Building Literacy Skills: The state of reading instruction in grades K–3
It’s working! Evidence of positive changes in teaching practices under Common Core. Robert Pondiscio
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.
Editor's note: This post originally appeared in a slightly different form at U.S. News & World Report.I wanted to hate this book.
No state does right by its “high flyers,” and most do an awful lot wrong. Michelle Lerner
Call it mastery or competency-based education, it holds promise for students of all abilities
Another good idea limited by flawed assessments. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
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
The 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.
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
I’d like to see Bobby Jindal use a teleprompter the next time he attacks Common Core. I’d like to be reassured he knows how to read.
Character education with real characters. Peter Sipe
Kids who skip grades stay ahead of the pack. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
While 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
Gadfly editorial by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Amber M. Northern
Higher standards are no excuse to ditch gifted services. Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.