Publications
Applying Systems Thinking to Improve Special Education in Ohio
Nathan Levenson / September 5, 2012
This paper uses systems thinking to provide common sense ideas for saving money while improving special education services to the more than 275,000 Ohio students with special needs.
The State of State Science Standards 2012
January 31, 2012
State reviews by Lawrence S. Lerner, Ursula Goodenough, John Lynch, Martha Schwartz, and Richard Schwartz Foreword by Chester E. Finn, Jr., and Kathleen Porter-Magee
NAEP review by Paul R. Gross
American science performance is lagging as the economy becomes increasingly high tech, but our current science standards are doing little to solve the problem. Explore all the state report cards and see how your state performed.
Review of the National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education
Paul Gross / October 4, 2011
Representatives from twenty states are hard at work developing Next Generation Science Standards—and using as their starting point the National Research Council's recently released Framework for K-12 Science Education. This review of that framework, by Paul R. Gross, applauds its content but warns that it could wind up sending standards writers off track. This appraisal find much to praise in the Framework but also raises important concerns about a document that may significantly shape K-12 science education in the U.S. for years to come. Download to learn more.
Do High Flyers Maintain Their Altitude? Performance Trends of Top Students
Robert Theaker , Yun Xiang , Michael Dahlin , John Cronin , Sarah Durant / September 20, 2011
"Do High Flyers Maintain Their Altitude? Performance Trends of Top Students," is the first study to examine the performance of America's highest-achieving children over time at the individual-student level. Produced in partnership with the Northwest Evaluation Association, it finds that many high-achieving students struggle to maintain their elite performance over the years and often fail to improve their reading ability at the same rate as their average and below-average classmates. The study raises troubling questions: Is our obsession with closing achievement gaps and "leaving no child behind" coming at the expense of our "talented tenth" and America's future international competitiveness? Read on to learn more.
