Standard deviations: Creative writers take standardized writing tests?
Students at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology produce the highest SAT and ACT scores in the nation. All of the students take at least one Advanced Placement exam, with 97 percent of them scoring well enough to receive college credit. But those high scores don’t come without intellectual cost.
The importance of parent intuition and observation in recognizing highly creative children
In my work with hundreds of families, I have observed one common truth: Parents are the experts on their own children, especially when it comes to giftedness. Parents often observe certain characteristics in their children and view them as positive traits—until those same characteristics are regarded negatively in school.
The importance of robust state gifted policies
If you had a magic wand and could change one thing to ensure the availability of great gifted education services for students in your community, what would it be? A state mandate? More funding? A wide array of service requirements based on what we know about giftedness and best practices for promoting the development of high-ability learners?
The mixed results of San Diego’s college prep policy
Darien WynnBy Darien Wynn
Racial bias in gifted and talented placement, and what to do about it
The following text is an excerpt from Aiming Higher Together: Strategizing Better Educational Outcomes for Boys and Young Men of Color, an Urban Institute report authored by Ronald F. Ferguson of Harvard University.
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.
Knowledge needs champions
Harriet Tubman will grace the front of our $20 bill—a long-overdue tribute to a woman who lived up to the best of American values. But do most Americans know who she was?
Failing by design: How we make teaching too hard for mere mortals
Robert PondiscioBy Robert Pondiscio
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.
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?
The next steps for career preparation
Are we ready to expand career and technical education offerings as the next frontier in education policy?
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.
Policy change is not the only path to school reform
Michael J. PetrilliBy Michael J. Petrilli
Using online courses for credit recovery
Robert PondiscioCredit recovery is education’s Faustian pact. We remain not very good at raising most students to respectable standards. But neither can we refuse to graduate boxcar numbers of kids who don’t measure up.
Princeton dealt with its Woodrow Wilson problem perfectly
Kevin MahnkenPrinceton University announced last week that it would preserve the name of Woodrow Wilson on several buildings and programs, though it had plenty of reasons to do otherwise.
Is Kindergarten the New First Grade?
Jamie Davies O'LearyBy Jamie Davies O’Leary
The U.S. workforce lags behind its international counterparts
Darien WynnBy Darien Wynn
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.
"Culturally relevant pedagogy" limits minority students
It should be great news: Graduation rates for Minnesota’s black and Hispanic students—which have long lagged the rate for white students—are on the rise.But how much do these new graduates actually know? What skills have they mastered? In other words, what is their high school diploma really worth?
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
The 2016 Brown Center report on education: How well are American students learning?
Robert PondiscioBy Robert Pondiscio
Evaluating the four-year scale-up of Reading Recovery
Robert PondiscioBy Robert Pondiscio
Children, be quiet and watch your lesson
Michael J. PetrilliBy Michael J. Petrilli