Bootstraps

A bonus installment of our series. We're stepping back to review the key themes of the first season of the series, and look at what's changed since we reported some of the controversies we dug into. Plus, we talk with Alissa Quart about why narratives of self-reliance are so hard to shake. Host: Jeff Young (https://twitter.com/jryoung (@jryoung)) A joint production of https://www.edsurge.com/ (EdSurge) and https://www.opencampusmedia.org/ (Open Campus.)

The Rhodes Scholarship was designed to forge a network of people who would go on to rule the world. So who gets this opportunity? And how is the world's oldest and most well-known graduate scholarship dealing with the legacy of its founder, who used ruthless and racist practices to build the diamond empire that funded the effort. Host: Jeff Young (https://twitter.com/jryoung (@jryoung)) A joint production of https://www.edsurge.com/ (EdSurge) and https://www.opencampusmedia.org/ (Open Campus.)

The SAT can feel very different to different students. While it can give any college applicant stress, some low-income and minority students see it as evidence that selective colleges don't want them. Can the rise of test-optional policies lead to a new, more equitable era of college admissions? Reporter: Eric Hoover (https://www.twitter.com/erichoov (@erichoov)) of https://www.chronicle.com (The Chronicle of Higher Education) Host: Jeff Young (https://twitter.com/jryoung (@jryoung)) A joint production of https://www.edsurge.com/ (EdSurge) and https://www.opencampusmedia.org/ (Open Campus.)

Our current grading system can be a way for kids to prove themselves, win college scholarships, or gain admission to highly selective colleges. It also can turn into a game that encourages comparison to fictional "averages." It's so ingrained it may feel impossible to imagine a world without letter grades or GPAs, but some say, let's give that a try. Host: Jeff Young (https://twitter.com/jryoung (@jryoung)) A joint production of https://www.edsurge.com/ (EdSurge) and https://www.opencampusmedia.org/ (Open Campus.)

Sometime early in elementary school, kids are put on one of two paths: regular or gifted. Where did this idea come from? The answer goes back more than a 100 years, to a once-famous scholar named Lewis Terman. And it turns out his legacy, and the future of gifted programs, are still very much under debate. Host: Jeff Young (https://twitter.com/jryoung (@jryoung)) A joint production of https://www.edsurge.com/ (EdSurge) and https://www.opencampusmedia.org/ (Open Campus.)

What a debate about the admissions process at one of the best public high schools in the country says about who should get what in education. Host: Jeff Young (https://twitter.com/jryoung (@jryoung)) A joint production of https://www.edsurge.com/ (EdSurge) and https://www.opencampusmedia.org/ (Open Campus.)

Ever wonder where the phrase "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" came from? In the first episode of our series about merit and myths in education, we explore the phrase's origins and how it went from ludicrous joke to national aspiration. Host: Jeff Young (https://twitter.com/jryoung (@jryoung)) A joint production of https://www.edsurge.com (EdSurge) and https://www.opencampusmedia.org (Open Campus.)