Parents, educators, political leaders--all Americans need the information contained in this article. But why this poll? First, it's not just a quick snapshot of public perception. Rather, it is a serious research tool, conducted annually, that allows Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) members and other educators and policy makers to track public opinion from…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is not going away. In fact, it might not even undergo more than minor modifications before it comes up for reauthorization in a couple of years. The nomination of Margaret Spellings to replace Rod Paige as U.S. secretary of education foretells not only a single-minded focus on test-based accountability but also an…

This article evaluates the "Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction: Reports of the Subgroups" (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000). The author also examines the following…

It would be kind to say that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) was dawdling in its analysis of the data on charter schools that were collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). ED collected the data with the regular NAEP assessment in 2003 and placed the regular data on its website in the fall of 2003. The American…

The intent of No Child Left Behind is to close the achievement gap. However, in this article, the authors point out, the teachers working with the students who have the farthest to go also have the fewest resources and the poorest working conditions. Districs across the San Francisco Bay area and the nation are slashing budgets, teachers, and…

Overall the past decade has not been kind to educational research. First, some "research" has been subordinated to and corrupted by ideology. Second, there has been substantial questioning of what educational research should be and a fear that the federal government is moving to a rigid orthodoxy in defining what counts as "science" or "research.…

Highlights from two new studies about teachers here and abroad: "Teaching Mathematics in Seven Countries: Results from the TIMSS 1999 Video Study" and "Preparing Teachers Around the World." (MLF)

Analyzes 13 different recently published research-based lists of the characteristics of effective professional development. Finds little agreement on criteria for "effectiveness," equivocating statements, and oversimplification. Calls for reaching agreement on "effectiveness" and providing clear descriptions of important contextual elements of…

Provides assessment-driven, six-stage professional development model that links adult-learning goals with student-learning outcomes. (PKP)

Summarizes studies of three preschool education programs. Finds strong evidence that high-quality day care produces long-term outcomes. Cost-benefit analysis of three programs concludes that benefits exceed costs. (Contains 13 references.) (PKP)

Offers an update on global education programs from around the world, in the hope that American educators will seek dialogue with their international peers. (Author/MLF)

Reviews two recent books on different aspects of socioeconomic-status-based inequalities in the school readiness of children entering kindergarten: Lee and Burkam's "Inequality at the Starting Gate" and Coley's "An Uneven Start: Indicators of Inequality in School Readiness." Also discusses "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being…

Discusses research on the extent, causes, and consequences of the shortage of public-school teachers in the United States. (PKP)

Reviews research by June Gordon, appearing in the June issue of "Teachers College Record," that explored why Asian Americans were underrepresented in the teaching profession. Major reasons that Asian Americans avoided the teaching profession were parent pressure, lack of self-confidence, fear of working in an unfamiliar environment, and…

Discusses the prevalence of service learning, growing public support, definitions, quality standards, and salutary research evidence. Service learning positively influences students' personal and interpersonal development, lifestyle choices, appreciation for cultural diversity, sense of civic and social responsibility, motivation, attendance,…