New graphs complied by edudemic paint a fascinating illustration about education spending. The graphs show U.S. spending on education and education rankings compared to other countries.
A few highlights:
Spending vs. Outcomes: Does Money Make A Difference?
The US leads in spending by a LOT – $809.6B per year. The next largest spender is Japan at $160.5B. That’s a pretty huge gap! That translates to $7,743 per student in the US Finland spends only $10B per year (and is the fifth largest spender per student) but has a 100% literacy rate and the highest rank of math and…By Mrs. Eva Calvés Parcerisas. Barcelona, Spain
What can be done to convince stakeholders of the need to further support the education of high-ability science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students, and what obstacles stand in the way?
Spanish law envisages an education system that suits the characteristics—and meets the needs—of all of its students. The system is expected to take diversity into account so that equal opportunity is ensured and all students are able to succeed in school.
This notion, already well-established in…
The Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences released an important report this week entitled, "The Heart of the Matter."
The report highlights the importance of humanities and the social sciences to a well-rounded education and describes how it complements STEM education. According to the report:
“The humanities remind us where we have been and help us envision where we are going. Emphasizing critical perspective and imaginative response, the humanities — including the study of languages, literature, history, film, civics, philosophy, religion, and the arts—foster…
Does Money Matter in Education
According to numbers released by the U.S. Department of Education, taxpayer investment in K-12 education is estimated at over $500 billion per school year. This makes the U.S. the world’s leading investor in education. Even during a period of heightened concern for homeland security, spending on education still exceeds that for national defense. This generous allocation of resources has caused many to demand accountability and evidence of academic improvement equal to the nation’s investment. Long term trends on the…
A growing limitation on secondary education is the lack of in discipline training for teachers which is particularly acute in science. Often in science, because of its technical nature and high labor force demand, it can be hard to recruit teachers with at least a Bachelor’s Degree in the field they teach and hard to provide content-specific professional develop that teachers say they need. Many science teachers are being asked to do more with less.
According to the Report of the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education released by Horizon Research, Inc.…
A troubling aspect of the increasing reliance on state educational assessment standards is that they do not give adequate attention to gifted students. These standards establish a floor; they do not try to push up the ceiling.
The gifted and talented programs currently offered in public schools are simply not sufficient to meet demand. Many gifted students live in districts where there are no programs available or the programs available are still not advanced enough to meet the needs of these exceptionally bright students. Since wealthy students have the ability to pay for…
As the often-used proverb states, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” The truth of this statement has important application for science education as we move deeper into the world of test-based accountability.
With the recent release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), science education is seeking to follow the example of the Common Core State Standards which has developed learning standards in Mathematics and Language Arts for students in kindergarten through high school.Forty-five states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense…
Still not convinced that it is important to attract women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)? Hear about the importance of empowering women in STEM directly from young female scientists.
Forbes contributor Denise Restaurihas an interview with Carmina Mancenon, the delegate representing Japan at the 2013 G(irls)20 Summit. The Summit brings together one girl, aged 18-20, from each G20 country to look at the G20 Leaders agenda thru the…
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are now available. Twenty-six states and their broad-based teams worked together with a 41-member writing team and partners throughout the country to develop the standards.
The primary partners in the two-part process to develop the Next Generation Science Standards(NGSS) were the National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Achieve. The heads of each of these organizations form the Strategic Partners Group, and meet as required to review the…
Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Microsoft Founder, added his voice to the discussion about teacher evaluation in a Washington Post Op-Ed. Gates compared teacher evaluation metrics to sports assessment. In sports, several factors are used to evaluate athletes. According to Gates, the same should hold for teachers. While student test scores are an important component of teacher evaluation, Gates argues that they should be one factor among many.
To quote Gates, "Efforts are being made to define effective teaching and give teachers the support they…