top of page


'Locking in' learning loss: Math grades didn't return to pre-pandemic normal
Grade inflation soared when learning went remote, writes Amber Northern. Lax requirements to turn in work, fewer graded assignments, and...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 6, 20241 min read
Â


Urban charters boost scores, degrees in Massachusetts
Urban charter school students in Massachusetts earn higher test scores and are more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree,...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 25, 20241 min read
Â


$190 billion in federal relief raised achievement -- but not very much
The federal government gave schools $190 billion in emergency funding during and after the pandemic. The extra money helped students...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 27, 20243 min read
Â


If minority parents choose a charter, that's not 'resegregation'
Parents should be able to choose a public school that meets their children's academic needs and their family's values, writes Debbie...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 26, 20242 min read
Â


When 96% pass science, but only 16% meet standards on the test
San Diego 11th-grade students are passing classes, but failing proficiency tests.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 14, 20241 min read
Â


Chicago spends $29k per student for 19% math proficiency
Chicago Public Schools doubled per-student spending since 2012, according to a report by the Illinois Policy Institute. Achievement is...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 14, 20242 min read
Â


School's out early: Some students get much less class time than others
Some students get less class time -- and usually learn less.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 11, 20242 min read
Â


Top marks for low expectations: 'Rate your teacher' surveys could backfire
Asking students to rate their teachers is a dubious way to evaluate teachers' competence, writes Vladimir Kogan, a Ohio State political...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 8, 20242 min read
Â


The 'party of education' must value merit, get ideology out of classroom
Democrats used to be the "party of education" in voters' minds, notes Education Next. Now voters are split on who they trust most, with...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 28, 20242 min read
Â


Success Academy charters are #1 in New York in math, #3 in reading
Success Academy charter students are the best in New York state in math, third best in English Language Arts (ELA) among schools with 95+...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 19, 20241 min read
Â


LA celebrates 'blackness' while black students fail in reading, math
Black students are "disastrously behind" in math, reading and attendance in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), writes Heather...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 3, 20242 min read
Â


'There's got to be a pony in there'
Public schools face a long, tough road to recover from school closures and pandemic chaos, writes Fordham's Dale Chu. Post-pandemic...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 10, 20231 min read
Â


Urban charters produce more brains for the buck
Urban charter schools use "fewer dollars to achieve better outcomes" than traditional public schools enrolling similar students,...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 3, 20231 min read
Â


Why are Dept of Defense schools so good?
The highest-scoring school district in the country isn't a school district, reports Sarah Mervosh in the New York Times. The "Defense...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 31, 20232 min read
Â


America needs strivers
Rewarding mediocrity is a losing strategy for America, writes Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion 3.0, on Education Next. U.S....

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 26, 20232 min read
Â


California pledges $4 billion for 'community schools' -- but do students learn more?
There were high hopes for Akron's I Promise School when it opened in 2018, writes Mike Antonucci on The 74. With lots of extra funding...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 18, 20232 min read
Â


U.S. schools devalue academics, celebrate failure
Are you excessively cheerful? Did you turn your frown upside down and now it's stuck that way? David Steiner will remove your...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 28, 20233 min read
Â


Education's 'long Covid' -- students aren't catching up
Don't call it "learning loss," they said. It's just "unfinished learning." Kids will catch up quickly. They'll be fine. First through...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 13, 20231 min read
Â


Charters are outperforming traditional public schools
Charter schools are outperforming traditional public schools, according to a new study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 7, 20233 min read
Â


We can't 'replace academic mastery with critical thinking about nothing in particular'
The American education system has turned away from academics and lost its way, says David Steiner, executive director of the Institute...

Joanne Jacobs
May 17, 20231 min read
Â
bottom of page


