Commentary
First Bell 4-3-13
A first look at today's education news: "Cram schools" are gaining popularity, Texas considers scaling back its high school graduation requirements, and more
Topics
Commentary
First Bell 4-2-13
A first look at today's education news: Atlanta's former schools chief and three-dozen others have been indicted for test fraud, the common-assessment consortia will undergo a federal review process, and more
Commentary
Charter Schools
Quixote, jobs, innovation, and Catholic schools
A collection of news and announcements
Video
Unnecessary Censorship: Ed-Reform Edition
Featuring (in order of appearance): Michael Petrilli - Executive Vice President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Amber Winkler - Vice President for Research, Thomas B. Fordham Institute John Chubb - Interim CEO, Education Sector Anne L. Bryant - Executive Director, National School Boards Association Gene I. Maeroff - Founding Director, Hechinger Institute Mike Miles - Superintendent, Dallas ISD Christopher S. Barclay - President, Montgomery County Board of Education, Maryland Geoffrey Jones - founding principal, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Chester E. Finn, Jr. - President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Rick Hess - Resident Scholar and Director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
Commentary
First Bell 3-29-13
A first look at today's education news: Connecticut schools have begun to tighten graduation requirements, "Bring Your Own Device" may lead to a "digital divide," and more
Commentary
First Bell 3-28-13
A first look at today's education news: A report finds that NJ's pre-K program has lasting benefits, Gov. Branstad of Iowa proposes raising teacher salaries and offering incentive pay to teachers, and more
Commentary
First Bell 3-27-13
A first look at today's education news: The Indiana Supreme Court upholds the state's school-voucher program, NAEP will administer a new test on technology and engineering literacy, and more
Commentary
First Bell 3-26-13
A first look at today's education news: New Jersey takes over the Camden school district, NY State legislators pave the way to end the teacher-evaluation standoff, and more
Commentary
Commentary
Why are elite colleges more selective than ever?
Even as national and international exams tell us American high schoolers aren't making significant achievement gains, freshmen SAT scores at the nation's top colleges keep rising
Commentary
First Bell 3-25-13
A first look at the education news from this weekend and today: Chicago's fifty-four school closures has communities in an uproar, districts seek greater flexibility with the funds they have, and more
Commentary
First Bell 3-22-13
A first look at today's education news: Chicago closes fifty-four public schools, there are signs of life in NYC's teacher-evaluation debate, and more
Commentary
Catherine the Great, Frederick Douglass, and education reform
The stories of these historical giants have three associations particularly relevant to the work of education reform
Commentary
First Bell 3-21-13
A first look at today's education news: NY's new budget will help NYC schools recuperate dollars lost during the teacher-evaluation debacle, U.S. school buildings are alarmingly out of date, and more
Report
Charter Schools, Governance
Governance in the charter school sector: Time for a reboot
When charter schools first emerged more than two decades ago, they presented an innovation in public school governance. No longer would school districts enjoy the “exclusive franchise” to own and operate public schools, as chartering pioneer and advocate Ted Kolderie explained. Charters wouldn’t gain all of the independence of private schools—they would still report to a publicly accountable body, or authorizer—but they would be largely freed from the micromanagement of school boards, district bureaucracies, and union contracts. Autonomy, in exchange for accountability, would reign supreme.
Commentary
Commentary
Charter Schools, Curriculum & Instruction
SIG, tests, and state legislative proposals
Andy Smarick's pick of the news
Commentary
First Bell 3-20-13
A first look at today's education news: Pennsylvania's Common Core-aligned diploma law has a gaping loophole, unions and school officials will testify to delay teacher-evaluation reform in Maryland, and more
Commentary
First Bell 3-19-13
A first look at today's education news: Principals in 11 percent of NYC's public schools did not flunk a single teacher in the last eight years, student tracking and ability grouping is on the rise, and more
Commentary
First Bell 3-18-13
A first look at the education news from this weekend and today: high-ability, low-income students are unlikely to even apply to the best colleges, Wall Street likes Philly's school closures, and more
Commentary
First Bell 3-15-13
A first look at today's education news: The number of high school kids taking classes for college credit is up 67 percent since 2003, L.A. supe John Deasy argues for depoliticizing education research, and more
Video
Assessing the President's Preschool Plan
In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for making preschool available to every child in America. But questions abound: Is universal preschool politically and fiscally feasible—or even educationally necessary? Should we be expending federal resources on universal pre-K or targeting true Kindergarten-readiness programs for the neediest kids? How robust is the evidence of lasting impacts? And what exactly is the president proposing?
Commentary
First Bell 3-14-13
A first look at today's education news: A suburban NJ community is divided over armed guards in schools, key Republican congressional leaders are talking up school choice, and more
Commentary
Flypaper takes first prize in the Education Writers Association’s annual contest
We’re honored and humbled by the news that the EWA named Flypaper the best blog in its field
Commentary
Advanced Education
Ed Next Book Club: Tony Wagner on Creating Innovators
In this edition of the Ed Next Book Club, Mike Petrilli sits down with Tony Wagner to discuss his new book
Commentary
Setting the state stage for improved teacher preparation
What's needed are smart policies: strong teacher professional standards, rigorous standards for and assessments of prep programs, and exacting rules on education certification
Commentary
First Bell 3-13-13
A first look at today's education news: A new Boston school-assignment plan that looks at both geography and quality faces a committee hearing today, debates rage in Alabama over a tax-credit-scholarship program and Common Core implementation, and more
Report
Accountability & Testing, Charter Schools
Searching for Excellence: A Five-City, Cross-State Comparison of Charter School Quality
Conducted jointly by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and Public Impact, the new research study Searching for Excellence: A Five-City, Cross-State Comparison of Charter School Quality sheds light on charter performance — in Albany, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, and Indianapolis. These cities were highlighted because they have relatively large numbers of charter schools and charter school students. These are cities where charters have been part of the educational landscape for a decade or more. Read this exciting report today!
Commentary
First Bell 3-12-13
A first look at today's education news: An NYC panel rejected a school-closure moratorium, the NSF issues a call for multidisciplinary research on education, and more
Commentary
The 10 Best Television Shows for Young Children
10 TV shows for kids that are educational and engaging