News from WCER
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.
The Mathematics of Space and Motion
March 8, 2010
Martha Alibali and Mitchell Nathan are leading a team of three university groups investigating the learning and teaching of the mathematics of space and motion.
District and School Contexts Affect Science Curriculum Reform
March 1, 2010
National and state contexts affect curriculum reform by shaping district policies and resource allocation.
Postdoctoral Students Train in Mathematical Learning and Instruction
February 22, 2010
The U.S. needs more well-trained education researchers (a) to address questions about the effectiveness of educational programs and policies and (b) to provide an empirical basis for designs of curricula, assessments, instructional approaches, and learning environments.
Millar Named Morgridge Institute Leader
February 15, 2010
WCER Scientist Susan Millar has been appointed to the leadership team for The Morgridge Institute for Research.
Distributing Leadership to Support Instructional Change
February 10, 2010
Discussions of comprehensive school reform and distributed leadership have been dominated by descriptions of what they are and what forms they take.
Artistic Production Spurs Youth Development
February 8, 2010
The study of learning environments that support positive youth development is a growing field in the U.S.
VARC Receives $3.7 M Grant
February 1, 2010
The Value-Added Research Center has been awarded a new $3.7 million grant
Interactive Animations in High School Biology
January 26, 2010
Agile Mind for Biology (AMB) supports the teaching and learning of high school biology content.
New Directions for Mixed-Ability Instruction
January 20, 2010
How can teachers best organize students for instruction? After a century of research on tracking and ability grouping, one might expect a definitive answer to this question.
