So Google doesn’t know everything. This writer tries to answer the question: How many college students never finish school? She ends up with a bottle of aspirin. Education Sector’s Anne Hyslop would sympathize. She has argued for the 4 Ts of edu-data (timely, thorough, tailored, and transparent) to save folks these exact headaches. (The Atlantic)

To tweed or not to tweed? A Notre Dame faContinue Reading »

The fallout from last week’s news that Washington and Wisconsin can join 24 other states with flexibility from NCLB has centered on the New York Times’ front-page coverage and whether ESEA waivers represent A) sensible relief to states from an impossible task or B) an all-out retreat from school accountability, particularly for disadvantaged and underserved students.

State education offiContinue Reading »

While yesterday may have been another sad day for ESEA reauthorization hopes, there was an unexpected and understated glimmer of good education policy hope as  Representative Hunter (R-CA) introduced The Student Right to Know Before You Go Act.

Faithful readers of The Quick and the Ed might be asking, “But didn’t Senator Wyden—a Democrat— just introduce the same thing?” Given the completContinue Reading »

While Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) was presiding over a much more controversial hearing, the House Education and Workforce Committee quietly met to discuss one of the most divisive topics in K-12 education policy: the reauthorization of ESEA. This morning’s hearing and its six witnesses devoted over two hours to the two bills at the heart of Rep. John Kline’s (R-MN) ESEA reauthorization strategy: tContinue Reading »

Even though research has shown that a college education provides enormous individual and public returns on investment, steep tuition increases and a stagnant job market have left students, families, and taxpayers wondering whether a college degree is truly worth it. Why? Although consumers have good data on the value of college degrees in general, they have very little data on the value of specContinue Reading »

Editor’s Note: Last week, Education Sector released On Her Majesty’s School Inspection Service, which outlines how school inspections have become part of the accountability system in England. Would such a system work in the U.S.? We asked a variety of education experts to weigh in with their thoughts. We’ll share them throughout the week, and we encourage you to share your reactions as weContinue Reading »

Editor’s Note: Last week, Education Sector released On Her Majesty’s School Inspection Service, which outlines how school inspections have become part of the accountability system in England. Would such a system work in the U.S.? We asked a variety of education experts to weigh in with their thoughts. We’ll share them throughout the week, and we encourage you to share your reactions as well.Continue Reading »

The Costs of Online Learning, the latest in Fordham’s digital learning policy series, tackles the tricky question of per-pupil spending. And while the paper cannot offer definitive answers for policymakers and school leaders, it does provide a helpful primer on the overall economics of online and blended learning.

The top-line findings, that blended learning models cost an estimated $8,9Continue Reading »

The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) could easily declare victory. Since its founding in 2005, the majority of states have made tremendous progress implementing the 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Data Systems. And those that lag behind, through their acceptance of State Fiscal Stabilization Fund stimulus money, have committed to do so. Kudos to DQC for recognizing that despite these essential foContinue Reading »

Sunday’s New York Times story broke the news that Stanford University, one of the world’s most prestigious research institutions, is putting its brand squarely behind a full-time, degree-granting online high school program. It’s just one more reason to set aside the silly debate about whether online education can possibly be effective for high school students.

Stanford&Continue Reading »