EdPolicy
Dropout prevention reports…and the rest of the solution
NASBE recently released a dropout prevention report that included some typical recommendations (data, training, community partnerships, multiple pathways). Â I’m glad the state boards on on the case. NGA also issued a report which better describes the solution set including a recommendation to “provide rigorous, relevant options for…
Blended Restarts
There are about 10,000 really bad schools in America. The majority are elementary schools. We know how to make them better, but it takes political will and capacity to improve them. We know less about turning around bad secondary schools. The one thing wrong with them is everything. That makes…
More on the killer app question
1. Killer field trips. Imagine taking a group of kids to the mall for a field trip. What do you think they could learn? How would your answer be different if they had a smart phone application that showed them the history, economy, demographics, and engineering of the place?…
Barber on Standards: E(K+T+L)
Sir Michael Barber, architect of many of the UK education reforms of the last decade and McKinsey’s education lead, recently spoke to teachers in Singapore. Â As usual, Michael framed the situation in a unique and helpful way particularly on the aims of education. Â He described what students should know and…
A Parent Revolution brewing in LA
Great summary of new choice policy in this EdWeek blog. Â Here’s a portion: In what may be a first-of-its-kind reform, the nation’s second-largest…
Restarts beat turnarouns
We just don’t know how to turnaround failing schools, but we do know how to start good new schools.  We should do what we know works.  That’s the message from Andy Smarick in his important EdNext article, The Turnaround Fallacy. I’ve been involved with the development of 1200 new…
Advice to states on RttT
In general, states should use RttT as an opportunity to advance accountability, choice, and teacher/leader effectiveness (see EEP policy papers) and the innovation agenda. Â Following are thoughts on the four required categories and bonus categories. Standards & Assessments Adopt Common Core Adopt statewide guidance & college access system…
Districts should use budget woes to innovate
The National Journal asked about public-private partnerships backfilling budget cuts. Â Here’s my response. Public-private partnerships are a good idea; there should be more. Â But I hope the private partners supplanting public funds are in for the long run–I think schools in many states have a couple more years…
6 reasons foundations should incorporate venture strategies
Foundations should invest at least a portion of their endowments in return seeking vehicles related to their programmatic goals (often called Mission Related Investments, MRI). They should also leverage their balance sheets to provide venture debt and credit enhancements (often structured as Program Related Investments, PRI) to help scale promising…
So far to go on the new edu-employment bargain
DC Chancellor Rhee is still getting beat up for a 5% layoff that partially considered performance. As she explained in a thoughtful note to staff: When we learned of the shortfall and realized that some school positions would be cut, according to DC law for a reduction…