Policy, Research, & Analysis

Texas Universities and Colleges Rank Nationally, Globally

Texas Universities and Colleges Rank Nationally, Globally

College, Collegiate, Education News, Recommendations December 16, 2014 at 6:03 pm

2014 was a banner year for Texas colleges and universities as several institutions throughout the state earned high rankings in nationally recognized polls listing the best higher education options throughout the country and world. As expected, both Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin are among the mostRead More

Study: Arts Education has Measurable Positive Effects

Study: Arts Education has Measurable Positive Effects

As an undergraduate at Rice – an excellent school across the board, but particularly known for its STEM programs – I had many encounters with engineering students who disliked studying the arts. They would tell me they simply didn’t see the point – where were the practical applications? With theRead More

Texas Public School Enrollment Numbers Soar in 2013-2014 School Year

Texas Public School Enrollment Numbers Soar in 2013-2014 School Year

The 2014-2014 school year brought Texas its highest ever number of students enrolled in public schools throughout the state.  According to a November 2014 report published by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Texas public school enrollment has increased by almost 19% since 2003. Currently, there are over 5 million studentsRead More

K-12 Comp Sci Offerings on the Decline Nationwide

K-12 Comp Sci Offerings on the Decline Nationwide

This week, students in classrooms throughout America – including many right here in Houston – will be answering the challenge to complete an “Hour of Code” as part of Computer Science Education Week, an annual event championing computer science in K-12. Given the ascendance of computer science as an industry,Read More

The Present and Future of No Child Left Behind

The Present and Future of No Child Left Behind

Education News, Policy, Research, & Analysis December 3, 2014 at 8:30 am

Remember No Child Left Behind, the comprehensive education reform passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2002? I wouldn’t blame you for forgetting. While the law is still on the books, most states (including Texas) have obtained waivers allowing them to bypass the program’s toughest regulations. The original stated purpose ofRead More

Study Finds Cyber Dating Abuse Disturbingly Common Among Teens

Study Finds Cyber Dating Abuse Disturbingly Common Among Teens

Health & Science, Policy, Research, & Analysis November 25, 2014 at 10:30 am

Is your teen in a relationship? And if so, is it a healthy relationship? In the age of texting and IM, it can be hard for parents to know when something is wrong. A recent study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that a staggering 41% of teens experience cyberRead More

Source: iStock

Later School Start Time Debate Continues

Exhausted teenagers may soon see their dreams come true at a later morning hour. The school start time debate has shifted as proponents of later school start times now have greater scientific evidence to back up their claims. In August of this year, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommended thatRead More

What You Should Know About President Obama’s ConnectED Initiative

What You Should Know About President Obama’s ConnectED Initiative

It’s been a big week for President Obama with the announcement of his executive action on immigration. This hot-button new policy and the buzz surrounding it have eclipsed many other national policy issues for the moment, so you may not have heard much about what else the President has beenRead More

Houston an Exception to High Turnover Rates of Urban Superintendents

Houston an Exception to High Turnover Rates of Urban Superintendents

Education News, HISD, Policy, Research, & Analysis November 20, 2014 at 8:30 am

HISD superintendent Terry Grier has held his position since September of 2009 – five years. In that time, he has implemented the Apollo 20 program to help the district’s lowest performing schools; he has implemented stricter regulations on magnet status eligibility for schools; and he has presided over considerable upgradesRead More

Study Finds Play is Important for Kindergarteners’ Learning

Study Finds Play is Important for Kindergarteners’ Learning

Health & Science, Policy, Research, & Analysis November 17, 2014 at 10:47 pm

Even at the early childhood and kindergarten level, many parents associate the idea of “a good education” with structured, skills-focused instruction. Kindergarteners must learn their letters, numbers, and colors and build the foundations that they will need for all future schooling; that is the point of kindergarten, is it not?Read More

New Guidelines Suggest Screens Not Always Bad for Toddlers

New Guidelines Suggest Screens Not Always Bad for Toddlers

Policy, Research, & Analysis, PreK, Technology November 16, 2014 at 9:36 pm

Parents of toddlers and pre-kindergarten kids: do you let your kids watch TV? And what about using iPads? In the media-driven world of the 21st century, many children grow up with digital screens. These media are so ubiquitous – and, indeed, so useful for keeping children occupied – that itRead More

Everything You Need to Know about the November 2014 Bond Elections

Everything You Need to Know about the November 2014 Bond Elections

Education News, Policy, Research, & Analysis October 31, 2014 at 4:02 am

On Tuesday, voters in some areas of Greater Houston will decide whether to accept their school districts’ bond proposals. Bonds – securities issued by school districts with taxpayer consent, to be paid back with interest using tax revenue – are a common means of funding school facilities projects throughout theRead More

EdX High School Initiative is Groundbreaking Expansion into Online APs

EdX High School Initiative is Groundbreaking Expansion into Online APs

On Monday, the massive open online course (MOOC) platform edX opened registration for AP Biology: Part 1, the first course on the site which explicitly focuses on preparing students for an AP exam. The course has been made available in partnership with Rice University’s Center for Digital Learning and ScholarshipRead More

Where the smart kids go to school – National Merit Semi-Finalists in Houston

Where the smart kids go to school – National Merit Semi-Finalists in Houston

If you have children in high school, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the National Merit Scholarship and its qualifying test, the PSAT. Every fall, high school juniors across America sit for this test, which is essentially a shortened version of the SAT – five sections with no essay.Read More

Obama eases college debt burden for some borrowers

Obama eases college debt burden for some borrowers

College, Collegiate, Education News June 10, 2014 at 12:52 pm

On Monday, President Obama signed a new executive order intended to ease debt burdens for 5 million students. The centerpiece of the initiative will allow students to cap their monthly payment of Federal direct student loans to 10 percent of their annual income under a program called “Pay As YouRead More

Montessori schooling may advantage low-income Latinos

Montessori schooling may advantage low-income Latinos

National K-12, Policy, Research, & Analysis June 6, 2014 at 11:49 am

Montessori-style programs have long been a popular choice among upper-class parents for their children,  but recent research suggests that Montessori-style pre-kindergarten may particularly beneficial for low-income Latino children – especially for acquiring language skills. Ayra Ansari of UT-Austin and Adam Winsler of George Mason University examined 13,000 low-income black andRead More