Current Issues in Education

Wire Side Chats: Emily Oldak explains how comedy rescues stressed-out kids!

Some say too much praise can hurt kids -- plus praise pointers!

Erica Stevens* had a student in her ninth grade English class who excelled at creative writing but struggled with analytical writing. She avoided it by refusing to do her homework. Every time the student failed to submit a homework assignment, her parents pressured Ms. Stevens to give her a pass because they didn’t want the missed assignments to affect her grade. Ms. Stevens felt their behavior bordered on harassment. The student’s father even chased Ms. Stevens for two blocks one evening when he spotted her from a restaurant window walking to a book store. When he caught up with her, he ...

Let me describe the worst parent-teacher conferences I ever attended. Picture a large, echoing gymnasium, with teachers seated behind tables set nearly edge-to-edge around the perimeter; two molded-plastic chairs face each table. In the center of the gym, a roiling mass of hundreds of parents, trying to locate their daughter's teachers, assessing the length of lines. Facing each table, a line of parents, standing, waiting for their three-minute "conference" with the teacher, also their only opportunity to sit down during the evening. How did parents know that a conference should take three minutes? Because it said so in the information...

Putting students in the driver's seat of their parent-teacher conferences creates opportunities for reflection, engagement, and agency.

Our world is interconnected. We no longer live in isolated communities. More than ever before we are part of a global community. The social media i...

Student use of Web 2.0 technologies is expanding, along with incredible opportunities for interactive educational activities -- and a host of risk and management concerns. All schools must develop effective strategies to address the issue of online safety.

The Teacher’s Guide to Keeping Students Safe Online. 3 Tips for Educating Students About Online Safety. What Should Teachers Do To Keep Students Safe Online

Home Schooling Is Going Mainstream

As many students will tell you, the amount of homework assigned has reached an all-time high. Potential solutions are discussed.

StarrPoints: Columnist Linda Starr reveals the truth about inclusive schools.

Starting Kindergarten Late: How Does It Affect School Performance?

These practical, evidence-based tips for teaching empathy are based on discoveries in psychology and neuroscience.

Does a four-day school week produce savings for the district without compromising student achievement? Depends on who you ask.

Year-round schooling, in which summer break is swapped out for a series of shorter breaks throughout the year, has sparked debate. Get the facts about this issue, including pros and cons, statistics, and key definitions.

Do Good Manners Contribute to Academic Success?

Over the last few years, there has been a growing awareness of the need to incorporate character development into school curricula, and various efforts to do so have received wide attention. Perhaps the best-known effort is the Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP, which has been implemented in close to 150 charter schools across the country.

University of Washington

Class size is one of many factors to consider when choosing or evaluating a school.

Learn the basics of classroom management from fellow teachers.

There is a place on school campuses for students who break the rules.

In some Florida schools, it's called SCSI.

Marcus Pryor, a junior at Miami Northwestern Senior High, thinks it stands for School Criminal Scene Investigation.

SCSI actually stands for School Center for Special Instruction. And in Miami, it's where students go when they get an in-school

Grade retention or social promotion -- which is best? Read what the experts have to say.

Blog from the John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio.