Professor Douglas Fuchs is challenging the prevailing belief that inclusion is best for students with disabilities, arguing that the evidence supporting it is weak and that many students may benefit more from specialized instruction in separate settings.
After more than a decade of trying to launch some form of education savings account/tax credit program for parent choice, it looks like Idaho’s legislature is likely to pass legislation this year to get it done.
Once upon a time, such as when I entered college in 1962, it was possible—correction: it was relatively easy—to graduate in three years with the help of Advanced Placement scores that you submitted upon arrival.
Is the conventional wisdom right that both parties have abandoned education reform? The evidence indicates that it’s mostly fair when it comes to Democrats, but not so fair when it comes to the GOP—at least if we look beyond Washington to the states.
I’m going to give you a reading test. Ready? Say these words out loud: Chip Hill Jars Bep Fod Glork
Allowing families to express their preferences for various schools—whether inside or beyond their geographically-zoned building or district—sounds good in theory. Indeed, we’ve been hearing for decades that a zip code should never determine the quality of a child’s education.
De facto segregation persists in schools across the United State
Girls’ math, reading, and science test scores have declined sharply since the pandemic, possibly driven by a greater focus on boys’ educational outcomes in recent years or the increased household responsibilities many girls took on during the pandemic. We also wonder about the impact of social media.
I’m no “tech bro,” nor a fan of Ramaswamy (or Musk), but Vivek was right this time:
Today’s light-speed media cycle means that stories often come and go in an instant, making it difficult to determine how much a piece resonates with readers and whether it has staying power. That’s one of the things that makes lists like this so illuminating and fun to create and peruse.
Well, anno domini 2024 was another discouraging one in the annals of school reform.
Every week in the Education Gadfly, we flag a handful of articles in our “What We’re Reading” section. Many of these are opinion pieces, usually from leading newspapers and magazines or high-profile Substacks. Here’s our list of our favorites for the year, presented in chronological order.
Every week in the Education Gadfly, we flag a handful of news items for our “Cheers and Jeers” section. Here are the ten most praiseworthy (or dunk-worthy) developments of 2024, presented in chronological order. Best
Any hope that Musk would find success in revolutionizing education is unlikely. His educational experiments may succeed on Space X grounds with the children of Space X employees—with all of the cultural capital that comes with such an upbringing—but would almost certainly explode on lift off were they launched at scale.
As enrollments drop, city after city is facing pressure to close half-empty schools. Fewer kids means fewer dollars. Consolidating two schools saves money because it means paying for one less principal, librarian, nurse, PE teacher, counselor, reading coach, clerk, custodian… you get the idea.
The recently released results from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023 highlight a concerning decline in U.S. students’ performance in science and mathematics, with the country falling further behind peer countries. But it isn’t just America.
Emergency school closures aimed at minimizing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the education trajectory of over one billion children worldwide starting in March 2020. However, the length and manner of closures varied greatly from country to country and education system to education system.
Severe aggression in children may be linked to neuro-cognitive difficulties that require treatment. If educators can recognize the underlying factors and advocate for appropriate interventions, they can support these students and reduce classroom disruptions. —R. J. R. Blair and Daniel T.
Over the past decade, American schooling has abandoned its focus on safe, orderly schools and high academic expectations in favor of social and emotional learning and trauma-informed pedagogy, particularly in schools serving low-income students and children of color.
As President-elect Trump and his team prepare for the first 100 days of office, they are setting their policy agenda and striving to make good on their campaign promises. In education, that will include decreasing the federal role (if not eliminating the U.S.
There has been a fierce and counterproductive backlash to “no excuses” charter schools, stemming from the idea that student discipline and orderly classrooms are culturally insensitive, particularly when imposed on students of color. This critique drove the rise of social justice education with its focus on reducing racial harm while functionally neglecting academic instruction and enshrining low expectations.
Perhaps you’ve been wondering why many recent articles, predictions, and speculations about Trump’s plans for the U.S. Department of Education focus on its abolition, while others predict that it will be forcefully deployed to reshape what schools teach. Consider the Washington Post’s excellent education reporter Laura Meckler, writing on November 12:
An increasing number of districts across America are rightly procuring so-called high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for use in their schools.
Millions of American high school students annually participate in preparatory coursework intended to build and document their readiness for college, including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual enrollment.
California has a long history of attempting to reform Algebra I in the name of equity.
Nearly five years after the pandemic forced school closures across the country, many Ohio students continue to struggle with chronic absenteeism and academic gaps, despite efforts to address these issues at the state level.
New York City is awash in “gifted and talented” children, otherwise known as high-achieving public school students who would benefit from advanced education. In some neighborhoods, for example, over 50 percent of students test in the top 10th percentile nationwide.
