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Sector Spotlight
Report Release: Reforming Teacher Pensions for a Changing Work Force
New Education Sector report examines teacher pensions and details the problems facing current state pension programs.
Sport or Not? A Question for the Courts
Senior Policy Analyst Elena Silva interviewed by the New York Times on Title IX.
Teachers Unions as Agents of Reform
Brad Jupp, an architect of Denver's landmark performance-based teacher pay system, ProComp, is an outspoken advocate of both labor organizing and quality education for disadvantaged kids. In this interview, Jupp talks about ProComp, his views on teacher unionism, and the future of the teaching profession.
Education Sector Welcomes Three New Board Members
Education Sector's board of directors names three prominent leaders in the fields of education and journalism to the board: David W. Breneman, Richard Lee Colvin, and Peter McWalters.
For-profit colleges: Do they shortchange students?
Policy Director Kevin Carey comments on a recent Senate HELP Committee hearing on for-profit colleges.
Issues
K-12 Accountability Systems/NCLB
Research and analysis designed to increase the effectiveness of current and future K–12 accountability systems.
Best of K-12 Accountability Systems/NCLB
Restructuring 'Restructuring'
The Obama administration has made "turnaround" a major priority—vowing to fundamentally restructure and reshape the nation's lowest-performing schools. In this Education Sector report, Senior Policy Analyst Rob Manwaring examines what happens after states identify schools as low-performing. He documents how few states and districts use the tools provided to them by NCLB and what policy changes must be made in order to address the administration's challenge.
No Child Left Behind and the Brewing Fight Over Education
In his latest column for U.S. News & World Report, Co-founder Andrew Rotherham argues there's broad consensus on education reform, but there are deep fault lines underneath.
Moving Targets: What It Now Means to Make Adequate Yearly Progress Under NCLB
This Education Sector Explainer builds on the 2007 report States' Evidence: What It Means to Make 'Adequate Yearly Progress' Under NCLB. It is an up-to-date resource for evaluating each state's annual benchmarks through the 2009-10 school year and how those benchmarks have changed over time.
Tomorrow's Tests
In an exclusive Education Sector op-ed, Managing Director Bill Tucker and Senior Policy Analyst Elena Silva make the case for an assessment system that not only measures student performance, but also supports and improves the daily instructional work of teachers.
21st Century Skills: The Challenges Ahead
To work, the 21st century skills movement will require keen attention to curriculum, teacher quality, and assessment, argue Andrew Rotherham and Daniel Willingham for ASCD's Educational Leadership.
ES Review: Selections From 2008 and 2009
From measuring 21st century skills to plotting school choice, the third edition of the ES Review brings together, in one setting, some of our best work from 2008 and 2009.
Are We There Yet? What Policymakers Can Learn From Tennessee's Growth Model
As Congress gears up to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, so-called "growth models" to measure school performance are sure to be a major item of debate. But while growth models can help develop better school accountability systems, there are important issues that state and federal policymakers should be aware of as they consider expanding their use, argues accountability expert Charles Barone in this new Education Sector Technical Report. Value-added expert William L. Sanders responds to this paper.
Beyond the Bubble: Technology and the Future of Student Assessment
In a new Education Sector report, Chief Operating Officer Bill Tucker argues that technology has the potential to drastically improve our current assessment systems and practices, leading to significant improvements in teaching and learning in the nation's classrooms.
21st-Century Skills Are Not a New Education Trend but Could Be a Fad
In his latest column for U.S. News & World Report, Co-director Andrew Rotherham cautions proponents of 21st century skills against establishing a false choice between teaching facts and teaching how to approach them.
In Need of Improvement: Revising NCLB's School Choice Provision
In this new Education Sector Idea at Work, Policy Analyst Erin Dillon offers lawmakers a number of steps they can take to improve NCLB's school choice provision and increase the number of high-quality public school options for students in low-performing schools.
Title 2.0: Revamping the Federal Role in Education Human Capital
In this new Education Sector Idea at Work, Co-director Andrew J. Rotherham argues Congress and the Obama administration have a chance to reshape federal policy to better support leading-edge human capital reforms in education.
Measuring Skills for the 21st Century
Leaders in government, business, and higher education are calling for today's students to show a mastery of broader and more sophisticated skills like evaluating and analyzing information and thinking creatively about how to solve real-world problems. But standing in the way of incorporating such skills into teaching and learning are widespread concerns about measurement. In this report, Senior Policy Analyst Elena Silva examines new models of assessment that illustrate that the skills that really matter for the 21st century can be measured accurately and in a common and comparable way.
More about K-12 Accountability Systems/NCLB
Research and Reports
In this Education Sector report, Policy Analyst Chad Aldeman calls for a new approach to high school accountability. He argues that the best way to measure whether students are prepared for college or a career is by looking at what actually happens when students arrive at their intended destination. Also watch our short video primer of the report!
To resolve dramatic disparities in educational achievement and ensure future American workers are globally competitive, the federal government needs to change the game in public education, argue Co-director Andrew Rotherham and New American Foundation Fellow Sara Mead in a new report released by the Brookings Institution.
ES Review: Selections From 2007
From the promise of virtual schooling to the plight of Sallie Mae, the second edition of the ES Review brings together, in one setting, some of our best work from 2007.
The Pangloss Index: How States Game the No Child Left Behind Act
When policymakers wrote the No Child Left Behind Act, their goal was to steadily raise the bar for academic achievement. But many states have undermined the spirit of the law by lowering achievement goals every year, a finding that a new NCES report confirms. In this 2007 report, Kevin Carey explains how these states are gaming NCLB's accountability system—and doing so with the full approval of the U.S. Department of Education.
Understanding NAEP: Inside the Nation's Education Report Card
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is one of the most trusted resources for comparing student achievement across states and demographic groups. But it is also one of the most complex tests in existence. This Explainer is a guide to understanding NAEP's complex features and the challenges ahead.
States' Evidence: What It Means to Make 'Adequate Yearly Progress' Under NCLB
States will soon announce the schools or districts that did or did not make "adequate yearly progress," or "AYP" under NCLB. But the question that provides the most insight into a school’s performance is not whether a school made AYP, but rather how a school did or did not make AYP.
On the Clock: Rethinking the Way Schools Use Time
In an era of increased accountability, educators are searching for new ways to boost student achievement. Is extending the school day the answer? Listen to the audio transcript from this Education Sector forum.
The first edition of the ES Review, a compilation of our best work over the past several months, features abridged versions of our recent reports, interviews, debates, and commentary—all in one downloadable PDF.
Making the Cut: How States Set Passing Scores on Standardized Tests
Passing or "cut" scores are a key factor in determining the rigor of state tests, which matter more than ever before under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Yet when states and the media report student results on exams, they rarely include information on passing scores or the process by which they are determined. This Explainer describes how cut scores are set and why they matter.
Hot Air: How States Inflate Their Educational Progress Under NCLB
This Education Sector analysis finds that many states are systematically overstating their performance under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, hurting students and undermining the law's credibility in the process.
Margins of Error: The Testing Industry in the No Child Left Behind Era
This groundbreaking report examines the impact of No Child Left Behind's ambitious testing requirements on the states, the testing industry, and on America's students.
Analysis and Perspectives
National Education Standards: The Right Answer for Virginia
Communications Manager Kris Amundson argues the time is right to step up education standards in Virginia. Endorsing the Common Core may be the first step, she says.
How Race to the Top Could Inform ESEA Reauthorization
Race to the Top was successful at spurring state education reforms. What's next? Policy Analyst Chad Aldeman outlines one possibility for keeping the momentum.
What lessons can education policymakers learn from health care in their push to create and use data systems? A lot, argues Managing Director Bill Tucker in Education Week.
Five Design Principles for Smarter Data Systems
In this exclusive Education Sector op-ed, Managing Director Bill Tucker outlines five big ideas for data reform. The challenge is no longer whether or how to build institutional data systems, Tucker argues, but to use better information about teaching and learning to improve outcomes for every student.
Making No Child Left Behind Work
In his latest column for U.S. News, Co-founder Andrew Rotherham outlines steps policymakers can take to improve the next version of NCLB.
Education Legacy: Schools Must Improve Under McDonnell
In an opinion piece for the Richmond-Times Dispatch, Education Sector's Andrew Rotherham argues that among the many challenges Governor-elect Bob McDonnell will face in Virginia, education reform is a key place where McDonnell could make meaningful change happen.
The Next Generation of Testing
In the November issue of ASCD's Educational Leadership, Education Sector Managing Director Bill Tucker describes how technology-enabled assessments can provide more information about student learning beyond what students "got right or wrong."
Scratch Exit Exams; Think Much Bigger
Iowa is considering instituting high school exit exams. But Education Sector's Chad Aldeman is skeptical of this testing approach. Instead, he argues, Iowa and other states should work to create college or career readiness indicators that measure the full impact of what students learn in high school.
In Politics of School Reform, Transparency Doesn't Equal Accountability
Given how the politics of education work, transparency will drive change only in concert with policies actually requiring change. Information alone is not enough, says Education Sector's Andrew Rotherham in U.S. News & World Report.
In The Wilson Quarterly, Education Sector's Thomas Toch reviews three new books that highlight the innovations and challenges of urban education reform.
In a commentary for National Public Radio, Co-director Andrew Rotherham says the next president will have two important tools at his disposal to be successful on education: the power of the podium and the power of the purse.
Accountability Must Be Focus of Any No Child Left Behind Overhaul
In a U.S. News column, Co-director Andrew Rotherham argues that any revisions to NCLB must uphold the law's accountability focus.
In Education Week, Co-director Thomas Toch argues that the way to salvage the accountability movement is to make NCLB a more legitimate report card of school performance, one that fairly and accurately gauges educators' contributions to their students' achievement.
Education Sector's Bill Tucker reviews Measuring Up, a new book on educational testing that helps readers understand how best to think about the evidence that test scores provide.
Changing Times, Same Approach to Schools
Education Sector Co-director Andrew J. Rotherham outlined the impact of significant societal trends on schools and education policy as the keynote speaker for Cambridge College's recent convocation.
In Democracy, Andrew J. Rotherham suggests policymakers adopt a new national initiative to ensure that students in struggling schools get the help they need while also improving two important but problematic federal programs.
In Reason Roundtable, Education Sector's Erin Dillon makes the case for reforming NCLB to encourage competition and build the supply of high-quality schools.
Three Tensions in Education Reform
Education Sector Co-director Thomas Toch speaks to state policymakers about contemporary issues in education reform at a recent Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation event.
Kevin Carey reviews Tested: One American School Struggles to Make the Grade, a new book by former education reporter Linda Perlstein, in The Washington Monthly.
In a commentary on NPR's "All Things Considered," Andrew J. Rotherham discusses why NCLB is worth keeping, but also why revising it will force Congress to face some tough choices.
A Turn Toward National Standards
Lawmakers looking for an exit out of what has become the chaos of NCLB should follow their instincts toward national standards and tests, argues Education Sector Co-director Thomas Toch.
Reauthorizing No Child Left Behind
Education Sector's Kevin Carey provides testimony to the House Committee on Education and Labor on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
In Testing, the Infrastructure Is Buckling
In Education Week, Thomas Toch explains why NCLB is overwhelming the nation's testing infrastructure, and how it's impacting our schools.
Stiff Armed: No Child Left Behind's Unused Funding Flexibility
NCLB gave states and school systems the chance to choose how they spend federal education aid. But there have been few takers.
Labeled: The Students Behind NCLB's 'Disabilities' Designation
NCLB's students-with-disabilities subgroup includes students with a wide range of disabilities, and the majority of them can meet high standards.
Reality Check: Tracking Grads Beyond High School
A growing number of state governments have the information to fill one of NCLB's voids: holding high schools accountable for their students' success in college.
Where Education Is a Matter of Prestige
Education Sector's Abdul Kargbo reflects on his contrasting schooling experiences in Sierra Leone, one of the world's poorest countries, and the United States, one of the richest.
The Maestro of Urban School Reform
Tom Payzant is unique among public school reformers—a leader with a long, successful run at reform inside a major urban school system. He spoke with Education Sector's Thomas Toch about the core ingredients to reform and how he shaped an award-winning school system.
In The Politico, Andrew J. Rotherham and Richard Whitmire give presidential candidates reasons to care about education.
Conservatives and No Child Left Behind
In a commentary on National Public Radio, Andrew Rotherham explains why conservative opposition to NCLB is problematic for President Bush.
The "godfather of Head Start" talks about his five decades of work in early childhood education.
Flatline: President Bush's Lifeless Effort on No Child Left Behind
Andrew J. Rotherham and Kevin Carey explain what the president's budget means for education and why it's neither big enough nor bold enough to increase the likelihood of NCLB reauthorization.
In Education Debate, Congress Must Talk Money
In a commentary on National Public Radio, Education Sector Co-director Andrew J. Rotherham explains why we need to continue the conversation about repurposing existing funds for schools.
The Children in Room E4, a new book by journalist Susan Eaton, describes the intersection of race and academic rigor in the Hartford, Conn., public schools.
Education Sector Co-director Thomas Toch discusses the states' testing dilemma under No Child Left Behind.
NCLB and the Competitiveness Agenda
In Phi Delta Kappan, Education Sector Co-director Andrew J. Rotherham and Nonresident Senior Fellow Frederick M. Hess contemplate whether the Bush administration's American Competitiveness Initiative is the perfect complement to NCLB's equity focus.
Extreme Makeover: Two Failing San Diego Schools Get New Start as Charters
Two schools, required to restructure under NCLB after years of failure, have converted to charter schools, putting them on the cutting edge of school reform. Education Sector Co-director Thomas Toch and Nonresident Senior Fellow Joe Williams report.
Easy Way Out:
"Restructured" Usually Means Little Has Changed
In the Winter 2007 issue of Education Next, Education Sector's Sara Mead looks at how states and school districts are dealing with schools in restructuring under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Turmoil in the Testing Industry
In November's ASCD Educational Leadership, Education Sector Co-director Thomas Toch explains how the maginitude of NCLB's testing requirements have resulted in many states opting for quick and inexpensive assessments that focus on basic skills.
State's Not-So-Rigid Standards
Oklahoma leaders have an important obligation to ensure schoolchildren receive a world-class education. A big part of that responsibility involves setting high educational standards. But when it comes to implementing NCLB, the state is falling short.
NCLB: Three Fundamental Issues and Plenty to Do
Andrew Rotherham provides testimony on the progress of NCLB to the Aspen Institute's Commission on No Child Left Behind.
E.D. Hirsch, Jr., one of the most well-known figures in the culture wars debate, discusses his 2006 book The Knowledge Deficit, the links between his work in education and his literary scholarship, school choice, standards, and the politics of education.
Echo Chamber: The National Education Association's Campaign Against NCLB
In a new report, Education Sector Non-resident Senior Fellow Joe Williams documents how the National Education Association gives millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations to advance its anti-NCLB agenda.
"65 Percent Solution" Doesn't Add Up
The Florida Legislature is considering enacting the controversial "65 percent solution" to regulate district expenditures. In the Orlando Sentinel, Kevin Carey explains why that's a bad idea.
Teachers Unions as Agents of Reform
Brad Jupp, an architect of Denver's landmark performance-based teacher pay system, ProComp, is an outspoken advocate of both labor organizing and quality education for disadvantaged kids. In this interview, Jupp talks about ProComp, his views on teacher unionism, and the future of the teaching profession.
National Education Standards (transcript)
On March 10, 2006, Education Sector hosted a live debate on national education standards. Read the full transcript from this important discussion featuring leading proponents and opponents of national standards.
"Education Should Be a Rich Symphony"
The late Ted Sizer was one of American education's most influential thinkers. In 2006, Education Sector's Andrew Rotherham got a chance to sit down with Sizer to discuss school reform, instruction and curriculum, the standards movement, No Child Left Behind, school choice, high school reform, higher education, and what he considered to be his unfinished work.
The New $4.5 Billion Federal School Funding Program Nobody Knows
While the No Child Left Behind funding debate has focused largely on total spending, Congress and the President have received too little credit for putting billions of additional dollars into never-before-utilized funding formulas that help the nation's highest-poverty school districts.
65-Percent Plan Fails Basic Math
To meet the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind law, educators need the resources necessary to teach all children to high standards and the flexibility to spend that money in a way that makes sense for their local schools. Unfortunately, some are trying to turn back the clock with a simplistic idea called the "65-cent solution."
The president's school reform law rests on the belief that its high-stakes test ratings are fair and accurate. But the Bush aide who designed the law has his doubts. And the
GOP Drives Federal Role in Education
Since the creation of the U.S. Department of Education in 1979, one Republican administration after another has steadily increased the department's influence—and in the process set in motion fundamental changes in the nation's education system.
Profiles
Policy Director
Senior Policy Analyst
Research Professor, Georgetown University
Director, Hechinger Institute on Education & Media
Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
Co-director, Public Impact
Professor of Education, Stanford University