot. Its focus on the environment, short distance from US & Canada and foreigner friendly atmosphere would indicate that the trend towards more people heading south should continue.
Based on the report abstract, here's an overview of what's happening.
That follows common sense... as they're not making any more paradise, except in Dubai perhaps. Costa Rica's consistently rated as one of the happiest places to live with great healthcare to boot. Its focus on the environment, short distance from US & Canada and foreigner friendly atmosphere would indicate that the trend towards more people heading south should continue.
Based on the report abstract, here's an overview of what's happening.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
eLearning in Costa Rica
I just came across this enlightened presentation of elearning in Costa Rica. Warning it's 20 minutes.
It turns out that there's an alliance with Korean and Costa Rican governments in order to share knowledge of elearning between these countries.
From my research Costa Rica is a great area for elearning. Labor is reasonable on global levels. The infrastructure is good. The literacy rate is 96% which is the highest in the region. Additionally Costa Rica has a population of only 4.5 million with strong government policies on education. Combine these facts with open source solutions and some hard work and you've got elearning.
The only negative I personally see is that Costa Rica's local telephone company is a government monopoly. Thus telecommunications is not open to the best solution that competition delivers. But rather whatever the ICE delivers.
It turns out that there's an alliance with Korean and Costa Rican governments in order to share knowledge of elearning between these countries.
From my research Costa Rica is a great area for elearning. Labor is reasonable on global levels. The infrastructure is good. The literacy rate is 96% which is the highest in the region. Additionally Costa Rica has a population of only 4.5 million with strong government policies on education. Combine these facts with open source solutions and some hard work and you've got elearning.
The only negative I personally see is that Costa Rica's local telephone company is a government monopoly. Thus telecommunications is not open to the best solution that competition delivers. But rather whatever the ICE delivers.
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