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
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.
Education for Upward Mobility
Michael J. PetrilliIn Education for Upward Mobility, editor Michael J. Petrilli and more than a dozen leading scholars and policy analysts seek answers to a fundamental question: How can we help children born into poverty transcend their disadvantages and enter the middle class as adults? And in particular, what role can our schools play?
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.
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.
Breaking the artificial ceilings we place over gifted and talented children
On January 23, the Economist sent a clear warning to world leaders about the ways that “governments are systematically preventing [youth] from reaching their potential.” In the article “Young, gifted and held back,” authors point to many polici
America's Best (and Worst) Cities for School Choice
Priscilla Wohlstetter, Ph.D., Dara Zeehandelaar Shaw, Ph.D., David GriffithMore than twelve million American students exercise some form of school choice by going to a charter, magnet, or private school——instead of attending a traditional public school.
Is Detente Possible? District-charter school relations in four cities
Daniela Doyle, Christen Holly, Bryan C. HasselWhether you think the end game of the current “mixed economy” of district and charter schools should be an all-charter system (as in New Orleans) or a dual model (as in Washington D.C.), for the foreseeable future most cities are likely to continue with a blend of these two sectors. So we wanted to know: Can they peacefully co-exist? Can they do better than that?
The Star Wars edition
Intel’s withdrawal of its Science Talent Search sponsorship, the legitimacy of the “Asian advantage,” charter school policy’s importance to voters, and principals’ opinions of Teach For America alumni.
The "Genius" edition
A suburban college readiness gap, rethinking the high school graduation age, fracking’s effect on male dropout rates, and racial density in high schools.
The Emmy edition
Catholic schools and the Pope’s stateside visit, Bill de Blasio’s pre-K enrollment efforts, STEM education for gifted kids, and KIPP’s successful scale-up.
Failing Our Brightest Kids: The Global Challenge of Educating High-Ability Students
Chester E. Finn, Jr., Brandon L. WrightIn Failing Our Brightest Kids, Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Brandon L. Wright argue that for decades, the United States has focused too little on preparing students to achieve at high levels.
Schools of Thought: A Taxonomy of American Education Governance
Dara Zeehandelaar Shaw, Ph.D., David GriffithQuestions of education governance are often considered moot by policymakers, who typically assume that the governance challenges plaguing their local schools are both universal and inevitable. Given the ubiquity of everything from local school boards to state superintendents, this seems to be a logical assumption.
Who Should Be in Charge When School Districts Go into the Red?
Dara Zeehandelaar Shaw, Ph.D., Victoria McDougald, Alyssa SchwenkSchool districts across the land are contending with rising education costs and constrained revenues. Yet state policies for assisting school districts in financial trouble are uneven and complex. Interventions are often haphazard, occur arbitrarily, and routinely place politics over sound economics.
Pre-K and Charter Schools: Where State Policies Create Barriers to Collaboration
Sara Mead, Ashley LiBetti MitchelIn Pre-K and Charter Schools: Where State Policies Create Barriers to Collaboration, authors Sara Mead and Ashley LiBetti Mitchel examine thirty-six jurisdictions that have both charter schools and state-funded pre-K programs to determine where charters can provide state-funded pre-K.
Redefining the School District in America
Nelson SmithIn Redefining the School District in America, Nelson Smith reexamines existing recovery school districts (RSDs)—entities in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Michigan charged with running and turning around their state’s worst schools—and assembles the most comprehensive catalog of similar initiatives underway and under consideration elsewhere.
Equal Talents, Unequal Opportunities: A Report Card on State Support for Academically Talented Low-Income Students
Michelle LernerNo state does right by its “high flyers,” and most do an awful lot wrong. Michelle Lerner
What Works in Gifted Education: Documenting the Effects of an Integrated Curricular/Instructional Model for Gifted Students
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Another good idea limited by flawed assessments. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
Developing School Leaders: What the U.S. Can Learn from England's Model
Mark TonerThe myriad challenges facing school principals in the United States have been well documented, including limited opportunities for distributed leadership, inadequate training, and a lackluster pipeline for new leaders. Recently, the Fordham Institute teamed up with the London-based Education Foundation to seek a better understanding of England’s recent efforts to revamp school leadership.
Life in the Fast Lane: Effects of Early Grade Acceleration on High School and College Outcomes
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Kids who skip grades stay ahead of the pack. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
NEW from Fordham: Common Core and America's High-Achieving Students
The Education GadflyWhile the merit and politics of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been much debated and discussed, one topic has been virtually ignored: What do the standards portend for America’s high-ability students? In a new brief from Fordham, Jonathan Plucker, professor of education at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, provides guidance for districts
Common Core and America's High-Achieving Students
Jonathan PluckerGadfly editorial by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Amber M. Northern
Can gifted education survive the Common Core?
Chester E. Finn, Jr., Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Higher standards are no excuse to ditch gifted services. Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
In defense of New York City's selective high schools
Derrell BradfordThis post was originally published in a slightly different form by the CUNY Institute for Education Policy.
Education for Upward Mobility
At the Education for Upward Mobility conference, the Thomas B.
Punishing achievement in our schools
Chester E. Finn, Jr.President Obama’s contempt for the Constitution, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s unfortunate disregard of that document, have been loudly and justly decried by critics of executive overreach. Less heralded, but equally troubling, is the mission creep of the Office for Civil Rights as it works to reshape the education world and to right whatever alleged wrongs it thinks it sees.