Honoring giftedness in the black community
At the turn of the twentieth century, scholars and politicians alike were wrestling with a new America. It was the end of Reconstruction, and race relations in the country were coming to the fore of the national conversation. Sociologists and politicians were embroiled in contentious discussions that would shape the nation’s development.
Two great tastes that taste great together: Course access and direct student services
Editor's note: This is the sixth post in Fordham's 2016 Wonkathon. We've asked assorted education policy experts to answer this question: What are the "sleeper provisions" of ESSA that might encourage the further expansion of parental choice, at least if advocates seize the opportunity?
Follow the money: ESSA's weighted student funding pilots
Editor's note: This is the fifth post in Fordham's 2016 Wonkathon. We've asked assorted education policy experts to answer this question: What are the "sleeper provisions" of ESSA that might encourage the further expansion of parental choice, at least if advocates seize the opportunity?
Choosy states choose...choice!
Editor's note: This is the fourth post in Fordham's 2016 Wonkathon. We've asked assorted education policy experts to answer this question: What are the "sleeper provisions" of ESSA that might encourage the further expansion of parental choice, at least if advocates seize the opportunity?
ESSA's hidden treasure
Editor's note: This is the third post in Fordham's 2016 Wonkathon. We've asked assorted education policy experts to answer this question: What are the "sleeper provisions" of ESSA that might encourage the further expansion of parental choice, at least if advocates seize the opportunity?
Help Goldman Sachs profit off of at-risk teens
Editor's note: This is the second post in Fordham's 2016 Wonkathon. We've asked assorted education policy experts to answer this question: What are the "sleeper provisions" of ESSA that might encourage the further expansion of parental choice, at least if advocates seize the opportunity?
Will states and parents seize ESSA's opportunities?
Editor's note: This is the first post in Fordham's 2016 Wonkathon. We've asked assorted education policy experts to answer this question: What are the "sleeper provisions" of ESSA that might encourage the further expansion of parental choice, at least if advocates seize the opportunity?
ESSA: The potential of direct student services
Jessica PoinerPresident Obama signed the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), in December 2015.
Students need opportunities to flex their creative muscles
Although we consider creativity and critical thinking two of the most important skills today, children often have limited opportunities to flex their creative muscles. Parents and teachers need to encourage creative children to find at least one outlet, along with venues and audiences to showcase their work.
America's Report Card: We're still ignoring low-income high-achievers
Chester E. Finn, Jr., Brandon L. WrightLast week, the Department of Education released the 2015 Nation’s Report Card for twelfth graders. As with the fourth- and eighth-grade scores provided last fall, there was little to celebrate. In the core subjects of math and reading, average scores held firm at the same unimpressive level they’ve been at since 2009.
Announcing the Fordham Institute's third annual Wonkathon. This year's topic: ESSA and parental choice
Michael J. PetrilliIn 2014, we hosted our first-ever Wonkathon, which was dedicated to the subject of charter school policy.
Is there actually a national teacher shortage?
Kevin MahnkenThe whole point of the Every Student Succeeds Act was to revert financial and regulatory authority back to states after No Child Left Behind’s era of federal supremacy.
A Policymaker's Guide to Improving School Leadership
Eric LerumWhether the goal is to enhance instruction, create a culture of excellence, or broaden education options for parents, it’s nearly impossible to improve schools without strong leaders. This is hardly news; much evidence has indicated the importance of effective principals for decades.
No child is just born gifted: Creating and developing unlimited potential
Observing what a young person is capable of is always exciting. Many of the limits we thought children had do not seem to be as absolute as we once believed. The more we study children, the more we discover that our beliefs are limited, not the abilities of kids.Are children born gifted?
San Antonio's plan to serve high-achievers
Over the past year, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute has published numerous articles (including a book) explaining how schools across the country are overlooking high-achieving poor students.
ESSA oversight hearing: Full transcript
The Education GadflyOn Tuesday, April 12, 2016, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a full committee hearing titled “ESSA Implementation in States and School Districts: Perspectives from the U.S. Secretary of Education,” the first of a series of oversight hearings on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
The Steph Curry edition
On this week’s podcast, Mike Petrilli and Alyssa Schwenk refute the idea that CTE is at odds with college, critique draft ESSA regulations’ neglect of high-achievers, and discuss a New York City lawsuit alleging the city’s schools are unsafe. During the Research Minute, Amber Northern explains charter high schools’ effects on long-term attainment and earnings.
Draft ESSA regulations: A mixed bag for educational excellence
Jonathan Plucker, Brandon L. WrightBy Jonathan Plucker, Ph.D. and Brandon Wright
Trump's rise is a wake-up call for education reformers
Robert PondiscioBy Robert Pondiscio
Dispelling the myths around gifted education
How often have you heard, “Gifted students will do fine on their own?” This is just one of the many myths that become barriers to properly educating millions of high-potential students. The following is a list of the most prevalent myths in gifted education, accompanied by evidence rebutting each of them.
Let's ensure that all kids have access to gifted programs in Illinois
As a parent of three young children in Chicago Public Schools, I’m starting to get nervous.
How tracking can raise the test scores of high-ability minority students
David GriffithBy David Griffith
ESSA accountability: Don't forget the high-achievers
Michael J. PetrilliBy Michael J. Petrilli
Challenges to the pursuit of equity in excellence
A recent report showing low levels of participation by black, Hispanic, and low-income students in the gifted and talented programs of Montgomery County underscores the significant challenges befo
High-potential students thrive when school districts develop sustainable gifted services
The goal of gifted programs should reflect that of any other educational program: to engage students with appropriately challenging curricula and instruction on a daily basis and in all relevant content areas so that they can make continual academic growth.
One size may fit most, but certainly not the gifted and talented
Last fall, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published a working paper by researchers Thomas S. Dee and Hans Henrik Sieversten titled The Gift of Time? School Starting Age and Mental Health. The well-developed study quantifies the effects of predicating enrollment in formal schooling on the mental health of students.
Using ESSA to fix reading: Implications for state policy
Robert PondiscioBy Lisa Hansel and Robert Pondiscio
Leaving talent on the table: Fixing gifted education in America
Talk is cheap.For decades, elected officials, education leaders, and others have consumed much oxygen talking about the challenges facing our nation from countries doing a much better job developing their academic talent.Despite this the reality is that we have largely failed to address this concern as many of our most talented children are being overlooked and uncultivated.