Every December, I compile a list of the most popular Proof Points columns. In 2023, the big story was the failure of schools to help children catch up from pandemic learning losses. I was proud to write several watchdog stories about the online tutoring that schools are buying and the crazy job of an online tutor. I was surprised that those were not among the most popular stories. What struck a chord with readers was research about math, math and more math….and some handy study tips.
Thank you to everyone who read and commented on my weekly stories about education data and research. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you next year. If you would like to receive my email newsletter and be notified when the column comes out each week, please click here and fill out the form. I’ll be back again on Jan. 2, 2024 with a story about college applications. Happy New Year!
CUNY’s seven-year study of its experiment to get rid of remedial math has arguably been one of the most influential attempts to use experimental evidence to change how higher education operates and is now affecting the lives of millions of college students. However, many colleges may not realize that the study never looked at how to help students pass college algebra, an important prerequisite course. Some researchers argue that the shift to statistics instead of the elimination of remedial ed might have driven the results.
This column explained the origins of the new “science of math” movement, and how a group of special education researchers are seeking to copy the science of reading playbook. Their first manifesto attacked what they described as common misconceptions about teaching math.
- PROOF POINTS: Professors say high school math doesn’t prepare most students for their college majors
College professors often lament that their students are unprepared for the rigor of college-level math. But this Alabama survey highlighted another problem: high schools aren’t teaching the math skills that college professors in non-STEM fields want students to have.
I took a look at the contentious research debate on timed math tests. Short quizzes might be a more efficient way to memorize multiplication tables, but even advocates caution that there are many pitfalls.
Five charts document that white, Black and Hispanic Americans are going to college at about the same rates. But starting does not mean finishing. The likelihood of making it through the coursework and tuition payments and ultimately earning a degree varies by race and ethnicity.
People often assert that the research shows that students with disabilities learn better when they are included in regular classrooms. But a new meta-analysis says the research isn’t nearly as clear cut as advocates assert; some students with disabilities may be worse off and learn less in general education classes.
Here’s some news all of us can use. The stuff we’re Googling isn’t sticking in our memories and is quickly forgotten. One experiment finds that we’d retain more if we tried to guess before Googling.
Researchers find that math students learn best through individual practice while English students thrive in groups.
Here’s some concrete research advice for teachers on how to help their students memorize things. Since reading about this flashcard experiment, I’ve been telling my daughter to go straight to the cards and skip the studying. Kids may get frustrated not knowing something and looking at the answer over and over again. But she aced two vocab quizzes. (I was sad that multiplication songs weren’t the winner, but if you are nostalgic for Schoolhouse Rock and Billy Leach, I’ve included bonus links in this piece for you to sing along to.)
The University of Virginia’s Daniel Willingham explains why reading our notes, using highlighters and making to-do lists are not the best ways to learn. Read the piece for the most effective methods.
This story about the top education research stories of 2023 was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Proof Points newsletter.
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