The Education Gadfly Show

On This week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Carissa Miller, CEO of the Council of Chief State School Officers, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss how state education agencies are spending the 10 percent of ESSER funds set aside for them. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern reviews a study on how providing information about the likely financial outcomes of college and career paths affects high schoolers’ choices.  Recommended content: ·      CCSSO’s analysis of how the relief dollars are being spent: “States Leading: How State Education Agencies are Leveraging the ESSER Set-Aside,” August 2022; and an accompanying webinar. ·      The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Gabriele Ballarino et al., “The effects of an information campaign beyond university enrolment: A large-scale field experiment on the choices of high school students,” Economics of Education Review (December 2022). Feedback welcome! Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org

On this week’s Education Show podcast, Jennifer Alexander, Executive Director of the Policy Innovators in Education (PIE) Network, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss recent state-level education reform victories, including Tennessee’s school funding overhaul and Illinois’s new charter facilities financing law . Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern discusses a study that examines the impact family structure has had on student achievement and discipline over time. Recommended Content: PIE Network’s 2022 Eddie Awards Nominees: “Game Changer Campaign of the Year,” (August 2022). The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Nicholas Zill and Bradford Wilcox, “Strong Families, Better Student Performance: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same,” Institute for Family Studies (August 2022)Jeff Murray’s Fordham Institute review of Zill and Bradford’s study: “Family structure and academic outcomes,” (September 6, 2022). Feedback Welcome!Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Mike Petrilli and David Griffith are joined by Stéphane Lavertu and Long Tran, both professors at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University and the authors of Fordham’s new report, For-Profit Charter ­­Schools: An evaluation of their spending and outcomes. They discuss findings from their new study and broader issues of so-called “for-profit” charter schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber­­­ Northern reviews an ambitious study that examines closure and restructuring rates in district, charter, and private schools nationwide.  Recommended content: ·      Fordham’s new study: Stéphane Lavertu and Long Tran, “For-Profit Charter Schools: An evaluation of their spending and outcomes,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (September 2022). ·      The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Douglas N. Harris and Valentina Martinez-Pabon, “Extreme Measures: A National Descriptive Analysis of Closure and Restructuring of Traditional Public, Charter, and Private Schools,” Education Finance and Policy (2022). Feedback Welcome!Have ideas on our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Karega Rausch, President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss what—if anything—charter schools could have done to reopen sooner during the 2020-21 school year. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern discusses the long-term impacts of requiring high school seniors to pass a science test to graduate.  Recommended Content: ·      Karega’s essay for The 74: “High-Quality Charter Schools Can Help Drive Student Recovery from COVID — If They’re Allowed to Grow and Expand” (April 2022). ·      Marc Porter Magee on the devastating learning loss of DC’s charter schools: “The New Reality Roundup | Week 132,” (September 2022)·      The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Ann Mantil, John Papay, Preeya Pandya Mbekeani, and Richard J. Murnane, “Increasing High School Students’ Preparation and Interest in STEM Fields: Does a Graduation Requirement Make a Difference?” Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University (September 2022) Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org.

 On this week’s Education Gadfly Show Podcast, Elliot Regenstein joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss his new book, which calls for changes in three areas of education policy: accountability, teacher pay, and school choice. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern discusses a paper that identifies common transportation challenges for cities with lots of charter schools and other forms of school choice.   Recommended content:  ·      Elliot’s new book: Education Restated: Getting Policy Right on Accountability, Teacher Pay, and School Choice(Rowman & Littlefield, August 2022). ·      Amber’s article that she reviewed on the Research Minute: Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, “Student Transportation in Choice-Rich Districts: Implementation Challenges and Responses,” Education Finance and Policy (April 2022).Feedback Welcome!Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show Podcast, John Bailey, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Mike Petrilli to discuss what schools are likely to do—and what they should do—if hit by more Covid waves this year. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern reviews a study that examines whether private schools that participate in voucher programs “cream skim” high achieving students and/or push out more challenging ones.Recommended Content:  Bree Dusseault: “School Mask, Vaccine Mandates Are Mostly Gone. But What if the Virus Comes Back?” (September 2022). Amber’s article that she reviewed on the Research Minute: Joseph Waddington, Ron Zimmer, and Mark Berends, “Cream Skimming and Pushout of Students Participating in a Statewide Private School Voucher Program,” Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University (August 2022).Feedback Welcome!Have ideas on our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org 

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, David Houston, assistant professor at George Mason University and survey director of the Education Next Poll, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the relationship between political partisanship and public opinion on education issues. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern reviews a study on the impact of the Broad Superintendents Academy, a program that trains non-educators to lead urban school systems. Recommended content: ·       David Houston’s co-authored Education Next article with Paul E. Peterson and Martin R. West: “Partisan Rifts Widen, Perceptions of School Quality Decline” (August 2022) ·       The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Thomas S. Dee , Susanna Loeb, and Ying Shi., “Public-Sector Leadership and Philanthropy: The Case of Broad Superintendents,” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, (August 2022)Feedback Welcome!·       Have ideas on our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Mike Petrilli and David Griffith are joined by Matt Giani, a professor and researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, and the author of Fordham’s new report, How Attaining Industry-Recognized Credentials in High School Shapes Education and Employment Outcomes. They discuss some takeaways of the first-of-its-kind study. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern reviews a paper examining whether schools where students make rapid academic progress in grades 3–5 also help their students do so in grades K–2.  Recommended content: ·      Fordham’s new study: Matt Giani, “How Industry-Recognized Credentials in High School Shape Students’ Education and Employment Outcomes,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (August 2022). ·      The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Walter Herring, “The Other Half of the Story: Does Excluding the Early Grades from School Ratings Matter?” Annenberg Institute at Brown University (August 2022).·      Dale Chu on why states should start annual testing earlier: “The case for K–2 testing,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (October 28, 2021). Feedback Welcome! Have ideas on our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitue.org 

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Checker Finn joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss his article (co-authored with Rick Hess) in National Affairs about the bipartisan history—and uncertain future—of school reform. Then on the Research Minute, Amber Northern reviews a study on how politicized issues like Covid-19 safety measures and Critical Race Theory are affecting principals and teachers. Recommended content: ·      Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Frederick M. Hess’s article: “The End of School Reform?” National Affairs (Summer 2022).·      Michael J. Petrilli’s article on education reform: “Education reform is alive and well, even if the Washington Consensus is dead for now,” August 11, 2022.·      Daniel Buck’s article on the new education consensus: “The new education consensus is conservative, and that’s a good thing,” August 11, 2022.·      The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Ashley Woo et al., “Walking a Fine Line—Educators’ Views on Politicized Topics in Schooling,” RAND Corporation (2022).  Feedback Welcome!Have ideas on our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Nathaniel Grossman and Lilly Sibel at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitute.org 

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show Podcast, Heather Peske, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, joins Mike Petrilli to discuss whether the “teacher shortage” is real, what might be causing it, and whether lowering barriers to entry to the classroom is a good idea. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern reviews a study that examines demographic disparities in students identified for gifted services, and whether a school-wide curricular intervention for early elementary can help.Recommended content: Heather Peske’s opinion piece: “We wouldn’t lower standards for pilot licenses—so why teachers?” National Council on Teacher Quality (July 2022).The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Angel H. Harris, Darryl V. Hill, and Matthew A. Lenard, “Promises, Pitfalls, and Tradeoffs in Identifying Gifted Learners: Evidence from a Curricular Experiment,” Annenberg Institute at Brown University (July 2022).Feedback Welcome!Have ideas on our podcast? Send them to our podcast producers Pedro Enamorado and Lilly Sibel at penamorado@fordhaminstitute.org and lsibel@fordhaminstitute.org