From the OverAchievers

Helping Educators Determine the Quality of Open Education Resources

Open Educational Resources (OER), or digital materials that can be used for teaching, learning, research and more, are made available for free to be used with few or no restrictions. They include full lesson plans, learning modules, complete courses, and many other tools, materials, and techniques used to support access to knowledge — and there are literally millions of open education resources currently available on the Internet. But what differentiates them from one another? How can educators determine whether the resources are high quality? As educators look for ways to help students learn and improve achievement, they need to know which tools may fit their specific needs. In November, Achieve and the Institute for the Study of Kn...

Strong Support, Low Awareness: Public Perception of the Common Core State Standards

In just a few short years, the education landscape has changed dramatically due to a sweeping set of policy changes and reform initiatives, perhaps none more transformative than the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Since their release in June 2010, 45 states and Washington, D.C. have chosen to adopt these common, K-12 English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics standards to provide all students with the academic foundation they need for success in college, careers and life. Despite the number of states that have voluntarily adopted the new standards—set to be implemented by 2014-15—the question remains: what does the public think about the Common Core State Standards? Or, perhaps the harder question: will the public suppo...

Next Generation Science Standards for Today's Students and Tomorrow's Workforce

Earlier last month, 20 states were selected to lead the effort to improve science education for all students by developing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These states are Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. Read the full news statement here. The new K–12 science standards will be rich in both content and practice to provide all students a challenging science education. The new standards will be arranged in a coherent manner across grades so students and educators can see the clear progression of the content, practices, and concepts that c...

Brought To You by the Letters S, T, E & M

When Sesame Street’s creative team began planning the show's 42nd season, four letters were on their mind - S, T, E, and M - for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These so-called "STEM" skills will be front-and-center on the show this season, as well-known characters connect math and science-based skills and concepts to "real-life" learning opportunities. For example, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and friends will build bridges, launch rockets and think through problems that require trial and error, observation and data. Sesame Street has long been dedicated to helping children get ready, both academically and socially, for school, and this focus on STEM is well aligned with that goal. With U.S. students c...

The Common Core, A Pre-Requisite for Postsecondary Education & Training

A new analysis from the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) makes it clear that students who master the Common Core State Standards have mastered the baseline of academic knowledge and skills necessary for success in college and careers. Reaching the Goal: The Applicability and Importance of the Common Core State Standards to College and Career Readiness surveyed nearly 2,000 college faculty at two- and four-year institutions from a cross-section of disciplines, including mathematics, English, business management, health care, science and social sciences. The survey asked these faculty members how applicable and how important they felt the individual Common Core State Standards in mathematics and ELA/literacy were to students&rsqu...