It’s working! Evidence of positive changes in teaching practices under Common Core. Robert Pondiscio
District curriculum choices should be transparent—and making it so is easy. Robert Pondiscio
A free online curriculum taps a need—and a nerve.
We’re doing an awful job of ensuring that kids graduate from high school with the skills to succeed. Chester E. Finn, Jr.
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.
Test refusals may force reformers to rethink their priorities. Robert Pondiscio
The era of judging New York City Schools on academics is over. Robert Pondiscio
Editor's note: This post originally appeared in a slightly different form at U.S. News & World Report.I wanted to hate this book.
The testing “opt-out” movement is testing education reform’s humility.
Promising early signs that the standards are working. Jane Song
Parents should use the threat of test refusal to demand a well-rounded education for their kids.
What is the critical mass of opt-outs and to what might it lead?
Call it mastery or competency-based education, it holds promise for students of all abilities
Arne Duncan was half right about those “white suburban moms.” Robert Pondiscio
Was Phil Jackson really a great coach? Despite his reputation as the Zen master of hoops, I’ve never been convinced. After all, Kobe, Shaq, and His Airness would have made any coach look like a genius, and there’s never been a natural experiment quantifying Jackson’s impact.
Editor's note: This post has been updated with the full text of "Don't know much about history."
An open letter to the candidates. Tim Shanahan
It takes more than a "gut feeling" to know how a school is doing
This post has been updated with the full text of "Shifting from learning to read to reading to learn."
A great resource fact-checks textbooks’ “Common Core-aligned” claims. Victoria Sears
Just when you thought we’d run out of things to blame on the standards. Kathleen Porter-Magee
This post has been updated with the full text of "No time to lose on early reading"
Both teacher and student characteristics ought to influence instructional design. Megan Lail
