What we're reading this week: December 7, 2023
The Education Gadfly“Fueled by worries over the pandemic, equity and learning loss, Republicans and Democrats are rewriting decades’ worth of strict standardized testing and graduation requirements.” —Politico American math scores
#898: How much competition public schools face, with Jeanette Luna
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Jeanette Luna, a development and research associate at the Fordham Institute
The Education Competition Index: Quantifying competitive pressure in America’s 125 largest school districts
David Griffith, Jeanette LunaExposing traditional school districts to greater competition is a central goal of education reform in the United States. Yet because of the complexity of reform efforts, quantifying "competition" is challenging.
Who’s got talent for identifying diverse talent?
Scott J. Peters, Matthew C. MakelTalented and gifted school programs have a well-earned reputation for lacking student diversity.
From the statehouse to the classroom: The effects of early literacy policies on student achievement
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.The science of reading is thankfully supplanting dubious methods of teaching young children to read, as
State licensure tests and science of reading instruction
Jeff MurrayRecent legislative efforts across the country have strengthened efforts to align reading instruction with the science of reading. These laws typically require teachers to use methods and materials aligned to the solid evidence base on how children best learn to read.
What we're reading this week: November 30, 2023
The Education GadflyAfter two decades, private school choice policies in D.C. remain controversial, and both the continuation and benefits of it in D.C. are unclear.
#897: Addressing grade inflation, with Tim Daly
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Tim Daly, the CEO of Ed Navigator, joins Mike to discuss the causes and harms of grade inflation—
Vibes and narratives are no way to go through education policy
Andrew J. RotherhamEditor's note: This was first published on Eduwonk, the author's blog.
High-quality instructional materials change instructional leaders’ job
Emily FreitagFive years ago, my team and I set out to understand what goes into effective implementation of high-quality instructional materials. We interviewed leaders and teachers from seventy schools that had moved to higher-quality materials in the last three years. We asked about what went well and what was hard.
9 thoughts on the Advanced Placement takedown in the Times
Michael J. PetrilliOver the weekend, the New York Times published a hard-hitting 2,300-word expose by Dana Goldstein and colleagues asking “Why is the College Board pushing to expand Advanced Placement?” Its primary answer: to rake in tens of millions of dollars a year and to support CEO David Coleman’s exorbitant sal
Grade inflation is locking in learning loss, part 2: Solutions
Tim DalyIn my previous post, we defined grade inflation and reviewed (lots of) new evidence suggesting that it is a barrier to pandemic recovery—especially for less privileged students. Today, we will identify solutions.
How to bridge racial and socioeconomic gaps in advanced education
Abigail Hamilton“Excellence gaps,” or disparities in advanced academic performance between student groups, have important implications for both academic equity and American economic competitiveness.
Who is 2023’s Wisest Wonk? Cast your vote in this year’s Wonkathon before polls close November 28
The Education GadflyAll submissions are in for the 2023 Wonkathon. Vote now for the Wisest Wonk!
Harnessing powerful AI while mitigating risks: It’s about the data!
Jeremy RoschelleEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2023 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?”
From chalkboards to chatbots: Ethically embracing AI in education
Jennifer StaufferEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2023 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?”
Mitigating the risks of AI in today’s schools: A new taxonomy for the information age
Beth-Ann Tek, Ph.D.Editor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2023 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear might be a moderate Democrat, but he’s no education reformer
Daniel BuckAfter handily defeating his Republican rival for the governorship of red-hued Kentucky, Democrat Andy Beshear is having a moment as a center-left moderate who could run for president in 2028. But we education reformers should curb our enthusiasm because Beshear’s stances are alien to ours.
Culture wars aside, barriers to everyday family-school communication remain
Meredith Coffey, Ph.D.Since 2020, we’ve heard quite a lot about families’ growing influence over public schooling.
Liberty and civic education
David Davenport, Mark C. SchugEditor’s note: This was first published by The Liberty Fund.
Do schools provide equal value to all their students?
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Previous literature on school quality and teacher quality largely assumes that good schools and good teachers are beneficial for all enrolled children, which means that a school’s “value added” is typically calculated as the average effect on students.
What we're reading this week: November 16, 2023
The Education GadflyPreferring half measures, states must go all-in for universal education savings accounts if school choice is to truly revolutionize education. —Roland Fryer, Wall Street Journal School vouchers fail to create the conditions necessary for effective markets to function.
An overlooked application for AI: The city as a Montessori shelf
Travis PillowEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2023 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?”
Reimagined: AI can be a catalyst for a more learner-centered system of education, if done right
Alex Spurrier, Amy Chen KulesaRead the winning entry in 2023's Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?”
How we can use AI to increase access and equity in science education
Melissa Peplinksi, Haley GaudreauEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2023 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?”
Robot teachers
AnonymousEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2023 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “How can we harness the power but mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence in our schools?”
Apprenticeships are the new learning campus
Bruno V. MannoCollege for all has been the goal of K–12 schools for at least twenty-five years. This has meant that America’s schools typically do not provide young people with work experience. This experience gap has young people leaving high school with little understanding of work and practical pathways to jobs and careers.