Fordham's 2025 Annual Report looks back on a year of research, commentary, Ohio policy work, and charter school authorizing, with a focus on rebooting the American Dream for the next generation.
The report includes a message from Michael J. Petrilli, a year-in-numbers snapshot, highlights from SCHOOLED and The Education Gadfly Show, and updates on Ohio policy and charter school work.
Download the full report or read it below.
ReBoot
Dear friends,
2025 was an especially challenging year for our country and our schools, but those of us at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute are proud of our efforts, both nationally and in our home state of Ohio, to get education reform back on track.
I'm confident that the country will get through these tough times and that, when we do, rebooting the American Dream for the rising generation will be our foremost domestic mission once again. Schools will play a key role in that effort, as they always have.
Most heartening to me this year was the overwhelmingly positive response to my new Substack newsletter, SCHOOLED. Twice a week, I try to create a live and welcoming forum for the best ideas and most pressing debates in education policy, all with an eye toward rekindling the school reform conversation. The evident willingness of so many policy wonks, practitioners, and policymakers to engage in this discussion is a sign of an appetite for problem-solving and working together.
I'm also proud of our Senior Vice President for Research, Amber Northern, who spent seven months of the year at the U.S. Department of Education, developing a plan to rebuild the Institute of Education Sciences. And I'm especially thrilled to have Amber back!
Please keep reading for an overview of our efforts in research, commentary, Ohio policy, and charter school authorizing in 2025. And thank you for all you do to improve America's schools.
Rebooting the American Dream for the rising generation will be our foremost domestic mission once again.
ReViewing the Numbers
A snapshot of the year, at a glance. From ideas to impact, this is what reform looks like in action.
Research by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute's Michael Petrilli has demonstrated that red states are now much more active than blue states in adopting new education reform ideas. As a result, red states are leaping out ahead when it comes to student performance.
David Brooks
"America's New Segregation," New York Times
ReFraming the Conversation
Across newsletters, podcasts, Substack, and op-eds, Fordham helped inform national conversations on key education issues in 2025.
SCHOOLED
Michael J. Petrilli's twice-weekly Substack newsletter helped shape the education reform conversation through sharp analysis, curated commentary, and lively debate.
Schooled is so great. No one else could produce something with such rigor and richness and generate this level of feedback and ideas from its audience.
Christine Patterson
Walton Family Foundation
Thanks for Schooled! It sets a new high bar for info, analysis and discussion.
Kalman Hettleman
Former Maryland Secretary of Human Resources
The Education Gadfly Show
The Education Gadfly Show continued to spotlight the most consequential education policy debates of the year, drawing strong engagement from policymakers and practitioners.
Conversations with leading voices in education policy included: Jim Blew, Rick Hess, Linda Darling-Hammond, Aneesh Sohoni, and Rachel Canter.
Fordham in the News
1,429 media mentions and appearances
If you want to improve schools, you've got to work at the state and local level, because that's where the action is.
Michael J. Petrilli
NPR's All Things Considered
We went through a period in American history when we decided kids did not need phonics, even though the evidence was clear that it is an essential part of learning to read.
Michael J. Petrilli
C-SPAN
Top Commentary
ReShaping Ohio's Education Landscape
Science of Reading Momentum
Ohio continued full speed ahead on implementation of the science of reading, with additional funding provided in the state budget.
Charter Funding Reform
After years of educating lawmakers on the charter school funding gap, key charter school funding streams were incorporated into the state funding formula in revised code.
Charter School Highlights
- 10schools
- 19buildings
- 4Ohio cities
- 6,400students
As a charter school authorizer, Fordham provided monitoring, oversight, and technical assistance during the 2024-25 school year.
ReSearch and Impact
These studies were among our most viewed national reports in 2025.
"Equitable" Grading Through the Eyes of Teachers
Reforms like "no zeros" and unlimited retakes are intended to increase fairness, but many teachers say they inflate grades and weaken accountability.
Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict
As school boards become flashpoints in national culture wars, this study asks whether they truly reflect the communities they serve.
Calculus or Statistics: Does it Matter?
While calculus remains the admissions gold standard, advanced statistics may better prepare students for a data-driven workforce.
The Leaky Pipeline: Assessing the College Outcomes of Ohio's High-Achieving Low-Income Students
High-achieving, low-income students too often fall off the path to selective colleges. This study identifies ways to keep them on track.
ReSearch in Ohio
Five research reports were published in 2025, including two analyses of career and technical education in Ohio.
ReForm in Action
Events and Engagement
In 2025, Fordham's annual Wonkathon challenged participants to answer:
What needs to happen next, at the state, district, and school levels, for the science of reading revolution to fulfill its promise and ensure that far more children learn to read well?
The response was strong, with record participation and 48 submissions focused on practical solutions, including pieces by David Steiner, Emily Freitag, Robert Pondiscio, Edmund Gordon, and Louisa Moats.
Throughout the year, we hosted high-impact events that brought research and policy into direct conversation:
Does “Equitable” Grading Lower Expectations for Students?
Moderated by New York Times columnist Jessica Grose.
Are School Boards Out of Touch with Their Constituents?
A discussion on representation, governance, and local education politics.
Implementation Is Where It's At: What's Next for the Science of Reading?
A conversation on what it will take to turn reading policy into classroom practice.
Reaching Their Full Potential: Plugging the Leaky Pipeline for High-Achieving, Low-Income Students
More than 1,000 registrants joined the conversation.
Leadership in Policy and Practice
Fordham leaders advanced evidence-based reform by engaging directly with policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.
Amber M. Northern, Senior Vice President for Research, went on sabbatical to re-envision the work of the Institute of Education Sciences.
David Griffith, Director of Research, testified at a U.S. House hearing on charter schools.
Michael J. Petrilli participated in the Alliance for Learning Innovation's Congressional Briefing, A New Blueprint for Education Research and Innovation.
Michael J. Petrilli served as a panelist at The Future of Annual Testing session at the 16th Annual CALDER Conference.
As we return education to the states, it's essential that educators have access to accurate data to inform their work and develop best practices. Dr. Northern's deep expertise in education statistics and years of experience in the classroom will be an asset as we re-envision the work of IES. Our goal is to ensure educators have access to reliable and innovative resources that improve outcomes for all students, and we are excited to have Dr. Northern lead the charge.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon
On the appointment of Dr. Amber Northern as Senior Advisor to the Office of the Secretary
ReMembering
In Memoriam: U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige
Roderick Raynor Paige Sr.
June 17, 1933 - December 9, 2025
Rod Paige was a towering figure in American education, a bold reformer, compassionate educator, and steadfast advocate for children who needed opportunity most. As superintendent of Houston's schools, he championed innovation and school choice long before they were widely accepted. As U.S. Secretary of Education, he played a central role in advancing accountability and equity through No Child Left Behind.
Rod later served with distinction on Fordham's board for nearly two decades, where he was a trusted voice of wisdom, skepticism, and encouragement, always asking whether our work would truly help kids and how we would know if it worked.
We honor his leadership, his friendship, and his enduring legacy.
Chester E. Finn, Jr.
Adapted from "Remembering Rod Paige, a great American"
He always wanted to know if something we had in mind would help kids, especially the kids who need help.
ReLiable Partners
A heartfelt thank-you to our 2025 funders and partners. We could not advance our mission without their critical support.
- Walton Family Foundation
- Wallace Foundation
- Barr Foundation
- Gates Foundation
- Oak Foundation
- The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation
- The Kresge Foundation
- Arnold Ventures
- The Haslam Foundation
- Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
- The Nord Family Foundation
- Achelis and Bodman Foundation
