State Policy

A Clearer Picture on Charter Schools

The effectiveness of charter schools in raising student achievement has become an intensely debated issue. When we last considered this topic, the Department of Education was pushing charter schools but dueling studies introduced uncertainty. A new study by CREDO clears up the uncertainty.

Racing to National Tests?

While everyone obsesses over the competition among the states for Race to the Top funding, the Education Department is readying a separate competition for less than one-tenth as much money that may nonetheless prove far more consequential for American education over the long term.

The Minnesota Re-Education of Educators

Readers may have heard about recent developments of the Teacher Education Redesign Initiative at the University of Minnesota. It's a project to revise the training of teachers, and it has infuriated conservative, libertarian, and First Amendment groups. Among the elements of the process is the Task Force for Race, Culture, Class, and Gender, which issued its recommendations in September. The Outcomes of the document read like a parody of academic identity politics, but they stand loud and clear in black and white.

Data Dreams Can Come True

States applying for Race to the Top grants receive points for building statewide longitudinal...

Virtual Schooling Takes Off among Top Tennis Players

For some, virtual schooling is a way to supplement regular schooling. For others, virtual...

No Recession for Schools

The Winter 2010 issue of Education Next is just  hitting newsstands (and subscribers’ mailboxes). ...

A “Race to the Top” Flip-Flop

The Wall Street Journal editorial page has already taken the Administration to task for backing away from some of its tougher “Race to the Top” provisions, but check out this morsel, thanks to Education Daily...

Book Alert: Intelligence and How to Get It

There is no end to the debate over intelligence. The latest book-length entry into this debate is University of Michigan psychology professor Richard Nisbett’s "Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count."

Defining “Effective” and Other Keys to a Successful RTTT Application

What most stands out is the palpable disconnect between the RTTT process and what actually occurs in the many charter schools and private schools that have made real progress. If a random selection of administrators at such schools were asked to review the process, the response likely would be a collective laugh.

Scrutiny of Federal School Lunch Program Would Mean Fewer Free Lunches, Better School Data

The federal school lunch program does not do a very good job of verifying that students whose families sign up for the program actually meet the eligibility requirements. While many people might not object to a policy that errs in the direction of generosity to hungry children, having ineligible students on the free lunch list has a lot of other consequences.

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