As the school year begins, new standards and initiatives — such as the Common Core State Standards — are being implemented across educational institutions in the US. The Aspen Institute Education and Society and College Excellence programs have been following these updates, and have released relevant analysis on some of the most significant changes or proposed changes to the US K-12 and college education systems.
Below is a roundup of four recent publications that break down the Common Core, student success at the community college level, and other pressing issues that serve to strengthen the classroom. Visit the Education and Society program’s Digital Resource Library to view more publications.
The Common Core State Standards: An Introduction for Families and Other Stakeholders (April 2013)
The Common Core State Standards is a near-universal set of academic standards adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. It represents a paradigm shift in the teaching of English language arts and math, emphasizing deeper learning and application of knowledge. Download this detailed explanation of the Common Core standards.
Creating A Faculty Culture of Student Success (February 2013)
Leading community colleges have created cultures in which faculty members consistently work to reform and improve their teaching in ways that measurably improve student learning. Download this publication to learn how.
Finding a New Way: Leveraging Teacher Leadership to Meet Unprecedented Demands (March 2013)
School systems that provide their highest-performing teachers with leadership roles can elevate the profession and increase the impact of top talent. Developing teacher leadership systems requires us to rethink evaluation, compensation, distributed leadership, and even what we see as the role of teachers and the way we organize instruction. To read profiles of school systems leading the effort to create teacher leadership opportunities, download this publication.
Evaluating Evaluations: Using Teacher Surveys to Strengthen Implementation
(April 2013)
Public education is focused on designing and implementing meaningful ways to evaluate teachers. Developed in partnership with The Parthenon Group, this publication explains how teacher surveys can advance this work by engaging teachers, generating information on what’s working and what’s not, and supporting accountability in efforts to improve education. Download this publication to learn more.
