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Physics students learn more from the professor than from each other
Student-led discussions fail less-prepared physics students -- they need the professor -- but work for well-prepared students.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 22, 20252 min read


Eat your spinach and do your homework: Rigor is unpopular
Everyone says they value a rigorous education -- but many don't want to do the work.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 14, 20253 min read


You're a genius! You're a genius! You're a genius!
Calling every student a "genius" -- even if they're not learning - - obscures failure for students and their teachers.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 7, 20252 min read


One step forward, one step back: Why ed reform donors are frustrated
Education reformers -- and donors -- have lost heart because it's so hard to create and scale long-term change

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 23, 20252 min read


IQ matters: All things equal, some students will learn more than others
Improving schools won't narrow achievement gaps: Some kids are better able to take advantage of learning opportunities.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 22, 20252 min read


Unions keep schools open-- at very high cost: $93K per pupil at Chicago school
Teachers' unions and community groups make it very, very hard to close high-cost, low-enrollment schools.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 16, 20253 min read


Many pathways to a diploma, but are students really prepared?
Washington state traded its exit exam for multiple graduation pathways, but still has 20% of students who aren't on track for a diploma.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 5, 20252 min read


Open the door to new worlds: Poor kids have a right to Shakespeare, Bach, Plato
To offer a demanding, powerful curriculum to every child is not elitist. It is egalitarian.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 2, 20251 min read


No-zero grading lets no-show students graduate: 'Just crazy'
Passing students who don't show up regularly or do the work is "just crazy," says an "A" students -- and many of her teachers in Chicago.

Joanne Jacobs
May 28, 20253 min read


To boost achievement, stop doing stupid things
The first step in improving education is to stop doing stupid things.

Joanne Jacobs
May 27, 20253 min read


DEI buzzwords trigger huge cuts in STEM ed research
DOGE has ordered $773 million in cuts to STEM education research.

Joanne Jacobs
May 18, 20252 min read


Some things you just can't unforget
If education researchers talk too much about "unforgetting," they won't be able to imagine a future in which their work is funded.

Joanne Jacobs
May 17, 20252 min read


Are children learning? Politicians don't seem to care
Education isn't on the national agenda: Politicians argue about library books and locker rooms, but not about raising achievement.

Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20252 min read


Mississippi rising: Look South for progress in reading achievement
Mississippi should be a role model for the nation in how to teach reading, along with Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama, but old stereotypes persist.

Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20252 min read


It's Mormons: Low-spending Utah is #4 for education
Utah spends less on public schools and has larger class sizes, but ranks #4 for education, according to U.S. News.

Joanne Jacobs
May 12, 20251 min read


Hands on, minds off: Constructing confusion
"Discovery" students are busy and engaged, but not necessarily learning.

Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20252 min read


As 'career tech for all' spreads, Alabama offers a 'workforce diploma'
Alabama's new "workforce" diploma will prepare graduates for jobs or community college, but not for selective universities.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 29, 20252 min read


Zuckerbergs give up on holistic, trauma-informed, culturally responsive schools
What if a school provided help with parenting, health and wellness and social services? A Zuckerberg-funded experiment is closing, an apparent failure.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 26, 20252 min read


Houston's comeback: Structure, direct instruction are paying off
Students are learning more at Houston schools that stress teacher-guided classrooms, structure and order.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 21, 20252 min read


Scripted lessons are replacing DIY teaching: Will kids learn more?
Schools are moving to scripted, structured lessons and "high-quality" (they hope) learning materials.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 7, 20252 min read
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