The evolving geography of reform
One of the most important and interesting questions I get about my book, The Urban School System of the Future, is whether I think its analysis and recommendations apply to non-urban districts.
Columbus needs all hands on deck
Chad L. Aldis, Jeff MurrayColumbus' education reform efforts need all the quality players available if the important goals of the Columbus Education Commission are to be achieved.
Netflix Academy: The best streaming videos on Daniel Boone, Annie Oakley, and other American folk heroes
Michael J. PetrilliNote: This post is part of our series, "Netflix Academy: The best educational videos available for streaming." Be sure to check out our previous Netflix Academy posts on
Big education-spending decisions for Colorado voters on election day
Michael BrickmanOn November 5th, Colorado voters head to the polls to decide whether they want to substantially raise their taxes to better fund schools (and, separately, to regulate their newly legal pot—but more on that some other time).
How to fight poverty—and win
Michael J. PetrilliDear Deborah, Thanks for the opportunity to debate the critical issues in education and social policy with you. You are an icon and a hero, and it's been a true honor.
Good standards aren’t prescriptive, but they’re not agnostic, either
Kathleen Porter-MageeIn the debate over Common Core, there may be only one certainty: Both advocates and opponents spend inordinate amounts of time trying to undermine their opponents by pointing to the perceived underhanded and manipulative actions of their foes. The hope, I suppose, is that if you can undermine the credibility of your opponents, you can win the day—facts be damned.
Be careful what you wish for
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Taiwan (a.k.a. the Republic of China or Chinese Taipei) has much going for it in the education realm, particularly its sky-high results on international assessments, but it also has plenty of problems in this sphere. Some came as no great surprise when I visited.
Remember whom open enrollment serves
Chad L. AldisQuick! Name the Ohio school-choice program that has provided students the opportunity to attend a school not operated by their resident school district for the longest period of time. Charter schools? Nope, strike 1. The Cleveland voucher program? Try again, strike 2. Unless you guessed open enrollment, that’s strike 3.
Anecdotes Aren’t Enough: An Evidence-Based Approach to Accountability for Alternative Charter Schools
Kathryn Mullen UptonNew from a workgroup of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), this report maps an oft-overlooked space in the charter-accountability world: How charters that serve special populations, such as students who have dropped out, are held accountable for performance.
Standardized Testing and the Common Core Standards: You Get What You Pay For?
Victoria McDougaldIn the next school year, field testing of new Common Core assessments will be complete, and states will be faced with the weighty decision about which tests they will use to measure student learning going forward.
A comeuppance deferred?
The Education GadflyAfter a week of insider chatter predicting that L.A.
What do the voices of school choice sound like?
Jeff MurrayA Fordhamite and parent discusses school choice through his family's personal experience.
Louisiana and the promise and pitfalls of accountability systems
Louisiana recently released A-to-F school grades for the 2012–13 school year. These are the first results from the state’s new accountability system.
Hard work: Vital and overlooked
Brandon L. WrightHere’s a simple thought experiment:
The salary schedule versus the law of supply and demand
Aaron ChurchillA look at the systemic shortfalls in qualified applicants for special education, math, and science teachers in Ohio and across the country.
Getting tough on charter authorizing
Kathryn Mullen UptonCharter school authorizing is complex work that requires specialized knowledge and skills. But all the resources in the world are nothing without institutional commitment.
Education reform: Not complicated, but seriously difficult
Given the highly favorable reviews and rave blurbs from such diverse figures as former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, one might expect
What to do about Richie Rich
Michael J. PetrilliDear Deborah, Over the course of our dialogue, we've written a lot about children living in poverty and about inequality. But you've been practically daring me to engage on the question of the other end of the spectrum: the children of the rich. OK, fine, I see that resistance is futile! In your most recent post, for instance, you argued,
Common Core: Institution, implementation, and assessment
Aaron ChurchillThe latest installment in our "From the Frontlines" blog series, looking at Common Core implementation in Ohio charter schools.
Netflix Academy: The 10 best streaming videos on insects
Michael J. PetrilliNote: This post is part of our series, "Netflix Academy: The best educational videos available for streaming." Be sure to check out our previous Netflix Academy posts on dinosaurs; the
National Reporting Project on the Common Core
Victoria McDougaldDrawing on classroom visits, teacher training observations, and interviews with multiple education stakeholders, this special reporting project by the Hechinger Report and the Education Writers Association succeeds in bringing lofty notions of Common Core implementation down to an easily consumable level.
Resistance isn’t futile
The Education GadflyThe results of New York’s hard-fought, revamped, and supposedly tougher teacher-evaluation system are in: 91.5 percent of teachers were rated either highly effective or effective, 4.4 percent were rated “developing,” and just 1 percent were rated “ineffective.” This appears to be a
America and its high-potential kids
Throughout much of 2013, a colleague and I worked on a project related to America’s highest-potential boys and girls, students colloquially known as “gifted.” Though I learned a great deal, it was mostly a discouraging enterprise.
Common Core in the schools: A first look at reading assignments
Chester E. Finn, Jr., Kathleen Porter-MageeFor almost a year now, many states have been engulfed in a raucous debate about the Common Core State Standards.
Common Core & Curriculum Controversies
Experts empty a barrel of Common Core myths and rumors. Gadfly Studios
Common Core in the Schools: A First Look at Reading Assignments
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Common Core in the Schools: A First Look at Reading Assignments
Tim Shanahan, Ann DuffettIn Common Core in the Schools: A First Look at Reading Assignments, researchers analyze what texts English teachers assign their students and the instructional techniques they used in the classroom.