Displaying 1-24 of 24 results
Commentary
12.3.2012
Curriculum & Instruction

Solipsism generation

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

It isn't going to be easy for David Coleman and his fellow authors of the Common Core English/Language Arts standards to wean U.S. students off writing about themselves.

Commentary
11.20.2012
Curriculum & Instruction

Social studies follies

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

The cumbersome, inscrutable title is the first clue that something is not right: “Vision for the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3): Framework for Inquiry in Social Studies State Standards.”

Commentary
11.12.2012
Curriculum & Instruction

A closer look at union strength

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute's recent study of teacher-union strength is an example of the institute's willingness to "get into the weeds" of standards

Book
9.28.2012
Curriculum & Instruction

The Diverse Schools Dilemma

Michael J. Petrilli

Lots of parents favor sending their sons and daughters to diverse schools with children from a variety of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. But can such schools successfully meet the educational needs of all those different kids? How do middle class children fare in these environments? Is there enough challenge and stimulation in schools that also struggle to help poor and immigrant children reach basic standards? Is there too much focus on test scores? And why is it so hard to find diverse public schools with a progressive, child-centered approach to education? These quandaries and more are addressed in this groundbreaking book by Michael J. Petrilli.

Commentary
8.29.2012
Charter Schools, Curriculum & Instruction

Vouchers − Darwin= ??

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

Let there be controversy

Report
7.31.2012
Advanced Education

Exam Schools: Inside America's Most Selective Public High Schools

Chester E. Finn, Jr., Jessica Hockett

What is the best education for exceptionally able and high-achieving youngsters? There are no easy answers but, as Chester Finn and Jessica Hockett show, for more than 100,000 students each year, the solution is to enroll in an academically selective public high school. Exam Schools is the first-ever close-up look at this small, sometimes controversial, yet crucial segment of American public education.

Report
4.2.2012
Accountability & Testing, Standards

Defining Strong State Accountability Systems: How Can Better Standards Gain Greater Traction?

Eileen Reed, Janie Scull, Gerilyn Slicker, Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.

Rigorous standards and aligned assessments are vital tools for boosting education outcomes but they have little traction without strong accountability systems that attach consequences to performance. This pilot study lays out the essential features of such accountability systems, intended to add oomph to new common standards and aligned assessments.

Report
1.9.2012
Accountability & Testing, Governance

Quality Control in K-12 Digital Learning: Three (Imperfect) Approaches

Will the move toward virtual and “blended learning” schools in American education repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement, or will it learn from them? The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, with the support of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, has commissioned five deep-thought papers that, together, address the thorniest policy issues surrounding digital learning. The goal is to boost the prospects for successful online learning (both substantively and politically) over the long run. In this first of six papers on digital learning commissioned by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Frederick M. Hess explores the challenges of quality control.