The promise of mastery grading

Call it mastery or competency-based education, it holds promise for students of all abilities

Will we ban driverless cars?

Last year, Mike daydreamed of a future in which autonomous vehicles would shuttle his kids around the Beltway while he was freed to relax and tweet the extra hours away.

Choice, accountability, and charter performance

If you’re at all interested in school choice, you really should read a trio of recent reports.

Real-world governance change

We need to take issue with a point in Andy Smarick’s thoughtful review, published in Flypaper, of our new book, A Democratic Constitution for Public Education.

BRIEFLY NOTED: Alphabets, assessments, zeitgists, and zeroes

OECS launches international JERK assessment

America's Next Top Lunch Lady (or Lad)

2015: The Year of Federal Education Reform

The smartest kids in the world, my arse

Opting out is more than a choice—it's a lifestyle

The Common Core Positioning Tool

A Nation at Risk, Again: Emoji Illiteracy in the Twenty-First Century

The new new noncognitive skills

OCR strikes again: Look out, alphabetical order

The kindergarten canon: Informational texts edition

Time for a new non-district charter authorizer in D.C.

D.C.’s charter school sector stands as a shining example of what urban chartering can accomplish for kids in need.

The demise of college is greatly exaggerated

This post has been updated with the full text of "The demise of college is greatly exaggerated."

The new school board

Andy delivered a shortened version of the following comments at a PPI launch event for Hill & Jochim’s new book, A Democratic Constitution for Public Education.

Accountability in Private School Choice Programs

A good primer on programs in twenty-four locales. Jeff Murray

What Works in Gifted Education: Documenting the Effects of an Integrated Curricular/Instructional Model for Gifted Students

Another good idea limited by flawed assessments. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.

CREDO Urban Charter School Study Report on 41 Regions

Charter schools are making a difference. Robert Pondiscio

Opting out, race, and reform

Arne Duncan was half right about those “white suburban moms.” Robert Pondiscio

Not meeting standards: A warning light, not a death sentence

Misunderstanding Common Core’s aspirational nature. Michael J. Petrilli

Has Brookings lost its mind?

Unless Grover (Russ) Whitehurst was truly weary of leading the Brookings Institution’s widely respected Brown Center on Education Policy, only demented think-tank hierarchs would have let him exit that role.

New systems of schools and common enrollment

I didn’t see common enrollment systems coming.

Getting observations wrong: the Phil Jackson Fallacy

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.

Impacts of the Teach for America Investing in Innovation Scale-Up

Outcomes of students with TFA-trained vs. traditionally-trained teachers

Don't know much about history

Editor's note: This post has been updated with the full text of "Don't know much about history."

Comparable but Unequal: School Funding Disparities

Looking at school costs through a cracked lens. Amber Northern

Rethink, don’t retain, your views on charter retention

The Education Gadfly

Inspiring Teaching: Preparing Teachers to Succeed in Mission-Driven Schools

A smart alternative to one-size-fits-all teacher prep. Dominique Coote