Joanne Jacobs
How good is my kid's school? Good luck figuring out state report cards
State report cards do a poor job of informing parents. IDEA charters want Texas parents to see their ratings.
top of page
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 8
- 2 min
Biden's education grade: 'D' for 'doesn't care about achievement'
President Biden's education agenda deserves a D.
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 6
- 1 min
'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 5
- 2 min
Summer school helps, if students show up
Urban charter students made significant gains in reading and math in a summer program that combined instruction and enrichment, reports...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 26
- 2 min
Harris thrills teachers' union, sticks to progressive orthodoxy
"God knows, we don't pay you enough," Kamala Harris told teachers at the American Federation of Teachers convention in Houston. That went...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 24
- 2 min
'Covid kids' aren't catching up: 8th graders are 1 year behind pre-pandemic levels
This year's eighth graders were in fourth grade when their schools shut down. As they head to high school, the average student is nine...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jun 27
- 3 min
$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
- Mar 22
- 2 min
Four years after 'two weeks to flatten the curve' ...
Four years ago, schools across the country closed their doors. It was supposed to be for two weeks or three or . . . Most schools stayed...
Joanne Jacobs
- Feb 1
- 2 min
Students are catching up in math, reading -- but gaps are wider
Reading and math scores are on their way up, reports the Education Recovery Scorecard. On average, students in grades three through eight...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jan 19
- 2 min
Fix 'em, don't nix 'em: Tests show what's working and what's not
The Zeitgeist, it is a changing. First, the New York Times ran David Leonhardt's defense of college admissions tests as a way to...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 6, 2023
- 2 min
Homework load keeps getting lighter as grades go higher
Forty-four percent of 13-year-olds (eighth grade) did no homework in 2022, writes Tom Loveless. The numbers are very similar for...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 26, 2023
- 2 min
4-day school weeks are spreading, but students learn less
More schools -- and not just in rural areas -- are adopting four-day weeks, reports AP's Heather Hollingsworth. Districts hope the change...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 15, 2023
- 2 min
Back to 'normal' isn't enough: The Covid generation is at risk
It's time to bring back bipartisan education reform writes Fordham's Michael Petrilli. He's promoting A Generation at Risk, a "call to...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 6, 2023
- 2 min
Students aren't bouncing back in math
Math skills fell during "remote education" and many students aren't bouncing back, reports an education reporting collaborative in a...
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 28, 2023
- 2 min
More students are in 'big, big trouble' in reading, math, and they're not catching up
Students are learning again, but most are not catching up for learning lost during the pandemic, conclude three new reports comparing...
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 28, 2023
- 2 min
Cover-up in California: State botched remote learning, tried to silence critics
After Oakland schools closed in March, 2020, eight-year-old Cayla J. had two remote classes. Then, according to her mother, the teacher...
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 7, 2023
- 2 min
'We took care of our kids' -- but they lost a year in reading, math
Juab School District in Utah focused on supporting students emotionally when schools reopened in fall of 2020. “We took care of our...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 13, 2023
- 1 min
Doing more of what wasn't working won't help kids catch up
"If we really want to narrow gaps and make up for pandemic-related learning loss, we need to change what and how we teach -- especially...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 13, 2023
- 1 min
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 6, 2023
- 2 min
U.S. kids spend lots of time in school, but much of it is wasted
Rethink summer vacation, writes Rick Hess in an Education Week column. That doesn't mean extend the school year. The much-discussed...
bottom of page