The MetLife Survey of The American Teacher 2002: Student Life: School, Home, and Community
Allison ColeDana Markow and Marc Scheer, MetLife2002
Educating Teachers: The Best Minds Speak Out
Chester E. Finn, Jr.edited by George C. Leef, The American Council of Trustees and AlumniJune 2002
The OERI bill: a marginal improvement
Chester E. Finn, Jr.The Gadfly has buzzed repeatedly about pending legislation to reorganize the federal government's education research, statistics, assessment and evaluation functions. This week, the U.S. Senate put the finishing legislative touches on H.R.
California charter schools create accreditation system
Earlier this week, the California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC) unveiled a new accreditation program in an attempt to introduce a measure of self-evaluation and -regulation among the network's 300 charter schools.
Challenging the NYC schools chancellor to support charter schools
On Saturday, Diane Ravitch challenged chancellor Joel Klein to "bust the monopoly" of New York City's mammoth school system, noting that Klein has thus far dismissed the idea of school choice despite his reputation as a trustbuster.
Charter schools and urban education
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Everyone agrees that the weak performance of U.S. urban education poses a national crisis. Far too many low income and minority youngsters attend bad schools where they learn too little, are sometimes in danger and are understandably inclined to drop out.Yet not everyone appreciates the contribution that charter schools can make to easing the urban-education crisis. To the contrary.
Edison explains its finances
I write to clarify four issues regarding Edison Schools in a recent Gadfly article written by Allison Cole, "Edison's Year has a Rocky Start" [see http://www.edexcellence.net/gadfly/issue.cfm?issue=38#546]:
"Fresh" offerings from the anti-reform camp
The current issue of Phi Delta Kappan contains both a screed by the infamous Alfie Kohn on the subject of corporate involvement in education and the latest of Gerald Bracey's annual rants about who he likes and who he doesn't like in American education. Just about everyone who wants to boost standards or foster choice manages to land in the latter category.
More implementation challenges for the No Child Left Behind Act
A long article by Diana Schemo in Monday's New York Times outlined some of the ways in which the No Child Left Behind Act is being weakened or skirted by federal, state, and local officials. Several states are moving to ease their standards for academic proficiency to ensure that more children are able to reach them.
9/11 lessons for educators
Writing this time in Educational Leadership, Diane Ravitch offers seven lessons for educators in the aftermath of September 11th. The first of these: it's okay to be patriotic.
Visions 2020: Transforming Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies, Technology Administration
Chester E. Finn, Jr.U.S. Department of CommerceSeptember 2002
Civic Engagement and Urban School Improvement: Hard-to-Learn Lessons from Philadelphia
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Jolley Bruce Christman and Amy Rhodes, Consortium for Policy Research in Education and Research for ActionJune 2002
Thy Voice in My Behalf: Teacher Union Political Spending
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Mike AntonucciOctober 2002
Can College Accreditation Live Up to Its Promise?
Chester E. Finn, Jr.George C. Leaf and Roxana Burris, American Council of Trustees and AlumniOctober 2002
Schools try out report cards based on state academic standards
While the Manhattan Institute survey described above presents discouraging evidence that many teachers have not bought into standards-based reform, there are some points of light out there. In Illinois, two elementary schools are testing new report cards that replace A's, B's, and C's with indications of whether the student exceeds, meets, or has not met certain state academic standards.
Giving parents vouchers could revitalize poor neighborhoods
The strongest argument for vouchers is moral, Jonathan Rauch writes in the October Atlantic Monthly. It's wrong for rich, white liberals to insist that poor children attend dysfunctional schools that they'd never allow their own children to set foot in.
Houston takes home $500,000 Broad Prize for Urban Education
To hardly anyone's surprise, the Houston Independent School District won the first $500,000 Broad Prize for Urban Education. Funded by Los Angeles billionaire education reformer Eli Broad, the prize recognized Houston for improving student achievement and narrowing its achievement gaps, gains achieved largely through the leadership of then-superintendent Rod Paige.
Chicago teachers caught helping students cheat on state tests
In the most elaborate cheating scandal in the history of Chicago's public schools, teachers were caught giving tips, erasing incorrect answers, pointing to correct answers, and filling in the answers to questions left blank on students' Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, which were administered in May to students in grades 3 through 8.
Do teachers believe in standards-based reform?
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Standards-based reform has become America's main strategy for boosting student achievement, strengthening school effectiveness and renewing our education system.
Edison's year has rocky start
Allison ColeWhen Edison Schools filed its 2002 annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, the world learned two things: that the firm's financial situation was unsteady and that there have been changes to its board of directors.
Education entrepreneurship: the new career path for young professionals
Disillusioned with the corporate world, discouraged by the dot-com bust and idealistic about making a difference in the world, some of today's most motivated and ambitious young professionals are joining the battle to better our nation's education system, often by creating companies and organizations that aim to help schools improve.
National Merit scholarship program lowers the bar in low-achieving states
States with high academic standards have protested that the No Child Left Behind Act punishes them for setting high expectations for their students. But NCLB is not the only program that allows standards to vary for students in different states.
The New Schools Handbook
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Robin Lake, Abigail Winger and Jeff Petty, Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of WashingtonMay 2002
School Vouchers: Characteristics of Privately Funded Programs
United States General Accounting OfficeSeptember 2002
Inequality at the Starting Gate: Social Background Differences in Achievement as Children Begin School
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Valerie E. Lee and David Burkam, Economic Policy InstituteSeptember 2002
They Have Overcome: High Poverty, High Performing Schools in California
Allison ColeLance T. Izumi with K. Gwynne Coburn and Matt Cox, Pacific Research InstituteSeptember 2002
The Future of School Facilities
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Michael DeArmond, Sara Taggart and Paul Hill, Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of WashingtonMay 2002