Scientific research has established that phonics helps more students to read -- and that's a good thing. Only about a third of fourth- and eighth-graders were reading at grade level before COVID. Read More ›
Despite the haphazard low-quality remote instruction provided by public school districts spanning the past three school years, the demand for full-time virtual and hybrid learning options has grown strong. However, there are three key differences between what the districts provided on the fly, and what is growing in popularity among K-12 students. Read More ›
“Equity” is dominating K-12 public education. The drive for equity has bypassed the traditional goal of education in our public schools. Equity is no longer about providing equal opportunity but forcing uniform performance outcomes. Read More ›
Student motivation has plummeted. Graduation rates have backslid. Absenteeism has skyrocketed. Student misbehavior is commonplace. Violence on campuses has soared. In short, student well-being is at crisis low levels. And canceled school days due to teacher mental health days and staff shortages are becoming commonplace. Read More ›
Parents want the student learning loss remedied. They are no longer satisfied with the ineffective one-size-fits-all approach. What will it take to make up for the learning loss and set the United States’ K-12 education system on a better trajectory? Read More ›
Operating at odds with its stated mission, the United States Department of Education is failing our children on every major front. Students aren’t receiving equal access to quality schools or a learning experience characterized by educational excellence. Read More ›
While 25 other nations outperform U.S. K-12 public school students academically, we tout data that ranks our students against other American students. States boast about outperforming other states. Districts flaunt two percent gains in graduation rates. Read More ›
It is not uncommon for the word equity to be in a public school mission statement or core values. However, while it sounds good in theory, what is the underlining philosophy, and is it one in which most Americans agree? Read More ›
Our K-12 schools are organized more like a swim meet focused on recording student placement results rather than a swim lesson devoted to student learning. What value are student assessment results if all students move on to the next lesson, concept, or skill regardless of whether mastery was achieved or not? Read More ›
Historically, summer has been seen as essential to give students a needed break from school for extended family time and outdoor fun. However, we need to think about this summer differently. Read More ›