Shanker Institute

Democracy

The Albert Shanker Institute promotes discussions and sponsors research on the new challenges facing the world’s democracies, with an emphasis on the role of freedom of association, and universal education.

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Education

The Albert Shanker Institute pursues the mission of improving the public education system by promoting discussions, supporting publications and sponsoring research on new and workable approaches to ensuring that all public schools are good schools.

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Labor

The Albert Shanker Institute promotes discussions and sponsors research to explore innovative structures, services, and roles for unions as they work to meet the challenges of a changing economy and workforce.

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Resources

Resources on Testing and School Accountability

Standardized tests play a dominant role in school accountability systems in the U.S. These resources focus on how testing data can be used and interpreted in an accountability context.
Literacy Ladders

This curated collection of essays for early childhood educators and others examines the research on increasing young children's language, knowledge, and reading comprehension.
Measuring School Settings: The Preschool Educational Environment Rating System

The Preschool Educational Environment Rating System (PEERS), designed for use by practitioners as well as administrators, is a method for examining the quality of instruction in preschool settings. Unlike most other rating scales, it not only measures the environment, it also examines both how teachers construct their classroom for instruction and the quality of the enactment of instruction.

In Defense of the Public Square

A robust and vibrant public square is an essential foundation of democracy. It is the place where the important public issues of the day are subject to free and open debate, and our ideas of what is in the public interest take shape. May 1-2, Georgetown University.
Education and Economic Policy in an Age of Political Polarization: Is There a Good Way Forward?

Is there a way for education and economic policy to escape from the paralyzing dynamic of political polarization that has confounded progress on so many issues? May 13, noon-2:00.
The Affordability Crisis: Rescuing the Dream of College Education for the Working Class Poor

Since 1981, the cost of college education has increased threefold, forcing many students to either abandon their education on take on staggering debt that leaves them impoverished in order to graduate. How do we make a college education once again affordable for those Americans who need it the most?

Teacher Turnover At Success Academy Charter Schools

A quick look at teacher retention and turnover in New York City's Success Academy charter schools between 2013 and 2014, and the ongoing debate about it.
Charter Schools, Special Education Students, And Test-Based Accountability

Until test-based accountability systems stop penalizing schools for the students they serve, there will be a strong disincentive for charter schools to serve more special education students.
The Edu-CAT-ion Policy Glossary: Feline Edition

We realize that Edu-CAT-ion Reform can be very confusing, so we have compiled a list of terms that you can keep right under your paws for easy reference.

Teacher turnover at @SuccessCharters seems to be neither as low as they claim, nor as high as critics suggest - http://t.co/uuFLbts5Bx

21 hours 44 min ago
Next step is for @chingos to write the OPTOUT ado file for Stata http://t.co/4xv26aWL0E

21 hours 51 min ago
RT @EstherQuinCo: “Making Research More Useful in Ed Policy & in the Classroom” w/ @ksfinnigan @ajdaly2 @agamoran etc. Don’t miss it! http:…

21 hours 59 min ago