Joanne Jacobs
The honesty gap: 'How are parents supposed to understand this?'
States are hiding pandemic learning loss by lowering the bar for "proficiency" on state tests.
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Joanne Jacobs
Nov 29, 20232 min read
Anti-racist math: 2 + 2 = whiteness
Apples and oranges featured heavily in my elementary school math curriculum, and yet I knew math was about the numbers, not about the...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 21, 20233 min read
AP tests are tough: Is the bar too high for disadvantaged students?
"The basic philosophy of the Advanced Placement Program is simply that all students are not created equal," said the program's director,...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 16, 20232 min read
Disarming grades
"Handwringing" about grade inflation is "inflated," suggests Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post. She offers a piece by Jack Schneider...
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 24, 20232 min read
Oregon keeps grad requirements low: No need for reading, writing, math competency
Oregon won't require students to show mastery of reading, writing or math to collect a high school diploma, reports Sami Edge in The...
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 29, 20231 min read
The case for quizzes: Students learn more -- and feel less anxious
Timed tests are unpopular with progressive educators, writes Hechinger's Jill Barshay. They think they're stressful and reward the...
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 23, 20232 min read
AI will change testing: Can it grade essays?
Number 2 pencils and fill-in-the-bubble are out, writes Matteo Wong in The Atlantic. Standardized tests are going digital. In a few...
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 17, 20232 min read
Competency counts: No lectures, no mandatory classes, lots of tests
"Competency-based education," which assesses students on skills rather than seat time, is finally becoming a reality for vocational...
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 28, 20233 min read
U.S. schools devalue academics, celebrate failure
Are you excessively cheerful? Did you turn your frown upside down and now it's stuck that way? David Steiner will remove your...
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 26, 20231 min read
What works in teaching English (discussion) may not work in teaching math
The most effective use of class time depends on the subject, concludes a study conducted in high-poverty English high schools, reports...
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