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Newswire: November 29, 2016 — TIMSS Test Shows US Students Lag Internationally — An Amazing Charter School Example in New Mexico — Innovation in Career Education

HOW THE US STACKS UP INTERNATIONALLY. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) results are out today, and fourth and eighth graders in the US remain dramatically behind other countries. For high school seniors taking advanced math and science courses, achievement remains stagnant, and a 30 point gap exists between males and females. These results are a call for greater Innovation and Opportunity in US education.

A MODEL TO EMULATE. Everyone is always asking about great models to emulate, and this independent New Mexico charter school came into our view. Albuquerque’s Mission Achievement and Success (MAS) Charter School, a rigorous college prep school, consistently gets “A” grades and has a 4 star rating on Great Schools. But because it’s not part of a larger network, it’s not the kind of school we hear about often. Speaking of independent schools, don’t forget to check out our video library of amazing charter schools.

INNOVATION AT WORK. Organizations like GiftedHire —one of CER’s newest partners in innovation — are making a difference in US education by guiding students during their school years to make decisions that will help them secure better jobs sooner. This unique career education tool has amazing potential to help kids now, particularly in charter school environments which are less burdened by bureaucracy and more focused on results for kids, meaning they can implement tools and methods more quickly than a traditional school might be able to.

GIVE THE GIFT OF OPPORTUNITY. If you’ve looked at social media or your inbox today, I’m sure you’re fully aware that today is #GivingTuesday — a day dedicated to giving back after the days of holiday sales and deals. We’ve strategically designed a 100-day campaign that will lay the groundwork for how we mobilize our network in 2017 — but we need your help to pull this off! Will you help us raise $25,000 by the end of 2016 to lay the foundation for true innovation and opportunity in 2017?

MAJOR EVENTS. It’s a busy week in DC, with the Foundation for Excellence in Education’s national summit happening simultaneously with ALEC’s policy summit. The Next Generation Charter Schools Act — a collaboration with CER to inform state legislators and leaders working in education — is an important topic of discussion as new leaders prepare to take office. We will be on the ground at both, so make sure you say hello!

And in less than a month is New York EdTech Week, the must-attend event in December for the EdTech community. This global education innovation festival focused on how edtech can drive and advance learning is produced by StartED (of which CER’s Jeanne Allen is a managing director), and provides access to the industry’s largest and most influential network of leaders in education and technology.