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Undefined
2.24.2016

The graduate edition

In this week's podcast, Mike Petrilli and Robert Pondiscio discuss the jump in Los Angeles’s high school graduation rate, literacy in the era of ESSA, and why community colleges shouldn’t admit ill-prepared students. In the Research Minute, Amber Northern explains how Louisiana’s scholarship program has affected students.

Commentary
2.24.2016

The promise of rural education collaboratives

Jeff Murray

Rural school districts face many of the same challenges as their urban counterparts: lots of students living in poverty, low college-attainment rates among parents, high and growing numbers of ELL students, and diffi

Commentary
2.24.2016
Curriculum & Instruction

Elementary-grade reading in Tennessee

Robert Pondiscio

Over the past decade, Tennessee has seen steady growth in math, science, and social studies scores. Those gains have been accompanied, as in many states, by rising high school graduation rates. But all is not well in the Volunteer State.

Commentary
2.24.2016

The shifting value of a college degree

Kevin Mahnken

Los Angeles is our country’s Mecca for magic and transformation. It’s where long-extinct dinosaurs come alive, marionettes turn into real boys, and Ryan Reynolds gets chance after chance to anchor film fran

Commentary
2.24.2016
Curriculum & Instruction

Advocating for high-achievers

Brandon L. Wright

Thanks to No Child Left Behind and its antecedents, American education has focused in recent decades on ensuring that all children, especially those from poor and minority backgrounds, attain a minimum level of academic achievement.

Commentary
2.24.2016

Beyond multiple choice tests

Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Victoria McDougald

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of blog posts taking a closer look at the findings and implications of Evaluating the Content and Quality of Next Generation Assessments, Fordham’s new first-of-its-kind report.

Commentary
2.23.2016

Stop with the political correctness and just admit it: Lots of high school graduates aren't ready for college.

Michael J. Petrilli

I’m appalled that The Donald might actually win the Republican nomination running on a “platform” of bombast and xenophobia. But like many of you, I’ve also been trying to understand his appeal. A booming cottage industry—shall we call it Trumpology?—is emerging to explain his supporters to the rest of us. Is it the strength that he projects? His image as a “winner”?

Commentary
2.18.2016

A conversation with our content leads

The Education Gadfly

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of blog posts that will take a closer look at the findings and implications of Evaluating the Content and Quality of Next Generation Assessments, Fordham’s new first-of-its-kind report.

Video
2.18.2016

Evaluating the Content and Quality of Next Generation Assessments

In 2015, nearly 13 million schoolchildren across the country took a brand new “next generation” assessment: PARCC, Smarter Balanced, or ACT Aspire. These tests promised parents, teachers, and community members a better understanding of their students’ preparedness for college and career.

Commentary
2.17.2016

Mardi Gras for Common Core

Kevin Mahnken

Over the years, students have resorted to all kinds of chicanery as a means of concealing bad grades from their parents. Intercepting report cards in the mail has long been a reliable standby, along with the artful application of X-Acto knives, whiteout, and copy machines.

Commentary
2.17.2016
ESSA

Steering and rowing in the age of ESSA

If you care about state education policy and/or the new federal education law, you ought to spend some time doing three things. First, consider how the performance of schools (and networks of schools) needs to be assessed.

Undefined
2.17.2016
Standards

The Grammy edition

In this week's podcast, Robert Pondiscio and Brandon Wright laud the progress of education policies since NCLB, weigh gentrification’s role in D.C.’s achievement gains, and discuss the controversy surrounding a Success Academies video. In the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines educators’ perspectives on Common Core implementation.

Commentary
2.17.2016

Fictionalizing education reform

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

Reformers always face backlash, no matter the realm. People and institutions, structures and routines, budgets and staffing arrangements—all are tailored for the status quo. Indeed, they define the status quo, and myriad interests are then enmeshed in keeping things the way they’ve always been.

Commentary
2.16.2016
ESSA

ESSA Accountability Design Competition: My big takeaways

On February 2, I had the privilege of being a judge for the Fordham Institute’s ESSA Accountability Design Competition. It’s widely known that I’m a fan of using competition to drive policy innovation, and this competition did not disappoint.

Commentary
2.16.2016
ESSA

Designing accountability systems to avoid NCLB-era mistakes

I walked away from Fordham’s School Accountability Design Competition last Tuesday pleasantly surprised—not only at the variety of fresh thinking on accountability, but also at how few submissions actually triggered the “I think that’s illegal” response. I left encouraged at the possibilities for the future.

Commentary
2.12.2016

Testing the tests: A better lens

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of blog posts that will take a closer look at the findings and implications of Evaluating the Content and Quality of Next Generation Assessments, Fordham’s new first-of-its-kind report.