To give a sense of what was high on our readers’ priority lists in 2011, the editors at Education Week compiled a list of our ten most-viewed articles. Below, those stories are ordered by the number of online page views they generated. Take a look at what other readers saw as the most interesting pieces of the year, and catch up on news you may have missed in 2011.
1. Researchers Probe Causes of Math Anxiety
New studies are exploring why studying mathematics makes some students break out in a cold sweat. (May 16, 2011)
2. Harvard Report Questions Value of ‘College for All’
The report proposes academic pathways that would lead some students toward careers rather than college, and that is raising fears that disadvantaged students may be channeled into less-rigorous courses. (February 2, 2011)
3. Common-Core Writers Craft Curriculum Criteria
Some educators are disturbed about what they view as undue influence over how English/language arts is taught in schools. (July 22, 2011)
4. Study Links Academic Setbacks to Middle School Transition
While much research points to 9th grade as a problem transition year for students, a new study suggests the move from elementary to middle school may be more of a worry. (November 28, 2011)
5. ‘Curriculum’ Definition Raises Red Flags
Multiple meanings of the word are driving some of the debate around translation of the common standards into classroom use. (March 23, 2011)
6. Bad Online Behavior Jeopardizes Students’ College Plans
The number of college-admissions officials using social-networking sites to learn more about applicants quadrupled over the past year. (December 8, 2011)
7. Study Finds Social-Skills Teaching Boosts Academics
An analysis of more than 200 studies finds that classroom programs that focus on social and emotional skills can yield learning improvements that rival those of purely academic programs. (February 4, 2011)
8. Weighing States’ School Performance, Policymaking
The annual Quality Counts survey finds modest changes amid turbulent fiscal waters. (January 5, 2011)
9. Early Achievers Losing Ground, Study Finds
An analysis of test data on 82,000 students finds that many students who start out as high achievers lose their edge as they move through school. (September 20, 2011)
10. Study Helps Pinpoint Math Disability
A team of Baltimore researchers think they’ve found a marker to help distinguish students who occasionally struggle in math from those with a genuine disability. (June 17, 2011)
