top of page


Honesty is the first step to higher achievement, and it's a doozy
As achievement falls, the "honesty gap" grows.
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 202 min read
0 comments


Students need clear expectations, honest feedback
If schools can't hold students accountable, nobody's going to learn anything.
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 72 min read
0 comments


Rigor and results are broccoli: Ed reform has gone soft, sweet
Accountability and rigor are out for politicians and education reformers.
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 29, 20242 min read
1 comment


Ignorance isn't bliss
Los Angeles Unified will let 10 schools with low-income students drop standardized tests in favor of their own assessments.
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 13, 20242 min read
4 comments


How good is my kid's school? Good luck figuring out state report cards
State report cards do a poor job of informing parents. IDEA charters want Texas parents to see their ratings.
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 6, 20241 min read
1 comment


Wisconsin lowers academic aims, adopts fuzzy labels
Wisconsin is lowering expectations for students.
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 28, 20242 min read
11 comments


Biden's education grade: 'D' for 'doesn't care about achievement'
President Biden's education agenda deserves a D.
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 8, 20242 min read
3 comments


Teachers' union takes aim at graduation exam in Massachusetts
Massachusetts could roll back reforms that made it a model of educational excellence.
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 16, 20242 min read
8 comments


Lots of kids left behind: Why achievement gaps grew
Achievement gaps are large and growing across the country, writes Chad Aldeman on The 74. It's not the pandemic: Scores have been falling...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 28, 20242 min read
15 comments

There's no such thing as accurate school lunch data
School lunch data was an inaccurate measure of student poverty, even before the shift to universal eligibility, write Ishtiaque Fazlul,...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 17, 20232 min read
7 comments


How Denver schools improved: Choice, accountability
Denver schools' reform strategy improved achievement dramatically, concludes a University of Colorado Denver study. "The overall effects...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 15, 20221 min read
1 comment
bottom of page