News from WCER
Measuring Effects of a Pre-College Engineering Curriculum
June 1, 2010
A new Working Paper by Mitchell Nathan and colleagues illustrates how propensity score matching (PSM) can provide a robust estimate of a program treatment effect on student learning outcomes.
Working Paper Details Successes of STEM Collaboration
May 24, 2010
A new working paper presents findings on the effects of WCER’s SCALE project—System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators.
Assessing English Language Learners in Secondary Schools
May 17, 2010
WCER’s FLARE project helps secondary school teachers measure the progress of English Language Learners in academic classes.
ITP Fellow Wins Best Graduate Student Paper Award
May 10, 2010
At last week’s annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association ITP Fellow Anna Haskins received the Sociology of Education Special Interest Group's "Best Graduate Student Paper" award.
Surveys of Learning Reveal Strengths, Weaknesses
May 10, 2010
Over the past two decades, large-scale surveys have generated a wealth of generalizable evidence on instruction. But until recently, this vast body of research has not been summarized systematically.
Measuring Effects of Social Capital
May 3, 2010
Children’s social capital rests on the trust and shared expectations embedded in their networks of friends, parents, and teachers.
Facilitating Student Learning in Engineering
April 24, 2010
A new paper by Gina Svarovsky presents an ethnographic study of an engineering practicum.
Learning About Value-Added
April 19, 2010
WCER's Value-Added Research Center (VARC) offers tutorials to help get you up to speed in value-added assessment.
Summer Academies for ELL Educators
April 13, 2010
WIDA will host 3 summer academies for teachers and trainers of teachers of ELLs.
Using Teacher Performance Assessments For Human Capital Management
April 10, 2010
What aspects of teaching most influence student learning? What specific local strategies most improve student achievement?
Video Collaborative Supports Professional Development
April 5, 2010
Sharon Derry and colleagues support the practice and development of teachers in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) with the Video Mosaic Collaboratory.
Helping Students Understand Proofs
March 29, 2010
Students often have difficulties understanding mathematical proofs. Recent calls for a stronger focus on proof and justification in the middle grades have led to changes in curriculum and in teaching.
What Makes Schools Work
March 22, 2010
John Smithson and colleagues are analyzing how teachers in about 150 schools teach grades 2-8 mathematics.
VARC Featured in NY Public Schools Training Video
March 15, 2010
WCER’s Value-Added Research Center is helping New York City schools better measure teacher contributions to student achievement.
A New Era for the Strategic Management of Human Capital
March 10, 2010
Over the past 18 months educators have seen the national education reform agenda transformed. Novel ideas and unique strategies have been placed on the national docket for serious consideration. This transformation includes a focus on developing talent and managing human capital, a core emphasis of the education agenda of President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.