Joanne Jacobs
The honesty gap: 'How are parents supposed to understand this?'
States are hiding pandemic learning loss by lowering the bar for "proficiency" on state tests.
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Joanne Jacobs
Sep 192 min read
After the pandemic, more students are diagnosed with special needs
Special education numbers are up.
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 61 min read
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
Aug 82 min read
Biden's education grade: 'D' for 'doesn't care about achievement'
President Biden's education agenda deserves a D.
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 61 min read
'Locking in' learning loss: Math grades didn't return to pre-pandemic normal
Grade inflation soared when learning went remote, writes Amber Northern. Lax requirements to turn in work, fewer graded assignments, and...
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 52 min read
Summer school helps, if students show up
Urban charter students made significant gains in reading and math in a summer program that combined instruction and enrichment, reports...
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 262 min read
Harris thrills teachers' union, sticks to progressive orthodoxy
"God knows, we don't pay you enough," Kamala Harris told teachers at the American Federation of Teachers convention in Houston. That went...
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 242 min read
'Covid kids' aren't catching up: 8th graders are 1 year behind pre-pandemic levels
This year's eighth graders were in fourth grade when their schools shut down. As they head to high school, the average student is nine...
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 273 min read
$190 billion in federal relief raised achievement -- but not very much
The federal government gave schools $190 billion in emergency funding during and after the pandemic. The extra money helped students...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 222 min read
Four years after 'two weeks to flatten the curve' ...
Four years ago, schools across the country closed their doors. It was supposed to be for two weeks or three or . . . Most schools stayed...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 12 min read
Students are catching up in math, reading -- but gaps are wider
Reading and math scores are on their way up, reports the Education Recovery Scorecard. On average, students in grades three through eight...
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 192 min read
Fix 'em, don't nix 'em: Tests show what's working and what's not
The Zeitgeist, it is a changing. First, the New York Times ran David Leonhardt's defense of college admissions tests as a way to...
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 6, 20232 min read
Homework load keeps getting lighter as grades go higher
Forty-four percent of 13-year-olds (eighth grade) did no homework in 2022, writes Tom Loveless. The numbers are very similar for...
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 26, 20232 min read
4-day school weeks are spreading, but students learn less
More schools -- and not just in rural areas -- are adopting four-day weeks, reports AP's Heather Hollingsworth. Districts hope the change...
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 15, 20232 min read
Back to 'normal' isn't enough: The Covid generation is at risk
It's time to bring back bipartisan education reform writes Fordham's Michael Petrilli. He's promoting A Generation at Risk, a "call to...
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 6, 20232 min read
Students aren't bouncing back in math
Math skills fell during "remote education" and many students aren't bouncing back, reports an education reporting collaborative in a...
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 28, 20232 min read
More students are in 'big, big trouble' in reading, math, and they're not catching up
Students are learning again, but most are not catching up for learning lost during the pandemic, conclude three new reports comparing...
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 28, 20232 min read
Cover-up in California: State botched remote learning, tried to silence critics
After Oakland schools closed in March, 2020, eight-year-old Cayla J. had two remote classes. Then, according to her mother, the teacher...
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 7, 20232 min read
'We took care of our kids' -- but they lost a year in reading, math
Juab School District in Utah focused on supporting students emotionally when schools reopened in fall of 2020. “We took care of our...
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 13, 20231 min read
Doing more of what wasn't working won't help kids catch up
"If we really want to narrow gaps and make up for pandemic-related learning loss, we need to change what and how we teach -- especially...
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