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
#893: When to hold kids back, with Umut Özek and Louis Mariano
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Umut Özek and Louis Mariano, researchers at the Rand Corporation, join Mike to d
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.
#892: A solution to teacher shortages, with Kirsten Baesler
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Kirsten Baesler, the superintendent of North Dakota, joins Mike to discuss her stat
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.
#891: The fight for school choice in the Lone Star State, with Denisha Allen
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Denisha Allen, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Chil
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.
AI is a serious threat to student privacy
Daniel BuckThe bulk of commentary and school district policy relating to AI and education focuses almost exclusively on questions regarding cheating and whether it still makes sense to teach kids to write. But there are other risks of the tech and thorny questions looming on the horizon that are worryingly overlooked. Student privacy is perhaps chief among them.
Remembering Emerson Elliott
Chester E. Finn, Jr.When Emerson Elliott passed away the other day at eighty-nine, surrounded by his loving four-generation family, one might simply say adieu and thanks to a capable and dedicated career federal civil servant—which he surely was.
Can a licensure test accurately assess CTE teacher competency?
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.There is plentiful research suggesting that, among in-school factors, teachers consistently matter the most when it comes to student testing outcomes.
The pipeline from postsecondary education into the manufacturing industry
Jeff MurrayData show that America’s current manufacturing workforce is aging and retiring as the sector is expanding exponentially and its
What we're reading this week: October 5, 2023
The Education GadflyResearch remains inconclusive about the effects of exclusionary practices like suspensions on a disciplined child’s peers.
#890: How exclusionary zoning impedes educational opportunity, with Richard Kahlenberg
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Progressive P
One cheer for New York City’s efforts on advanced education
Brandon L. Wright, Daniel BuckWhen former mayor Bill de Blasio promised to dismantle New York City’s gifted education programs, then-candidate Eric Adams laudably promised to save, reform and expand them. Since taking the helm, howev
Finding “lost Einsteins” means fixing K–5 science, especially in rural schools
Jeanne McCartyThis nation’s economic security will be won or lost based on the ability of elementary schools to energize science education.
ChatGPT hasn’t killed the academic essay
Daniel BuckAn academic essay is an end in itself. It teaches, among other things, control of language, how to organize thoughts and structure them such that a reader can easily follow them, how to state an argument clearly upfront, how to hook a reader’s interest, and how to conclude in a concise, powerful way. AI will not change this.
Parents and schools need a reset
Ryan HooperTensions between parents and educators are at an all-time high. Differences in opinion about education are not new, and they certainly do not have to lead to a corrosion of trust. Yet that is exactly what has happened, and both groups shoulder blame—as does the media.