In praise of ed tech
On this week's podcast, special guest David DeSchryver, a senior vice president at Whiteboard Advisors and OFOM (Old Friend of Mike’s), joins Mike Petrilli and Alyssa Schwenk to discuss the most promising developments in ed tech. During the Research Minute, David Griffith examines the effects of part-day absenteeism in high school.
Go for growth: How Ohio lawmakers can fix the school grading system
Aaron ChurchillIn its version of the state budget bill, the Ohio House included language that would place more weight on student growth measures when calculating charter sponsor ratings.
Should schools teach the success sequence?
On this week's podcast, Mike Petrilli, Ian Rowe, and Alyssa Schwenk discuss whether and how schools should teach the “success sequence.” During the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines the cross-subject effects of English language arts instruction.
Early ESSA plans don't do enough to signal that all students are important
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
State board's graduation fix falls woefully short
Chad L. Aldis, Aaron ChurchillNote: This blog originally appeared in a slightly different form as a guest commentary in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
DeVos's ESSA peer review guidance is a victory for high achievers
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
States mostly squander ESSA's school improvement flexibility
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
Leveraging ESSA to Support Quality-School Growth
Nelson Smith, Brandon L. WrightUnder the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal School Improvement Grants program is gone, but the goal of school improvement remains. States must now use seven percent of their Title I allocation for these efforts, but are no longer constrained by a prescribed menu of intervention options.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Is a 10th grade education too high a bar for an Ohio diploma?
By Tom Gunlock
The Right Tool for the Job: Improving Reading and Writing in the Classroom
Melody Arabo, Jonathan S. Budd, Shannon Garrison, Tabitha PachecoAlthough it’s been almost seven years since many states took the important step of elevating their academic standards by adopting the Common Core, teachers and administrators across the country still bemoan the lack of reliable information about which instructional materials are high-quality and best aligned to the new standards.
Casting the net too wide: Ohio’s ESSA plans could place most districts in support status
Jamie Davies O'LearyOhio’s draft plan for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) came out earlier this month, and we at Fordham continue to
Ohio’s ESSA plan: The Prepared for Success component
Jessica PoinerIn early February, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released the first draft of its state plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Trump and Congress will repeal Obama's ESSA rules: Why that matters and what should follow
Brandon L. WrightBy Brandon L. Wright
The great choice-accountability debate
On this week's podcast, Checker Finn, Alyssa Schwenk, and Brandon Wright discuss the ongoing debate about whether school accountability is best done via the parent marketplace or state assessments. During the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines whether struggling students are more likely to leave charter schools than traditional public schools.
Some immodest advice to the Ohio graduation requirements work group
NOTE: The Thomas B. Fordham Institute occasionally publishes guest commentaries on its blogs. The views expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect those of Fordham.
Ohio’s ESSA plan: Identifying low-performing schools
Jessica PoinerOne of the hallmarks of school accountability is the identification of and intervention in persistently low-preforming schools.
Fordham Institute statement on 2017 Quality Counts ratings
Ohio Education GadflyToday Education Week released its annual Quality Counts report card for states. Ohio earned a C with an overall score of 74.2, aligning the Buckeye State for the second year in a row with national U.S. average (also 74.2).