What charter school authorizers can teach states on ESSA: It's hard to find indicators of school quality that aren’t test scores
Kathryn MullenBy Kathryn Mullen Upton
Can evidence improve America's schools?
Michael J. PetrilliBy Michael J. Petrilli
Ohio's accountability system is the best in the country for high achievers. Here are 3 ways to keep that focus
Aaron ChurchillLast week, several of my Fordham colleagues published a fantastic fifty-state review of accountability systems and how they impact high achievers. Lamentably, they found that most states do almost nothing to hold schools accountable for the progress of their most able pupils.
Cultivating America's future leaders
Robert PondiscioDuring the No Child Left Behind era of education reform, now winding down, teachers, schools and districts were tacitly encouraged to focus their efforts on raising the floor rather than raising the roof on student achievement. Whether by accident, choice or neglect, high-achievers as well as those merely "above proficient" received little attention. And why should they?
High Stakes for High Achievers: State Accountability in the Age of ESSA (Part I)
Michael J. Petrilli, David Griffith, Brandon L. Wright, Audrey KimNo Child Left Behind meant well, but it had a pernicious flaw: It created strong incentives for schools to focus all their energy on helping low-performing students get over a modest “proficiency” bar. Meanwhile, it ignored the educational needs of high achievers, who were likely to pass state reading and math tests regardless of what happened in the classroom.
California goes over the rainbow: An accountability farce
Chester E. Finn, Jr.No, I’m not referring to the Golden State’s rich palette of ethnic and other minority (and majority) groups, nor to its desire that they’ll live, work, and go to school in harmony, like Monet’s Water Lilies or Matisse’s Fauve masterpieces.
Help shape educational accountability in Ohio
Ohio Education GadflyYou're invited to join in the conversation and contribute to Ohio’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan.
Is the new federal testing pilot worth the work?
Jessica PoinerMany education stakeholders see the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) as an opportunity to fix the most problematic provisions in NCLB. For many critics, the biggest bogeyman was too much standardized testing and its associated accountability measures.
Two changes to the Department of Education's ESSA implementation rule
Michael J. PetrilliEditor's note: This post reproduces a letter sent to Secretary of Education John King on July 29. Dear Mr. Secretary:
Testing flexibility under ESSA: A primer on the pros and cons
Jessica PoinerThe new education law of the land—the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—has been the talk of the town since President Obama signed it into law in December 2015.
Academic distress commissions: A leg up for Ohio in implementing ESSA?
Jessica PoinerNo Child Left Behind (NCLB) required states to identify and intervene in persistently low-performing schools.
Proposed ESSA regulations shortchange early learning and violate the law's intention
By Elliot Regenstein
How states can use ESSA to deliver a more well-rounded education
Robert PondiscioBy Robert Pondiscio
Change minds, change policies, change practice
Children with extraordinary gifts and talents experience drastically different needs. We parents, teachers, and advocates often get nervous calling attention to bright children, and we often fall into the trap of working under the radar or even making ourselves invisible.
Does school climate affect student achievement or vice versa?
Jamie Davies O'LearyJamie Davies O’Leary
Four approaches to ESSA accountability
Michael J. Petrilli, Brandon L. WrightBy Michael J. Petrilli and Brandon L. Wright
How will ESSA change Ohio’s school report cards?
Jessica PoinerESSA implementation means changes to Ohio's school report cards
Secretary King is wrong: ESEA was not a civil rights law
As Flypaper readers know all too well, newly arrived Education Secretary John B. King, Jr., is in hot water with Congress, state governors, and various school reformers.
The ESSA honeymoon is over
Kevin MahnkenWith our laser-like focus on American K–12 education (and the even narrower territory of American K–12 reform), it can be easy to forget that good schooling can be found in many forms—and many settings.
Make Assessment Work for All Students: Multiple Measures Matter
Jessica PoinerWe look at the results of a recent survey around assessments
How to use ESSA to promote funding equity for schools of choice
Michael J. PetrilliEarlier this month, eleven scholars, analysts, and advocates participated in our annual Wonkathon. The challenge we put to them was to find provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act that could be used to expand parental choice.
The proposed ESSA regulations: Return of the bureaucrats
Michael J. PetrilliAs everyone knows, the Department of Education released its latest package of proposed regulations today. Among other issues, this round addresses the heart of the Every Student Succeeds Act: its accountability provisions.
Kudos to Columbus Collegiate
Kevin MahnkenAt the same time we wrapped up our Wonkathon on parental choice under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Washington Post’s Jay Mathews published a column on the new law’s implications for s
The value of a teaching corps that reflects the diversity of our schools
It is disheartening that, in 2016, the recognition of gifted students of color may be more dependent on the race of their teachers than their demonstrated abilities.
Increasing capacity: An overview of ESSA's Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant
Jessica PoinerThe Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which was signed into law by President Obama in December, has been hailed as a bipartisan effort to fix the most problematic provisio
Lamar Alexander floor speech on ESSA regulations: Full transcript
The Education GadflyOn May 5, the Congressional Research Service released a report on proposed U.S. Department of Education spending regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act.