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Podcast

Only pennies for advanced learners | Episode 1020 of The Education Gadfly Show

Jonathan Plucker Alicia Anderson Michael J. Petrilli David Griffith, Ph.D. Brian R. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D.
6.3.2026
 

Jonathan Plucker, a research professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, and Fordham’s own Alicia Anderson, policy and editorial associate, join The Education Gadfly Show to discuss new research on how little states and the federal government invest in advanced education. How much funding goes toward gifted education, AP, IB, and other advanced learning opportunities, and why is it so hard to track where those dollars go?

Then, on the Research Minute, Brian Fitzpatrick examines new research on Algebra I achievement gaps and finds that many are rooted as early as third grade and grew worse during the pandemic.

Recommended content: 

  • Broad support, barely funded: The paradox of advanced education in America —Jonathan Plucker, Alicia Anderson, Matthew Makel, and Shaun Dougherty for Advance
  • The Leaky Pipeline: Assessing the college outcomes of Ohio’s high-achieving low-income students —Stéphane Lavertu, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
  • Building a Wider, More Diverse Pipeline of Advanced Learners —The National Working Group on Advanced Education
  • Ohio’s Lost Einsteins: The inequitable outcomes of early high achievers —Scott Imberman, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
  • A Widening Chasm: The Divergent Paths of High- and Low-Achieving Students in Algebra I After the Pandemic —Benjamin Backes, Michael DeArmond, Elise Dizon-Ross, Dan Goldhaber, and Alejandra Salazar, CALDER (2026)


Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? We would love to hear them. Send them to [email protected]

Policy Priority:
School Funding
Topics:
Advanced Education

Jonathan Plucker is Professor of Education at Johns Hopkins University and PI of the National Research Center on Advanced Education.

Alicia Anderson is the policy and editorial associate at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where she works to connect stakeholders with evidence-based, child-centered education policy perspectives and solutions. Prior to joining Fordham's editorial team, Alicia worked in both public and private schools serving students from age two through higher education. She has extensive experience supporting schools nationwide through…

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President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Michael J. Petrilli is president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, executive editor of Education Next, editor in chief of the Education Gadfly Weekly, host of the…

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David Griffith is the National Research Director at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where he manages or authors reports on various subjects including charter schools, …

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Brian Fitzpatrick

Brian Fitzpatrick is the National Research Manager at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where he conducts or manages research aimed at enhancing excellence for students and choice for families throughout the U.S K-12 education system. Prior to joining Fordham, he was a Senior Research Scientist at Gibson Consulting, where he worked with school districts to use data to improve instructional practices. This included authoring…

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