The Fall 2017 cover article details how Western Governors University pioneered a competency-based approach to higher education through the use of pre- and post-assessments that students take at their own pace to demonstrate mastery of a given subject. Meanwhile, the Summit Public Schools charter network is offering its own innovative self-paced, project-based learning model for free to districts looking to give students more ownership of their education. Editor-in-chief Martin R. West explains that fifteen years ago, the state of Florida embraced a primitive form of personalized learning—and shares the long-term outcomes of early cohorts of students.
When it comes to financing a college degree, many students are struggling due to unexpected costs and confusing repayment options. An investigative article on community colleges reveals that underprepared students are getting bogged down by remedial courses that add years and extra costs to college timelines. Meanwhile, for students who count on loan forgiveness programs, an examination of the options available to teachers uncovers conflicting rules and uncertain benefits.
For education reformers, there’s good news out of Louisiana and Washington, D.C. The Bayou State is supporting local control while helping districts make informed curricular decisions with the help of practitioner-based textbook evaluations. In D.C., despite initial resistance, the District’s high-stakes teacher evaluation system is successfully weeding out ineffective teachers and increasing student achievement.
Also in this issue, a look at how laptop and tablet use in the classroom can disrupt learning in college courses; a debate about whether the U.S. Constitution is colorblind on issues of education; and a discussion on how an industry buzz word is all about how you define it.
See the full list of contents below or at https://www.educationnext.org/journal.
FEATURES
Louisiana Threads the Needle on Ed Reform
Launching a coherent curriculum in a local-control state
By Robert Pondiscio
Pacesetter in Personalized Learning
Summit charter network shares its model nationwide
By Joanne Jacobs
Competency-Based Education, Put to the Test
An inside look at learning and assessment at Western Governors University
By Jon Marcus
The Open Access Dilemma
How can community colleges better serve underprepared students?
By Timothy Pratt
The Tangled World of Teacher Debt
Clashing rules and uncertain benefits for federal student-loan subsidies
By Jason Delisle and Alexander Holt
FORUM
Is the Constitution Colorblind?
Debating Antonin Scalia’s Record on Race and Education
Education Next talks with R. Shep Melnick and James E. Ryan
RESEARCH
A Lasting Impact
High-stakes teacher evaluations drive student success in Washington, D.C.
By Thomass Dee and James Wyckoff
Should Professors Ban Laptops?
How classroom computer use affects student learning
By Susan Payne Carter, Kyle Greenberg, and Michael S. Walker
FROM THE EDITORS
Personalized Learning 1.0
By Martin R. West
LEGAL BEAT
U-turn on Vouchers
By Joshua Dunn
BOOK REVIEWS
Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It by Richard V. Reeves
As reviewed by Matthew M. Chingos
Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything by Ulrich Boser
As reviewed by Robert C. Pianta
WHAT NEXT
Now Trending: Personalized Learning
By Michael B. Horn
SCHOOL LIFE
Taking a Chance, Finding a New Path
By Zeus Rodriguez