More than three million American students stress over the SAT and ACT college admissions tests every year. Tens of millions more take annual accountability tests in their public schools as required by federal law. These students now have a new tool in their arsenal to take on standardized tests. Piqosity,Read More

If your child is in high school, he or she may have summer assignments in one or more classes. These can be a major source of stress, casting a gloomy cloud over students’ cherished annual time of relaxation. This year, Italian high school teacher Cesare Catà gave out a summerRead More

When I was little, my mother would sometimes pre-read books before allowing me to have them. If she was concerned that content or themes might be too adult, she’d look for herself and see. She meant well; she wanted to protect me from growing up too fast and learning thingsRead More

Bullying is an eternal problem in schools; teachers have a limited scope for controlling students’ social hierarchies and practices. While teachers may discipline students who display harmful social behavior, or act as resources for students who have been the targets of this harmful behavior, it would be nigh impossible toRead More

From Curriculet’s student-centered e-edition of USA Today to HISD’s partnership with MyON, schools are increasingly using screen-based tools to help students build literacy. And at home, parents can use e-books and tablet apps for the same purpose. A recent article on Education Week highlights some of the latest research onRead More

As we’ve discussed at length elsewhere, educational video games have proliferated considerably in the past 20 years. From Quantum Leap to iPad apps, there are games across subject areas for every level. But of course, not all of these games are equally valuable – the preponderance of evidence from currentRead More

In March, an American educator was awarded the highest honor in teaching – the inaugural Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, which some have called the “Nobel Prize of Teaching.” Nancie Atwell of Edgecomb, Maine, is the founder of the Center for Teaching and Learning, an independent private school. At theRead More

 A lesson from a third grade classroom has been making the rounds on social media this week. You’ve probably seen it – little notes in children’s handwriting, simple and powerful statements about students’ lives. Denver, CO teacher Kyle Schwartz, perceiving her students’ life experience to be significantly different from herRead More

In the one year since its launch, over 70,000 inquisitive users have visited HoustonSchoolSurvey.com. A publication of Rice-village academic consulting firm General Academic, Houston School Survey provides expert analysis, research, school profiles, and reader-submitted reviews on more than 80 private and select public schools in the greater Houston area. Top 10Read More

If you’re the parent of a teenager, you’ve probably spent a fair bit of time thinking about college tuition. One thing which may be much on your mind is that it can’t possibly have been this expensive in your day – and indeed, the cost of a college education has increasedRead More

It’s a sad fact that socioeconomically disadvantaged students are less likely to attend college than their wealthier counterparts. Not only that, but when they do pursue higher education, they’re less likely to apply to and attend elite schools. A recent feature on NPR addressed the phenomenon of “undermatching,” the tendencyRead More

The past 15 years have seen American elementary schools cutting back on recess and increasingly focusing on assessments. On paper, less time for play and more time for academics looks great – but is it really? We must remember that for young children, play is important. Studies have shown that playRead More

Here at Thesis, we’ve written a lot about college admissions – from our advice on the early stages of planning to this weekend’s piece about visiting prospective colleges. It’s something parents and students think about a lot – as well they should, because sending a child to college is aRead More

Thesis, along with its sister site The Houston School Survey, features both public and private schools. We know that both have their advantages and disadvantages, and when it comes to school choice, every family has different needs. Last week, The Atlantic published a truly unique op-ed on the pros andRead More

Teach for America, or TFA, is a program which recruits high-achieving college graduates to teach for two years in low-performing or underserved public schools. Some Houstonians may know it as an organization whose alumni went on to found Houston’s YES Prep and KIPP charter schools. Many others may know TFARead More

Almost anyone you can ask will have fond childhood memories of reading. Sometimes stories reach out and grab us, and even years later, we remember the impact they had. For many millenials, the Harry Potter books carry this kind of memory; for older generations, the works of Madeleine L’Engle mightRead More