Common Core in the Districts: An Early Look at Early Implementers
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Michael J. PetrilliThe last year has found critics and advocates of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) duking it out in the political arena. That a common set of high expectations for K–12 students would catalyze such fierce fisticuffs reminds us of both the ugliness and beauty of democracy.
A chance for Mississippi to get out of the educational basement
Michael BrickmanWhich state ranks last of the fifty in fourth-grade math on the NAEP, last in eighth-grade r
Common Core in the Districts: An Early Look at Early Implementers
by Katie Cristol and Brinton S. Ramsey Foreword by Amber M. Northern and Michael J. Petrilli
The imperfect "ObamaCore" analogy
Michael J. PetrilliThe COMMENTARY blog is my absolute favorite, so I was more than a little crestfallen when I read Seth Mandel’s recent entry.
Must see TV: Fordham trustee defends Common Core on Fox News
Michelle LernerFrustration and misinformation on the Common Core State Standards abound.
First Bell 2-21-14
A first look at today's most important education news.In a letter issued to members of the House Budget Committee, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon claimed the education budget for the current fiscal year overestimates the reve
To save the Common Core, don't fear the moratorium
Of all the current political threats to the Common Core, the most dangerous is the brewing backlash from the teachers' unions. To be sure, the GOP-Tea Party rebellion against federal intrusion is also threatening and holds the possibility of leading to repeal in several states.
Disciplining the undisciplined
Chester E. Finn, Jr.The tough letter that senior House Republicans sent last week to Arne Duncan and Eric Holder should have been even tougher. For the “guidance” that their agencies issued to U.S.
School choice keeps families in the city
Jeff MurraySchool choice marketplace in one Columbus neighborhood, all in the name of urban stability.
Expanding Access to Great Teachers
The success of classrooms—and students—starts with a great educator. But since not all educators are equally effective, is there a way to ensure that more students have access to the best in the field—especially our most disadvantaged students? As the U.S.
A new campus for KIPP
Theda SampsonFantastic things are happening for students in central Ohio's KIPP school.
Groundhog Day: The only thing missing is Bill Murray
Chad L. AldisRepeated failures of charter schools around Ohio seem endless; some hope may be around the corner.
School choice keeps families in the city
Jeff MurraySchool choice marketplace in one Columbus neighborhood, all in the name of urban stability.
First Bell 2-18-14
Elisabeth HoysonA first look at today's most important education news:North Carolina Superior Court judge will hear the case against allowing student opportunity grants for use in private, religious schools.Illinois legislature begins to rew
Smarter Balanced assessments: A big moment for our schools
I began my career as an inner-city elementary teacher because I was dedicated to helping students succeed. Listening to them and helping them improve to meet their goals was at the heart of my work. Today, as the executive director of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, I feel that passion more deeply than at any point in my career.
The Common Core sanity check of the day: Estimation is not a fuzzy math skill
Michael J. PetrilliOops, he did it again.
SIG: The disaster continues
Yesterday, I jokingly tweeted that since today would be a snowy Friday before a holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Education would probably release SIG data.
Stuff to read while you’re snowed in
Nothing helps pass the time better when you’re snowed in than some high-quality edu-reading. Here’s some of the best stuff I’ve come across recently.
Universal enrollment and the potential for a perfect school-choice marketplace
Jeff MurrayCharter High Schools’ Effects on Long-Term Attainment and Earnings
Andrew McDonnellIn the midst of short-term and mostly small-scale snapshots measuring charter quality, this new Mathematica study brings a more panoramic portrait. Using longitudinal data, the authors sought to determine whether charter-school enrollment is indeed related to student success.
Ten map meditations on economic mobility
For a couple weeks now, I’ve been obsessing over this map. It’s the product of a remarkable research project that collected and analyzed the incomes of the thirty-year olds who were born between 1980 and 1982.
Lies, damned lies, and the Common Core
Michael J. PetrilliIf you want to understand why supporters of the Common Core are frustrated—OK, exasperated—by some of our opponents’ seemingly unlimited willingness to engage in dishonest debate, consider this latest episode.
A New Frontier: Utilizing Charter Schooling to Strengthen Rural Education
Aaron ChurchillWith thirty-two cities across the nation placing more than 20 percent of their students in charter schools, it is clear that chartering has changed the face of urban education. But what about students from rural areas?
The standardized test as Tocquevillian device
This is a cliché by now, but the public schools where I live are producing test takers: pretty good ones, as far as the numbers show. At parent night at the beginning of the school year, we were introduced to a curricular program explicitly built around “assessments”—the new euphemism, I gather; maybe it intimidates less.