Adaptive learning on steroids. What if a college professor could see exactly what students understand, what they don’t, and what concepts make them pause? At Arizona State University, they can. (Inside Higher Ed)

“America-centric education.” A look inside National Heritage Academies, the nation’s largest charter operator, and its unique approach to citizenship education. (American EnterpContinue Reading »

Tres Whitlock has cerebral palsy. It’s a disabling condition that affects his speech–he can’t speak on his own. It also affects his movement. But it doesn’t affect his mental abilities. So what is he doing in a program that serves students with mental disabilities?

It’s the program where his public school has placed him. Although Tres is classified as severeContinue Reading »

In the announcement heard ’round the edu-blogosphere today (but on the back page of the Washington Post), Secretary Spellings invited states to apply to be one of 10 which will be granted more flexibility under NCLB. The selected states will be allowed to differentiate consequences for schools that are failing to reach NCLB goals on multiple measures and those that aren’t hitting thContinue Reading »

Coincidentally, the day after I posted about Linda Perlstein’s new book, Tested, she has an op-ed in the Post. In many ways, it’s Tested writ small: interesting, well-written, and less than meets the eye.

Perlstein is concerned about the impact of NCLB on students with disabilities. She recounts seeing “Whitney,” a fourth grade girl with mild mental retardation, fContinue Reading »

Sherman Dorn raises some great questions about special education and NCLB in response to my CYCT on the topic.* While Dorn thinks that my answers to his questions are all an unqualified ‘yes’, I’d say they’re more of a ‘yes, but…’:

Here we agree that the answer is yes. And I think wContinue Reading »

Cato’s Adam Schaeffer takes issue with my post earlier this week about the incredible tediousness of pro-voucher groups’ assertion that choice is the solution to every imaginable educational problem.

He actually has a somewhat reasonable point. To the extent that increased choice and customization in education can make the entire educational system more effective and effiContinue Reading »