ACADEMIC STANDARDS RESEARCH
Book Finds Massachusetts Voc-Tech Schools Are National Model, Calls for Expansion
Massachusetts vocational-technical schools -- boasting minuscule dropout rates, strong academic performance, and graduates prepared for careers or higher education -- should be expanded to meet growing demand, according to a new book published by Pioneer Institute.
Smith College Prof. Paula Giddings on Ida B. Wells and Her Anti-Lynching Crusade
This week on “The Learning Curve," Cara Candal and guest co-host Derrell Bradford talk with Prof. Paula Giddings, Elizabeth A. Woodson Professor Emerita of Africana Studies at Smith College, and author of A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching.
Pioneer Institute Statement on the Latest State Audit of the Boston Public Schools
The third review of the Boston Public Schools (BPS) in fewer than 20 years makes clear: Things are getting worse. Graduation rates are down, achievement gaps are up, an unacceptably large percentage of students attend schools ranked in the lowest 10 percent statewide. In a cruel twist, more than three in five students still are not taught material on which they are tested. There remains no clear strategy for improvement.
Columbia’s Prof. Nicholas Lemann on the Great Migration, the SAT, & Meritocracy
This week on “The Learning Curve," guest co-host Kerry McDonald talks with Nicholas Lemann, Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism and Dean Emeritus of the Columbia School of Journalism, and author of the books, The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America, and The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy.
Open Letter to Mayor Michelle Wu on the Boston Public Schools
“Barely half of students (53 percent) graduate from BPS high schools, excluding the exam schools,” Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios underscores at the start of this Open Letter to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. That’s just one in a long litany of troubles within the Boston Public Schools, much of which is due to chaotic management and at times even willful misleading of the public. In this letter, Pioneer recommends fresh thinking, and, specifically, a highly focused and time-limited intervention, in partnership with the state department of education.
Hoover at Stanford’s Dr. Eric Hanushek on NAEP, PISA, International Comparisons in Education
This week on “The Learning Curve," co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Eric Hanushek, the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. Dr. Hanushek shares how he first became interested in the economics of education, his plans for the nearly $4 million in funding from the prestigious Yidan Prize, which he received in 2021, and where he sees the greatest need for additional research in education.
Harvard Mathematician Prof. Wilfried Schmid on K-12 Standards & Results
This week on “The Learning Curve," co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Wilfried Schmid, Dwight Parker Robinson Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University, who played a major role in drafting the 2000 Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework and served on the U.S. National Mathematics Advisory Panel (NMAP) in 2008.
Accelerating Learning at KIPP
KIPP Academy Charter School is working hard to ensure that all students have access to high-quality instruction, especially as children everywhere struggle with post-COVID learning recovery. In this video, KIPP Academy Executive Director Nikki Barnes and KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School Principal Jimmy Seter allowed us into their in-depth discussion of the principles, objectives and strategies they use to foster an environment of encouragement, informed guidance, learning growth, and equity.
Emory Uni. Prof. Mark Bauerlein on “The Dumbest Generation” & the Digital Age
This week on “The Learning Curve," co-host Cara Candal and guest co-host Prof. Robert Maranto talk with Dr. Mark Bauerlein, Senior Editor at First Things, Professor of English Emeritus at Emory University, and the author of The Dumbest Generation Grows Up. Dr. Bauerlein shares his views about the kinds of content American K-12 students should be reading for preparation for college and meaningful lives.
Virtual Learning Grows During COVID
Virtual learning in K-12 education continues to grow due to the health threat caused by coronavirus variants and the assistance this learning model can provide to at-risk students, according to two papers released today by Pioneer Institute.
Journalist Bari Weiss on Fighting Anti-Semitism & the Cancel Culture
This week on “The Learning Curve," co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Bari Weiss, former New York Times op-ed editor and writer, and author of How to Fight Anti-Semitism. Bari shares what motivated her to write this book, its reception, and key lessons for teachers and students alike. She also explains why we’re now seeing a rise in anti-Semitism, how educators can best combat it, and the connection she observes between the current upsurge in anti-Semitism and cancel culture.
Author Nicholas Basbanes on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow & the Spirit of American Poetry
This week on “The Learning Curve," co-hosts Gerard Robinson and Cara Candal talk with Nicholas Basbanes, author of the 2020 literary biography, Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He shares why poetry - from the Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer to Dante, Shakespeare, Longfellow, Emily Dickinson, and Langston Hughes - may well be the most influential, enduring form of written human expression.
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