Schools should support gifted students, not work against them
Editor's note: This blog was first published as a letter to the editor in the Washington Post on August 7, 2016.
Change the narrow focus on grade-level proficiency
Earlier this year, in his final State of the Union address, President Barak Obama asked, “How do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity in this new economy?” Education is a powerful tool to help do that.
Hope is more than just wishful thinking
We hear parents, teachers, and students use the word hope every day. But what exactly does it mean? When we read or hear the word, we might think of a positive outlook or desire, yet its true definition is nebulous. It implies that something will automatically or magically occur without effort.
Gifted education standards to guide teaching and deepen student learning
Ensuring that highly able learners are recognized through systematic programming is of the highest importance.
An unconventional approach: The San Francisco 49ers use football to inspire STEM learning
The San Francisco 49ers are taking science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to new heights for children throughout Silicon Valley.
Little California love for charters
Kevin MahnkenDarius Brown’s educational biography,
Balancing excellence and equity: The twenty-first-century struggle of gifted education
Scott J. Peters
Charter accountability works in Ohio
Kevin MahnkenElite public academies like Boston Latin, Stuyvesant High School, and San Francisco’s Lowell High School have long been acclaimed for the top-flight academics they offer to applicants who pass their rigorous entrance exams.
Locked out of learning
Earlier this month, the Department of Education released new data exposing the uneven suspension rates and limited learning opportunities faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Life lessons from a grandfather's wisdom
During my first year at the University of South Carolina, I often purchased a morning cup of coffee in the university’s student union. Early one morning, I spotted a young man dressed in a business suit and bow tie carrying on an animated conversation with a group of undergraduates.
Charter Icahnoclast
Kevin MahnkenWe here at Fordham are really jazzed about the potential of high-quality career and technical education (CTE).
Standard deviations: Creative writers take standardized writing tests?
Students at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology produce the highest SAT and ACT scores in the nation. All of the students take at least one Advanced Placement exam, with 97 percent of them scoring well enough to receive college credit. But those high scores don’t come without intellectual cost.
The importance of parent intuition and observation in recognizing highly creative children
In my work with hundreds of families, I have observed one common truth: Parents are the experts on their own children, especially when it comes to giftedness. Parents often observe certain characteristics in their children and view them as positive traits—until those same characteristics are regarded negatively in school.
The importance of robust state gifted policies
If you had a magic wand and could change one thing to ensure the availability of great gifted education services for students in your community, what would it be? A state mandate? More funding? A wide array of service requirements based on what we know about giftedness and best practices for promoting the development of high-ability learners?
Racial bias in gifted and talented placement, and what to do about it
The following text is an excerpt from Aiming Higher Together: Strategizing Better Educational Outcomes for Boys and Young Men of Color, an Urban Institute report authored by Ronald F. Ferguson of Harvard University.
Honoring giftedness in the black community
At the turn of the twentieth century, scholars and politicians alike were wrestling with a new America. It was the end of Reconstruction, and race relations in the country were coming to the fore of the national conversation. Sociologists and politicians were embroiled in contentious discussions that would shape the nation’s development.
Students need opportunities to flex their creative muscles
Although we consider creativity and critical thinking two of the most important skills today, children often have limited opportunities to flex their creative muscles. Parents and teachers need to encourage creative children to find at least one outlet, along with venues and audiences to showcase their work.
America's Report Card: We're still ignoring low-income high-achievers
Chester E. Finn, Jr., Brandon L. WrightLast week, the Department of Education released the 2015 Nation’s Report Card for twelfth graders. As with the fourth- and eighth-grade scores provided last fall, there was little to celebrate. In the core subjects of math and reading, average scores held firm at the same unimpressive level they’ve been at since 2009.
A Policymaker's Guide to Improving School Leadership
Eric LerumWhether the goal is to enhance instruction, create a culture of excellence, or broaden education options for parents, it’s nearly impossible to improve schools without strong leaders. This is hardly news; much evidence has indicated the importance of effective principals for decades.
No child is just born gifted: Creating and developing unlimited potential
Observing what a young person is capable of is always exciting. Many of the limits we thought children had do not seem to be as absolute as we once believed. The more we study children, the more we discover that our beliefs are limited, not the abilities of kids.Are children born gifted?
San Antonio's plan to serve high-achievers
Over the past year, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute has published numerous articles (including a book) explaining how schools across the country are overlooking high-achieving poor students.
Trump's rise is a wake-up call for education reformers
Robert PondiscioBy Robert Pondiscio
Dispelling the myths around gifted education
How often have you heard, “Gifted students will do fine on their own?” This is just one of the many myths that become barriers to properly educating millions of high-potential students. The following is a list of the most prevalent myths in gifted education, accompanied by evidence rebutting each of them.
Let's ensure that all kids have access to gifted programs in Illinois
As a parent of three young children in Chicago Public Schools, I’m starting to get nervous.
How tracking can raise the test scores of high-ability minority students
David GriffithBy David Griffith
Challenges to the pursuit of equity in excellence
A recent report showing low levels of participation by black, Hispanic, and low-income students in the gifted and talented programs of Montgomery County underscores the significant challenges befo
High-potential students thrive when school districts develop sustainable gifted services
The goal of gifted programs should reflect that of any other educational program: to engage students with appropriately challenging curricula and instruction on a daily basis and in all relevant content areas so that they can make continual academic growth.
Education for Upward Mobility
Michael J. PetrilliIn Education for Upward Mobility, editor Michael J. Petrilli and more than a dozen leading scholars and policy analysts seek answers to a fundamental question: How can we help children born into poverty transcend their disadvantages and enter the middle class as adults? And in particular, what role can our schools play?