Testing has gotten a bad name, but it can be a powerful lever for teaching and learning. Unfortunately, that’s not the kind of testing most schools are doing. Continue reading the rest of my post at Forbes.com by clicking here. … [Read more...]

Many hot topics in education have cooled, but the debate on school choice can still send off sparks.  Unfortunately, they only divert attention from a hidden problem that afflicts virtually all schools. Continue reading the rest of my post on Forbes.com by clicking here. … [Read more...]

Education experts have long argued for rigorous state standards on the theory they’ll lead to better curriculum—and higher student achievement. But in most of the U.S., literacy standards have only perpetuated confusion about what good curriculum looks like. And students have suffered as a result. Continue reading the rest of my post on Forbes.com by clicking here. … [Read more...]

A lawsuit claiming there’s a constitutional right to civics instruction has gotten a lot of publicity, but it’s unlikely to succeed. And it’s premised on a vast oversimplification of what schools need to do to produce responsible, productive citizens. Continue reading the rest of my post on Forbes.com by clicking here. … [Read more...]

The nation’s high school graduation rate has reached an all-time high, but new data suggest much of that “progress” has been achieved by funneling underprepared students into watered-down online courses. Read the rest of my post on Forbes.com by clicking here. … [Read more...]

Critics of standardized testing say scores merely reflect family income and other factors beyond schools’ control—while also narrowing the curriculum and warping instruction. Still, the tests have value, and there’s much more that schools could do to address the inequities they reveal. Continue reading the rest of my post on Forbes.com by clicking here. … [Read more...]