NEW from Fordham: Redefining the School District in America
The Education GadflyIn 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 states’ worst schools—and assembles the most comprehensive catalog of simil
Building Literacy Skills: The state of reading instruction in grades K–3
Robert PondiscioIt’s working! Evidence of positive changes in teaching practices under Common Core. Robert Pondiscio
A peek inside the classroom black box
Robert PondiscioDistrict curriculum choices should be transparent—and making it so is easy. Robert Pondiscio
Shocking: Presidential candidates are playing politics with the Common Core!
The Education GadflyThe Education Gadfly
How schools can solve Robert Putnam's poverty paradox
Michael J. PetrilliPoor kids need social capital; schools can help to provide it. Michael J. Petrilli
Common Core's first breakout hit?
Robert PondiscioA free online curriculum taps a need—and a nerve.
Understanding incentives in charter authorizing
AEI just released a very good, short report on charter authorizing, “The Paperwork Pileup: Measuring the Burden of Charter School Applications.”
New Pathways to Careers and College: Examples, Evidence, and Prospects
Michelle LernerHow to identify and promote good CTE programs. Michelle Lerner
Closing the Expectations Gap 2014
Chester E. Finn, Jr.We’re doing an awful job of ensuring that kids graduate from high school with the skills to succeed. Chester E. Finn, Jr.
Governor Markell's school choice column gets lost in the mail
We’ve learned a lot since 2001. Andy Smarick
Truth and consequences
Chester E. Finn, Jr.States shouldn’t sugarcoat the bad news when reporting Common Core test results to parents. Chester E. Finn, Jr.
The Paperwork Pileup: Measuring the Burden of Charter School Applications
Kathryn MullenA new AEI report raises the right questions—and promulgates some of the wrong answers. Kathryn Mullen Upton
EngageNY's ELA curriculum is uncommonly engaging
Kathleen Porter-Magee, Victoria McDougaldAdvocates hoped Common Core would incentivize good new curriculum. It’s happening. Kathleen Porter-Magee and Victoria Sears
NEW from Fordham: Is EngageNY uncommonly engaging?
The Education GadflySince 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.
Uncommonly Engaging? A Review of the EngageNY English Language Arts Common Core Curriculum
Elizabeth Haydel, Sheila Byrd CarmichaelThe 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.
Knowledge is literacy
Robert PondiscioEditor's note: This post has been updated to include the entirety of "Knowledge is literacy."