Common Core's first breakout hit?
A free online curriculum taps a need—and a nerve.
A free online curriculum taps a need—and a nerve.
AEI just released a very good, short report on charter authorizing, “The Paperwork Pileup: Measuring the Burden of Charter School Applications.”
How to identify and promote good CTE programs. Michelle Lerner
We’re doing an awful job of ensuring that kids graduate from high school with the skills to succeed. Chester E. Finn, Jr.
We’ve learned a lot since 2001. Andy Smarick
States shouldn’t sugarcoat the bad news when reporting Common Core test results to parents. Chester E. Finn, Jr.
A new AEI report raises the right questions—and promulgates some of the wrong answers. Kathryn Mullen Upton
Advocates hoped Common Core would incentivize good new curriculum. It’s happening. Kathleen Porter-Magee and Victoria Sears
Since we at Fordham began reviewing state academic standards in 1997, we have understood—and made clear—that standards alone are insufficient to drive improvements in student achievement.
The need for standards-aligned curricula is the most cited Common Core challenge for states, districts, and schools. Yet five years into that implementation, teachers still report scrambling to find high-quality instructional materials. Despite publishers’ claims, there is a dearth of programs that are truly aligned to the demands of the Common Core for content and rigor.
Editor's note: This post has been updated to include the entirety of "Knowledge is literacy."
Last week, Fordham hosted Robert Putnam for a discussion of his new book Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, which argues that a growing opportunity gap is leaving many American children behind.
Leaders of high-performing schools address charter law reform efforts
For Nashville charters, funding disparities endanger progress. Kevin Mahnken
When bad schools close, families usually get something better.That’s what the Thomas B. Fordham Institute asserts in its April 2015 study School Closures and Student Achievement, using new research conducted in both traditional and charter public schools located in Ohio’s large urban school districts.
Editor's note: On May 6, Fordham contributor Andy Smarick delivered testimony before an Ohio education subcommittee on Senate Bill 148, a critical piece of legislation that would help clean up
Rewarding parents who make informed decisions. Matthew Levey
Like pretty much everyone who is passionate about closing the achievement gap, I’m interested in Success Academies.
Editor's note: This post originally appeared in a slightly different form at U.S. News & World Report.I wanted to hate this book.