An update on the Common Core reading wars

Long before the Common Core State Standards were on anyone’s radar, the “reading wars” raged furiously.

A Growing Movement: America’s Largest Charter School Communities

According to the newest assessment from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools regarding the charter sector’s share of the public school market, the number of school districts where at least 20 percent of students attend charters has

Little learners need better curriculum

Mayor Bloomberg is justifiably proud of the big gains New York City made in boosting the high-school graduation rate on his watch, with about two-thirds of students now graduating in four years, up from half a decade ago.

Proceeding with caution (Transitioning to the Common Core, part 2)

In this blog series, we’re examining how five states—Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and New York—are approaching accountability in the transition to Common Core.

The efforts of hardworking teachers: the Common Core’s best kept secret

Recent articles detailing Common Core implementation in 26 Northeast Ohio districts are a must-read primer on what's really going on in classrooms in preparation for Ohio's new academic standards.

Common Core and Reading: Which one of these things is not like the other?

Long before the Common Core State Standards were on anyone’s radar, the “reading wars” raged furiously.

The accountability moratorium is here (Transitioning to the Common Core, part 1)

Many states across the nation are well underway with the challenging work of implementing the Common Core State Standards. But what does a thoughtful transition from existing to new standards look like? And what are the implications for accountability systems in the interim?

Ed Next Book Club: Amanda Ripley on The Smartest Kids in the World

We all know that there are other countries that are beating our pants academically. But why is that so? And what can we do to learn from, mimic, and catch up to them?

Quick hits for a Friday

Checker Finn, chagrined at the lack of attention to gifted education in the U.S., has decided to study what other nations do.

Netflix Academy: The best streaming videos on ancient Greece

Note: This post is part of our series, "Netflix Academy: The best educational videos available for streaming." Be sure to check out our previous Netflix Academy posts on

Fewer, Clearer, Higher: How the Common Core State Standards Can Change Classroom Practice

“Fewer, clearer, higher”: These were the words that guided the crafting of the Common Core State Standards.

A common app for uncommon schools

For a decade, the nonprofit Institute for Innovation in Public Choice (IIPSC) has helped the cities of New York, Boston, Denver, and New Orleans bring order to the Wild West of school choice, using the one-two punch of economic theory and custom software.

Gifted education—what I saw, what I’m learning

I’m halfway through an ambitious research project, in which I examine how other countries educate their high-ability kids in the hope that we might pick up tips that would prove useful in improving the woeful state of “gifted education” in the U.S.

The Polish education system is no joke

Poland’s gains in mathematics and science on the 2012 PISA assessments made big news in the United States. The impressive achievements by fifteen-year-old Polish youngsters contrast starkly with the scores of American youngsters. U.S.

Financing the education of high-need students

America’s approach to the education of children with disabilities is antiquated, costly, and ineffective. “Special education” as we know it is broken—and repainting the surface won’t repair it. It cries out for a radical overhaul.

Observations from the front line: Ohio debates the Common Core

A House committee hearing on the Common Core lasts until 1:00 in the morning.

Remodeled Report Cards, Remaining Challenges

The performance of Fordham-sponsored schools for the 2012-13 school year.

How bad are the Common Core lessons on the Gettysburg Address?

Welcome to the new Common Core kerfuffle.

PISA and Occam’s Razor

What I’ve been reading

The Tennessee Charter School Center (TCSC) is out with a terrific new report on Nashville’s schools landscape.

SIG’s Downfall: Judge, and be judged, by proficiency rates

Why and how parents choose schools

The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice recently released a study that seeks to better understand the decision-making processes of parents who send their children to private schools.

Recent teacher-eval reform happenings

For those of you following the interesting and ever-changing world of educator evaluations, a few recent happenings may be worth a look.

Cincinnati's magnet school campouts: What do they really mean?

Do highly-motivated parents guarantee a seat in a good school?

Testing voucher students: A reasonable quality-control measure with minimal threats to school diversity

Jay Greene wants school-choice supporters to relax the testing mandates in the newest and largest voucher programs in the nation.

Financing the Education of High-Need Students

The Thomas B.

Interesting SIG vs. non-SIG comparisons

Meanwhile, in ACTUAL federal-overreach news...

It seems the largest battle in education policy today centers on the question of whether or not the Obama administration cheerleading for the Common Core State Standards, a state-led initiative, represents an existential threat to federalism.