To close the 'opportunity gap,' we need to close the vocabulary gap
Mike Petrilli debates Deborah Meier on Bridging Differences
Mike Petrilli debates Deborah Meier on Bridging Differences
On the thirtieth anniversary of "A Nation at Risk," Dr. Bennett spoke at the Fordham Institute on the state of American Education
Republicans make a colossal—but reversible—error on the Common Core
The College Board and ACT have entered the ring
Alabama’s decision to drop out of both consortia and choose a battery of ACT exams is enormous
Lone Star State moves to lower its own standards
Will the new science standards make the grade?
Andy's picks, from Kansas City to CALDER
Andy Smarick's pick of the news
Keeping up with education headlines
Online and blended learning alter some of the most basic characteristics of traditional schooling—and the ripples extend much, much farther
In an era of budgetary belt tightening, state and local policy makers are finally awakening to the impact of teacher pension costs on their bottom lines. Recent reports demonstrate that such pension programs across the United States are burdened by almost $390 billion in unfunded liabilities. Yet, most states and municipalities have been taking the road of least resistance, tinkering around the edges rather than tackling systemic (but painful) pension reform. Is the solution to the pension crisis to offer teachers the option of a 401(k)-style plan (also known as a "defined contribution" or DC plan) instead of a traditional pension plan? Would this alternative appeal to teachers? When Teachers Choose Pension Plans: The Florida Story sets out to answer these questions.
Andy Smarick's pick of recent education news
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute has provided big-picture feedback and detailed, standard-specific commentary for the second draft of the Next Generation Science Standards—standards that done right, set a firm foundation upon which the rest of science education across the states will be constructed. In our comments on the first draft, we concluded that “the NGSS authors have much to do to ensure that the final draft is a true leap forward in science education.” In comments on Draft II, we address to what extent NGSS writers have moved closer to a set of K–12 science standards that even states with strong standards of their own would do well to adopt.
Options for students, not parents
The new National Children's Museum, like our kids' social-studies curriculum, doesn't teach much of anything