The influential Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has just released its much-awaited triennial study of global education systems, and once again, the U.S. earns bad grades. According to the study, American 15 year-olds tested were average in reading and science skills, below-average in math.

 

"It is not very different from where we found the U.S. in the past," OECD education chief Andreas Schleicher told Fox News, "but it's not very good either."

 

Overall, according to the U.S. Department of Education, American students' rankings in math have slipped from 24th to 29th compared to the last test in 2010. In science, they've gone from 19th to 22nd, and from 10th to 20th in reading.  >> READ MORE 

Julee Cowher doesn't look for science in a textbook.

Instead, the Brighton Area Schools kindergarten teacher takes her kindergarteners outdoors so they can see, touch and smell nature up close.

 

The Spencer Elementary School teacher takes her students on hikes through the woods, lets them plant sunflowers and later bring the tall stalks into class to be measured and picked apart. It's science and math all mixed together, and her students love it.

 

"It is their curiosity and their sense of wonder, it is fully intact when they come to me," Cowher said. "I won't have to talk them into holding a worm, they're all into that."  >> READ MORE

 

The digital divide between those who have Internet access and those who do not is often described as an economic or geographical issue, but there is another divide that actually runs across both of those other segmentations: education. Currently, some 72% of schools in the U.S. have out of date, slow, or no Internet connections. And that impacts how students at those schools are able to take advantage of some of the newer, web-based developments in learning, as well as a crucial aspect of technical education in the form of computer literacy.

 

Today, a non-profit called EducationSuperHighway - which lets schools test their broadband speeds and guides them on how to secure better connections - is announcing a significant funding round of $9 million to help schools get on the fast track. The funding is being led by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Startup:Education fund, and also includes participation from the Gates Foundation, the charitable group led by Microsoft's Bill Gates and his wife Melinda. Several other foundations and education entities participated in the round as well.  >> READ MORE 

Walk the halls of Clintondale High School, just north of Detroit, and the school doesn't appear out of the ordinary. You'd find the typical smells and the sprawling nondescript interior, as well as the persistent challenges confronting many American public high schools serving mostly low-income students.

Yet, there's a stark difference in the way instruction is delivered. Clintondale is the nation's first completely flipped school, meaning teachers record lectures for students to watch online outside of class, and what was once considered homework is now done during classtime, allowing students to work through assignments together and ask teachers for help if they run into questions.  >> READ MORE 

The odds were stacked against Baltimore's Frederick Douglass High School.

The nation's second oldest historically integrated public high school faced a steep dropout rate, scores of students repeating multiple grades and dismal test scores. But with the help of a $4.2 million federal School Improvement Grant (SIG), the 900-student school has cut that dropout rate in half and seen test scores rise dramatically since 2011.  >> READ MORE

Making the link between classroom and the workplace can help students see the relevance of their learning and understand the contribution that they can make to the economy. Exposure to the possibility of becoming an entrepreneur in the future adds to their feeling of being valued and involved as well as experience challenges and enjoyment. Further, their confidence increases and can have a positive impact on their levels of achievement and attainment in life.

The Young Entrepreneur Program developed by M.H. West & Co.,Inc. of Richmond, Virginia offers students opportunities to apply basic business concepts to their learning experiences and boost their academic growth. Through the reinforcement of their skills in decision making, critical thinking, time management, teamwork, reading and math, the program provides students opportunities to connect their learning in the real world by exposure to businesses and business leaders in the local community.

If you are interested in learning more about the Young Entrepreneurs Club for your school or organization, please contact Marilyn West at 804.782.1938 or [email protected].

Build your school's spirit with a large, custom display banner. Call M. H. West & Co., Inc. for pricing and size options. (804.782.1938)

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