Unraveling the Myths of Accountability: A Case Study of the California High School Exit Exam

Believing that accountability could be a vehicle for change, the California Department of Education (CDE) requires all high school students to pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in order to graduate. In doing so, California joins many others states in mandating a high school exit exam as a current or future requirement for graduation. In this essay, the authors will argue that this testing approach to school change is based on myths about the role of assessment, the information testing can provide and the impact high stakes testing has on urban schools. Although California is the focus of this analysis, these issues are salient across the county. Testing as a solution to poor student achievement is based on faulty assumptions. It is these assumptions this piece seeks to address

Conversations about Privilege and Oppression in Mathematics Education

In this editorial, the authors frame the purpose and outline the contents of the JUME special issue “Privilege and Oppression in the Mathematics Preparation of Teacher Educators” (the title of a 3-day conference held in Battle Creek, Michigan). As part of the “thoughtful action” called for throughout the conference, the intention of the special issue is to invite all mathematics educators (and others) into conversations about systems of privilege and oppression

Mentoring Graduate Students through the Action Research Journey Using Guiding Principles

Our department has adopted action research (AR) projects as the culminating task for our master\u27s degree candidates. This paper presents our work on mentoring our graduate students towards the completion of their final AR research projects and details the deliberate structures we have put in place to guide them through the AR process. These structures include a fullsemester course, individual meetings with an AR Chair, and collaborative facultystudent feedback sessions. These collaborative conversations (between students and faculty) have allowed us to clarify our understandings (as a department) of AR, set standards and goals for AR, and raise our expectations on the quality of final AR projects. We hope that the discussion in this article will give students assigned AR new insights and understandings as they conduct their research. As well, we hope that the guiding principles that we have derived through our efforts can inform others who currently use or plan to assign AR to their students

A Resource Guide for Schools and Districts: Addressing Racism in the Education System

This resource guide is designed for schools (public, private, charter, online, home, etc.), and school districts. We imagine it as a jumping off point for professional development about issues of equity, justice and anti-Blackness. Inside, you will find sources and readings to help us better understand and support Black youth. These resources can be used for ongoing professional development, for teacher book groups, with teacher leadership teams, as part of new teacher mentoring, and/or with administrative teams as they are charting new ways to support Black youth in your school

A Resource Guide for Schools and Districts: Addressing Racism in the Education System

This resource guide is designed for schools (public, private, charter, online, home, etc.), and school districts. We imagine it as a jumping off point for professional development about issues of equity, justice and anti-Blackness. Inside, you will find sources and readings to help us better understand and support Black youth. These resources can be used for ongoing professional development, for teacher book groups, with teacher leadership teams, as part of new teacher mentoring, and/or with administrative teams as they are charting new ways to support Black youth in your school