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Here are some of the things we’ve been reading about this week:
Practice tests and quizzes can reduce test anxiety.
Canada’s $10 a day child care approach sets an example that countries like the United States can learn from.
A traveling teacher brings more support to rural schools.
To read more, click on the following links.
Research & Practice
PROOF POINTS: Lowering test anxiety in the classroom
The Hechinger Report: Testing, often criticized for its stress-inducing nature, has another side supported by cognitive science: it enhances learning through “practice retrieval.” This method helps the brain consolidate information and form long-term memories. Several meta-analyses show that taking quizzes is more effective than passive review for academic achievement. Practice tests and quizzes can also reduce test anxiety. Research collected from 24 studies suggests that repeated exposure to quizzes, particularly low-stakes or gamified ones, can help students confront challenges without overwhelming them. Why test anxiety diminishes remains uncertain. It could be due to familiarity with testing conditions or improved mastery of the material leading to better exam performance. Notably, high-achieving students may still experience anxiety, suggesting that competency alone doesn’t eliminate it. The tradeoff between enhancing achievement and reducing anxiety also complicates the issue. Researchers aim to find the “sweet spot” where testing maximizes learning benefits while minimizing anxiety.
Contextualizing grades could help diversify college admissions
K-12 Dive: A study from the Universities of Michigan and North Carolina highlights the significance of a holistic college admissions process that considers the resources available to students when assessing their grades and standardized test scores. Contextualizing grades, such as comparing an applicant’s GPA to their high school peers, is found to have a more consistent link with college success than contextualizing test scores. This approach is seen as particularly beneficial at test-optional or test-free colleges, helping level the playing field for historically marginalized students. The study, based on data from 2.3 million students and data from an unidentified Midwestern state, underscores the importance of considering life experiences and opportunities when assessing applicants, especially for those from lower-resourced backgrounds. The authors suggest that, rather than relying solely on test-optional policies, institutions should incorporate contextualized high school performance measures to enhance diversity and equity in admissions.
Policy
Biden Credits School Shooting Survivors as He Creates Gun Violence Prevention Office
EdWeek: President Joe Biden has established the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a goal of advocates who call for stricter gun laws and more federal research on firearms attacks. This office has the potential to bring attention to gun issues just as the Office of National Drug Control Policy highlighted drug-related concerns in the 1980s. While large-scale school shootings have made headlines, educators are also concerned about lesser-known incidents like violence around schools or during extracurricular activities. In 2023, there have been 30 shootings on school grounds resulting in injuries or deaths, according to an Education Week tracker. To address these and other incidents, the office aims to facilitate coordination among various federal agencies, conduct research, and support violence-prevention efforts. Vice President Kamala Harris will oversee the office. Its director is Stefanie Feldman, who previously worked on gun-related issues during the Obama administration.
What America can learn from Canada’s new ‘$10 a Day’ child care system
The Hechinger Report: In British Columbia, Canada, the “$10 a Day” child care initiative caps parent child care fees at an average of $10 a day, significantly reducing the financial burden on families. This initiative has been in place for five years and has stabilized child care programs by providing them with government operating funds instead of relying solely on parent-paid tuition. Canada’s federal government committed $30 billion over five years to establish a nationally funded child care system in 2021, taking inspiration from British Columbia’s program and Quebec’s longstanding government-funded child care program. While Canada’s national system is still being developed, its goal is to provide affordable child care for parents. Canada’s experience emphasizes the importance of both funding child care programs and addressing affordability, workforce, and supply simultaneously. Canada’s efforts offer lessons to the United States about how to create a sustainable and politically viable universal child care system. Despite the fact that the United States has its own child care crisis, a proposal made to expand federal child care funding did not survive the legislative process.
Education Dept issues details for ARP spending extension requests
K-12 Dive: The U.S. Department of Education has allowed state education agencies to request a 14-month extension to spend American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds, similar to previous extensions for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. If approved, states and districts can use ARP funds until late March 2026, an extension of the original deadline of January 28, 2025. To seek an extension, states and their subgrantees must explain how it will accelerate student learning and support academic recovery. Districts will request extensions through state education agencies, which will then seek approval from the Education Department. This guidance has been welcomed by education organizations, although concerns about the volume of extension requests and eligibility for non-academic spending have been raised. See also: “The 74: South Dakota Unveils $3 Million Grant Program for Community Child Care Solutions”
Around the Nation
School closures on the table as districts navigate enrollment declines
K-12 Dive: Several large school districts in the United States are considering school closures due to historic enrollment declines. The San Antonio Independent School District (ISD) in Texas is recommending the closure of 19 schools between 2024-25 and 2025-26, citing a decline in enrollment and school-aged population over two decades. The Rochester City School District in New York is contemplating the closure of 11 out of 45 schools due to declining kindergarten enrollment caused by decreasing birth rates. In Utah’s Salt Lake City School District, seven elementary schools are under consideration for closure as elementary school enrollment has dropped by nearly 30% in the last eight years. The COVID-19 pandemic and declining birth rates are contributing factors to the nationwide decline in public school enrollment. To address this issue, education leaders are urged to proactively plan for school closures, manage spending wisely, and maintain open communication with teachers and families.
Waiting for the traveling teacher: Remote rural schools need more hands-on help
The Hechinger Report: Robert Mitchell, an assistant professor, has been making a weekly four-hour drive from Denver to rural schools in Colorado for five years. He arrives with doughnuts, fresh produce, and books for the schools, forging relationships and offering support. Mitchell, who studies rural school issues and trains teachers, believes that rural education is about building relationships and making an effort to understand schools’ needs. Eventually, Mitchell became a rural school teacher, helping to address teacher shortages and the lack of advanced courses, both of which are on-going challenges that can hinder students’ post-high school success. Mitchell’s efforts have helped students gain access to college opportunities they might not have considered.
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