A rare listing of every politics, policy, research and evaluation news site we monitor weekly.   more »

An industry based on the claim of superior student outcomes needs to be a player in determining the rules of the game. NEKIA has a view. Where is your trade group on the issue of Scientifically-Based Research?   more »

In fact, there was a process to regulate the program properly, and now it is being followed. Now industry groups and independent evaluators need to see the interests of innovators are represented.   more »

Governors are caught between a shared desire to maintain economic competitiveness and the need to manage unique and complex state politics and budgets. Can they come up with a meaningful common agenda?   more »

Moving from 5700 students in Normandy, MO to one big mess.   more »

A bad spin on a reasonable, above-board decision by the School Reform Commission. Not a good story for any Education Management Organization (or Charter Management Organization) when the system is hurting for cash. A good example of the political risk of investing in the school improvement industry.   more »

Reading First was a weapon in the battles between phonics and whole language, wielded by advocates of the former - as executive and legislative officials responsible for the program - against the latter. But this focus of NYT reporter Diana Jean Schemo's diverts attention from a more important scandal. Reading First was intended to fund programs with strong evaluations of efficacy. Instead, Department of Education officials and allies in and out of government used their power to steer purchases towards curriculum they were committed to ideologically - or financially. Programs with strong evaluations - like Success for All - were rejected, major publishers' programs - with no evaluation record - were funded. What the Department of Education IG audits say is that this arbitrary and capricious behavior is no way to regulate a market.   more »