What we're reading this week: November 9, 2023
The Education GadflySome schools and districts are trying to better align college credits earned in high school with the potential majors of their students.
How Washington State passed a universal-screening law: An interview with Austina De Bonte
Brandon L. WrightWashington schools must now screen every elementary student for advanced education services, thanks to a law
Smartphones and social media are leading to depression and anxiety for our students. Are they depressing test scores, too?
Michael J. PetrilliSmartphones and social media are likely at least partly to blame for the teenage mental health epidemic that started around 2013. Is it possible that phones and social media might also be behind the plateauing and decline of student achievement that we’ve seen in America, also starting around 2013?
A new paper fails to prove that accountability impedes innovation in charter schools
David GriffithWelcome to the latest installment of the Regulation Wars, a long-running family quarrel that centers on the perceived tensions between two of the charter school movement’s founding principles: innovation and execution (or, if you prefer, autonomy and accountability).
Where do the Republican candidates stand on education?
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Maybe it’s premature for an election that’s still a year away, and perhaps it’s archaic to expect to find any serious discussion of issues and policies in candidates’ campaign websites. Old-fashioned plodder that I am, however, I went foraging on those websites to see what I could find about their policy positions on education.
The effects of a virtual literacy-tutoring program
Jeff MurraySchools across America continue struggling to help their students catch up following unprecedented learning losses resulting from pandemic school closures beginning in March 2020. It is vital—both to address current needs and to stash away for future use—to determine which methods work to boost student achievement.
What we're reading this week: November 2, 2023
The Education GadflyInequalities in access and questions about its utility make calculus one of the most controversial courses in high school. —Education Week Homeschooling is America’s fastest growing form of education.
Bias in AI is a real problem
Daniel BuckHysteria over students cheating via ChatGPT and other generative AI applications is so last year. This season’s hyperventilation-initiator is the potential for bias in AI. And well, there’s actually a lot to be worried about.
What the Defense Department can teach us about schooling
Matthew LeveyThe New York Times recently covered the extraordinary academic achievement of Department of Defense schools, noting several factors that contribute to their success. But one important contributor—common values—was not mentioned.
Shake it up or mess it up: The impact of principal transitions on school quality in New York City
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Data indicate that, nationwide, roughly 20 percent of schools change principals in any given year, and that urban schools see a larger share of such changes.
How school choice programs impact private school tuition
Jeff MurrayIn a new report and accompanying factsheet, authors Jason Bedrick, Jay Greene, and Lindsey Burke of the Heritage Foundation look into
What we're reading this week: October 26, 2023
The Education GadflyLooping, wherein schools keep students with teachers for more than one year, deserves to be embraced more widely.
Addressing excellence gaps in a diverse high school
Louis MooreThis summer the National Working Group on Advanced Education reported what many educators in the United States already know and experience: that the United States has been wasting an enormous amount of human potential and that man
Replacing the Carnegie Unit will spark a battle royale
Michael J. PetrilliOne of the most important efforts in American education today is the project to displace the Carnegie Unit as the fundamental unit of measurement in high schools.
Why education technologies disappoint
Adam Tyner, Ph.D.The claims from the field of education technology—“ed tech” to insiders—could hardly be more grandiose.
How microschools can succeed
Daniel BuckMicroschools exist as a midpoint between homeschooling and traditional schools. Typically, the entire school will only have twenty-five students and one or two teachers—often parents, sometimes former educators looking for a more personal classroom, and occasionally local community members like doctors who have expertise to share.
What we're reading this week: October 19, 2023
The Education GadflyA new study from the Brookings Institution finds that stronger school-to-career pipelines can help young adults develop financial security.
Wonkathon 2023: How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?
Thomas B. Fordham InstituteAs in years past, we’ll encourage our audience to vote for the “wisest wonk.” If you’re keen to jump in—and we hope you are—please let us know and indicate when we can expect your draft. We will publish submissions on a rolling basis, so send yours as soon as practical but no later than Monday, November 6. Aim for 800 to 1200 words.
Retaining struggling readers in third grade sounds good—but it’s too little, too late, too often
Kalman R. HettlemanEducators have long debated whether to retain students who do not meet grade level standards.
Don’t mess with Texas school reform
Dale ChuTexas legislators returned to Austin earlier this week to try once again to enact a statewide school-choice program in the form of edu
There’s no Republican or Democrat way to teach reading
Robert PondiscioThere are forty-four phonemes that make up every word in the English language. Some of these small units of sound occur more frequently than others, but none can be dispensed with entirely when teaching children to sound out words and read with fluency—not even the phoneme /d/ as in “Democrat” or /r/ as in “Republican.”
How good are teachers at spotting advanced students?
Kate KerinMany school districts use teacher rating scales to identify students for advanced (i.e., gifted) programming, such as supplementary instruction and separate classes or schools.
What we're reading this week: October 12, 2023
The Education GadflyThe yawning gap in life expectancy between high school grads and dropouts is more complicated than some narratives imply.
Think Again: Is grade retention bad for kids?
Umut Özek, Louis T. MarianoThis brief challenges the long-held notion that grade retention is “bad for kids.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein: A champion for giving families more choices of schools
Bruno V. MannoDemocratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California died on September 29. She was ninety years of age and remarkable in many ways, beginning with being the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco after her predecessor was assassinated in 1978.