How districts and schools can make the most of course access
Kevin MahnkenThe potential for customization is no bull. Kevin Mahnken
The resurgence of urban Catholic education?
For years, I worried that I was auditioning to be the Edward Gibbon of urban Catholic schooling, chronicling the decline and fall of an invaluable, sprawling institution.
Partnership schools: The hundred-year-old start-ups
Kathleen Porter-MageeLet’s not break those things about Catholic schools that make them effective. Kathleen Porter Magee
Career technical education and labor market outcomes
James White IIICTE works, but some programs are better than others. James White
The effectiveness of instructional practices for first-grade math
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Step one: Teach the math. Step two: Have the students practice it. Step three: There is no step three. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
Creative schools
Robert PondiscioMore of the same nonsense from TED talk superstar Sir Ken Robinson. Robert Pondiscio
The case for career-focused charter schools
A great way to get kids knowledge, skills, credentials, and work experience. Robert Schwartz
The state of play with ESEA, in a single table
Michael J. PetrilliThe end is near. Hooray! Michael J. Petrilli
Would a President Clinton undo reform?
The Education GadflyThe Education Gadfly
To my friends on the Left and Right: Please stop polarizing the ESEA debate
Michael J. PetrilliIt’s finally here: Our best chance to update the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since its passage shortly after 9/11. A whole generation of students has come and gone, yet our nation’s key education law remains the same. There’s absolutely no good reason to delay reauthorization any longer. To the contrary; it’s sorely overdue.
Faith, hope, and hard work: Reflections on Year One of Partnership Schools
Kathleen Porter-MageeJune marked the end of my first year as superintendent of Partnership Schools, a nonprofit school management organization that (thanks to an historic agreement with the Archdiocese of New York) was granted broad authority to manage and operate six K–8 urban Catholic schools.
Tapas-style curriculum
Editor's note: This post originally appeared in a slightly different form at the Core Knowledge Blog.
Want to change school names? Involve students in the decision
Robert PondiscioI taught fifth grade for many years at P.S. 277, in New York City’s South Bronx. But the school's full name was the Dr. Evelina Lopez-Antonetty Children's Literacy Center.
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
Common Core's first breakout hit?
Robert PondiscioA free online curriculum taps a need—and a nerve.
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.
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."
The American Dream in crisis: A conversation with Robert Putnam
The Education GadflyLast 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.
Games of knowledge: A review of Greg Toppo's "The Game Believes in You"
Robert PondiscioEditor's note: This post originally appeared in a slightly different form at U.S. News & World Report.I wanted to hate this book.
The promise of mastery grading
Jessica PoinerCall it mastery or competency-based education, it holds promise for students of all abilities
Getting observations wrong: the Phil Jackson Fallacy
David GriffithWas 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.
Don't know much about history
Robert PondiscioEditor's note: This post has been updated with the full text of "Don't know much about history."
Ten arguments against Common Core presidential hopefuls should avoid
Tim ShanahanAn open letter to the candidates. Tim Shanahan