The Education Gadfly Show

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Mike flies solo to reflect on what's happening across the education reform landscape—from the private school choice debate to the question of whether education reform has successfully scaled.Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a study examining four-day school weeks and their (paltry) impact on teacher recruitment and retention.Recommended content:“Maine Case Opens New Battleground for School Choice: The Right to Discriminate” —Linda Jacobson, The 74“What Betsy DeVos should say about vouchers, LGBT rights, and religious liberty” —Mike Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“John Arnold's Instructive Retreat from Ed Reform” —Mike Goldstein, Education Next“Fewer Children Left Behind: Lessons From the Dramatic Achievement Gains of the 1990s and 2000s” —Mike Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“The Effects of the Four-Day School Week on Teacher Recruitment and Retention” —Andrew M. Camp, J. Cameron Anglum, Cory Koedel, Se Woong Lee, and Tuan D. Nguyen, CALDER (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Jon Valant —director of the Brown Center on Education Policy and a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings—joins Mike to discuss his recent analysis of the federal tax credit scholarship initiative included in the Republican budget bill and its potential to open the door to waste, fraud, and discriminatory practices. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a Belgian study comparing the cognitive and non-cognitive effects of work-based learning within different vocational education arrangements.Recommended content: “The Educational Choice for Children Act opens the door to waste, fraud, and abuse” —Jon Valant, Brookings Institution“Federal school choice skeptics are tilting at windmills” —Shaka Mitchell, for Thomas B. Fordham Institute“The impact of work-based versus school-based learning on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes in vocational secondary education” —Ilse Tobback, Dieter Verhaest, and Kristof De Witte, Economics of Education Review (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Linda Darling-Hammond and Anne Podolsky of the Learning Policy Institute—authors of our latest Think Again brief, “Do the Returns to Teacher Experience Fizzle Out?”—join Mike and David to discuss whether teachers really stop improving after just a few years on the job. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a study examining the extent of school board turnover and whether it is linked to school performance.Recommended content: “Think Again: Do the returns to teacher experience fizzle out?” —Anne Poldolsky and Linda Darling-Hammond, Learning Policy Institute, for Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Effective Teacher Professional Development” — Linda Darling-Hammond, Maria E. Hyler, and Madelyn Gardner, Learning Policy Institute“The voices we don't hear: Teachers who gave up” —Robert Pondiscio, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“High Turnover with Low Accountability: Local School Board Elections in 16 States” — Vladimir Kogan, Stéphane Lavertu, and Zachary Peskowitz, EdWorking Paper (May 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, joins Mike to explain why charter school advocates keep winning in red states—and how others might follow Indiana's lead. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a new study documenting the sharp rise in teacher absences post-pandemic—and why it matters for schools and students.Recommended content:“Charter school advocates keep winning—at least in red states” —Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, for Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Education reform in red versus blue states” — Michael Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Five ways to ensure that charter schools have a political future” —Brandon Brown, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Ed in ‘28: A playbook for Democratic education reformers” —Dale Chu, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“State data shows K–12 teacher absences surged post-pandemic” —Michael Hansen, Purnima Aggarwal, and Rebecca Wagner, Brookings Institute (May 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org. 

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Tom Toch, director of FutureEd, and Lynn Olson, former deputy director at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, join Mike and David to discuss Lynn's new paper, “Quality Check: The New, Best Way to Measure School Performance.” Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study on the economic effects of Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs, showing that UPK boosted workforce participation across nine states and cities.Recommended content:“Quality Check: The New, Best Way to Measure School Performance” —Lynn Olson, FutureEd“A New, Bipartisan Agenda for Raising Student Achievement” —Tom Toch, FutureEd“The Full Measure of a School” —Erik W. Robelen, Education Next“Ready or Not? A New Way to Measure Elementary and Middle School Quality” — Jing Liu, Seth Gershenson, and Max Anthenelli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Universal Pre-K as Economic Stimulus: Evidence from Nine States and Large Cities in the U.S” — C. Kirabo Jackson, Julia A. Turner, and Jacob Bastian, NBER (May 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Genevieve Collins, Texas State Director for Americans for Prosperity, joins us to discuss Texas's newly passed Education Savings Account bill—an ambitious policy that could position the Lone Star State as a national leader in school choice. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber highlights a Michigan study showing that simply being flagged for third-grade retention can boost students' reading scores—even if they aren't actually held back.Recommended content: “A Texas-Sized Win for Families in the Trump Education Era” —Genevieve Collins, RealClear Policy“Jeb Bush: Texas' Education Savings Account Victory Can Set Nationwide Standard” —Jeb Bush, The74“How Genevieve Collins, Americans for Prosperity, Are Shaping Texas's Future” —Daily Caller“The Impacts of Grade Retention Policy With Minimal Retention” —Jordan S. Berne, Brian A. Jacob, Christina Weiland, Katharine O. Strunk. EdWorking Papers (May 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Starlee Coleman, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, joins Mike and David to discuss the religious charter schools case currently before the U. S. Supreme Court. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study out of Dallas on whether an automatic Algebra enrollment policy boosted participation among underserved students.Recommended content: “SCOTUS should mandate state support for religious education, but not via charter schools”—Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Landscape for Charter and Religious Schools”—Mark Walsh, Education Week“The religious charter schools case is a bigger deal than you think”—Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Why SCOTUS should—and will—approve faith-based charter schools”—Andy Smarick, Thomas B. Fordham Institute“Closing the Gaps: An Examination of Early Impacts of Dallas ISD's Opt-out Policy on Advanced Course Enrollment”—Daniel Vargas Castaño, Dareem K. Antoine, and Trey Miller, EdWorkingPapers (May 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

#968: Are school inspections the accountability tool we've overlooked? with Erik RobelenOn this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, former Education Week reporter Erik Robelen joins Mike and David to discuss school inspections—what they are, how they might fit into accountability systems, and who's actually using them in U.S. schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber highlights a study on how AI tools can help middle school math teachers personalize their lessons.Recommended content: Erik Robelen, “The Full Measure of a School,” Education Next (Spring 2025).Erik Robelen, “England's School Inspections Get a Makeover,” Education Next (Spring 2025).Maryland State Department of Education, Blueprint for Maryland's Future: Expert Review Team Colorado Department of Education, State Review Panel: School Review Protocol, SchoolWorks LLC (2024).Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Charter School Site Visit Protocol, (2024) Rizwaan Malik, Dorna Abdi, Rose E. Wang, and Dorottya Demszky, Scaffolding Middle-School Mathematics Curricula With Large Language Models, EdWorking Papers (April 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Rachel Canter, the founding executive director of Mississippi First and the new director of education policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, joins Mike and David to discuss what really fueled Mississippi's dramatic gains in student achievement. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a new study examining the impact of Ohio's EdChoice voucher program on college enrollment and graduation rates.Recommended content: Rachel Canter, The Truth About Mississippi's NAEP Gains, Mississippi First (July 5, 2023)Emily Freitag, “A bold state move to improve reading,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (February 20, 2025).Aaron Churchill, “Ohio's EdChoice scholarship program improved college outcomes,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (April 25, 2025).Matthew Chingos, David Figlio and Krzysztof Karbownik, The Effects of Ohio's EdChoice Voucher Program on College Enrollment and Graduation, Urban Institute (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Matt Giani, professor and researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, joins Mike and David to discuss whether there's a one-size-fits-all math pathway for students, as explored in Calculus or Statistics: Does It Matter?—a new study he coauthored for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study that examines whether Indiana's statewide private school voucher program has had any competitive effects on public school student outcomes.Recommended content: Matt Giani, Franchesca Lyra, and Adam Tyner. Calculus or Statistics: Does it Matter?, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (April 2025).Coming Soon: Heena Kuwayama and Adam Tyner. Advanced Math Pathways in New England, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (April 2025).The National Working Group on Advanced Education, Building a Wider, More Diverse Pipeline of Advanced Learners, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (June, 2023).Anna J. Egalite and Andrew D. Catt, Effects of the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program on Public School Students' Achievement and Graduation Rates, Sage Journals (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Anne Hyslop, Director of Policy Development at All4Ed, joins Mike and David to discuss the evolving federal role in K–12 education—particularly how the Secretary of Education's waiver authority may—and may not--impact state flexibility on spending and testing under ESSA (the current iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reviews a new study out of Massachusetts that examines whether students in departmentalized elementary schools perform better in middle school.Recommended content: Anne Hyslop and Dave Powell, ESEA Waivers 101: Explaining the Secretary of Education's Waiver Authority, All4Ed and Education First (2025)Dale Chu, “Waiver and out: How red states plan to push the limits of federal ed policy,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (April 3, 2025).Andy Smarick, “Trump needs to call Lamar,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (March 20, 2025).Benjamin Backes, James Cowan, Dan Goldhaber, Building Bridges to Middle School? Elementary School Departmentalization and Academic Achievement in the Upper Grades, CALDER (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Scott Marion, Executive Director of the Center for Assessment, joins Mike and David to discuss why states should maintain annual assessments—even if the Trump Administration waives some federal testing requirements. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam reviews a study comparing surveys and test scores as measures of school quality and predictors of long-term student success.Recommended content: The Case for State Testing, The National Center for the Improvement of Education Assessment, Inc., (March 2025).The Case for Statewide School Accountability Systems, The National Center for the Improvement of Education Assessment, Inc., (March 2025).Victoria McDougald, “The case for standardized testing,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (August 1, 2024).Michael J. Petrilli, “The best colleges for political diversity,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (April 3, 2025).Joshua Angrist, Peter Hull, Russell Legate-Yang, Parag A. Pathak and Christopher R. Walters, Putting School Surveys to the Test, NBER (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Jim Blew, co-founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute, joins Mike and David to talk about his work on the Educational Choice for Children Act—a federal proposal that could expand educational options for families through school vouchers. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a study on how expanding broadband access for Chicago families during the pandemic benefitted high achieving students but hurt their lower-performing peers.Recommended content: Children's Tuition Fund,  Federal Tax Credit: What You Need to Know About the Educational Choice for Children Act (2025). Michael J. Petrilli, “Education reform in red versus blue states,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (January 9, 2025).Dale Chu, “Education at an inflection point,” PPI (March 20, 2025).Jared N. Schachner, Julia A. Gwynne, Nicole P. Marwell, Elaine Allensworth, and Marisa de la Torre, Heterogeneous Effects of Closing the Digital Divide During COVID-19 on Student Engagement and Achievement, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Richard Kahlenberg, author of Class Matters: The Fight to Get Beyond Race Preferences, Reduce Inequality, and Build Real Diversity at America's Colleges, joins Mike and David to discuss how Democrats can move beyond DEI and embrace “integration, equal opportunity, and belonging.” Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a study on the relationship between standardized test scores, high school GPA, and first-year college performance at Ivy-Plus universities.Recommended content: Richard Kahlenberg, “Time to Ditch DEI in Favor of Something Better,” The Liberal Patriot, (March 5, 2025).Richard Kahlenberg, A Way Out of the DEI Wars, PPI (February2025).Richard Kahlenberg, “Class Matters: The Fight to Get Beyond Race Preferences, Reduce Inequality, and Build Real Diversity at America's Colleges,” (March 25, 2025).John N. Friedman, Bruce Sacerdote, Douglas O. Staiger, and Michele Tine, Standardized test scores and academic performance at Ivy-Plus colleges, NBER (March 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Steven Wilson, senior fellow at the Pioneer Institute, joins Mike to discuss his new book The Lost Decade: Returning to the Fight for Better Schools in America, which argues that the push for so-called Antiracist education derailed reform and harmed marginalized students. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a study on how educators divide their attention during virtual tutoring—and how achievement, gender, race, and English learner status influence those interactions.Recommended content: Steven Wilson, “The Lost Decade: Returning to the Fight for Better Schools in America,” Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, 2024.Wilson, Steven F. “The Promise of Intellectual Joy,” June 4, 2019. Robert Pondiscio, “After a “lost decade,” let's restore high expectations for students,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (December 12, 2024).Michael J. Petrilli, “11 thoughts about the massive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (March 11, 2025).Frederick M. Hess, “Defunding the teacher trainers,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (March 6, 2025).Qingyang Zhang, Rose E. Wang, Ana T. Ribeiro, Dorottya Demszky, and Susanna Loe, Educator Attention: How computational tools can systematically identify the distribution of a key resource for students, Annenberg Institute (March 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org. 

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Charles Barone, Senior Director of the Center for Innovation at the National Parents Union, joins Mike and David to discuss the future of federal assessment and accountability policies under the Trump Administration. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a study on student loan forgiveness and its impact on work, earnings, and borrowing.Recommended content: Charles Barone, “The Future of Assessment and Accountability | Part 1 | Goodbye Federal Assessment Guardrails?,” National Parents Union  (2025).Dale Chu, “Are states ready to lead on education? Could Trump's policies set them up to fail?,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (March 6, 2025).Victoria McDougald, “The case for standardized testing,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (August 1, 2025).Michael Dinerstein, Samuel Earnest, Dmitri K. Koustas and Constantine Yannelis, Student Loan Forgiveness, NBER (February 2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Jing Liu (University of Maryland) and Seth Gershenson (American University), authors of our latest report, Ready or Not? A New Way to Measure Elementary and Middle School Quality, join Mike and David to explore how tracking students' future GPAs could offer a clearer measure of school quality. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reviews a new study on young children's evolving media consumption habits and their effects.Recommended content: Jing Liu, Ph.D. Seth Gershenson, Ph.D. and Max Anthenelli, Ready or Not? A New Way to Measure Elementary and Middle School Quality, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (February 20, 2025).David Griffith and Amber Northern, “Make room, test scores: Introducing “indicators of high school and middle school readiness,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (February 20, 2025). Supreet Mann, Angela Calvin, Amanda Lenhart, and  Michael Robb, The 2025 Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight, Common Sense Media (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, John White, former Louisiana superintendent of education and current CEO of Great Minds PBC, joins David and Amber to discuss the reforms he led in Louisiana and their role in the state's significant NAEP gains. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber highlights a study on the expansion of “transitional kindergarten” in Michigan and its impact on early learning access and socioeconomic gaps.Recommended content: Kevin Mahnken, “New NAEP Scores Dash Hope of Post-COVID Learning Recovery,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (January 29, 2025).Emily Freitag, “A bold state move to improve reading,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (February 20, 2025).Sara Schwartz, “Why Are Reading Scores Still Falling on the Nation's Report Card?,” EducationWeek (January 29, 2025).Sonia Q. Cabell, James S. Kim, Thomas G. White, Charles J. Gale, Ashley A. Edwards, HyeJin Jordan Berne, Katia Córdoba García, Brian A. Jacob, Tareena Musaddiq, Samuel Owusu, Anna Shapiro, and Christina Weiland, Transitional Kindergarten: The New Kid on the Early Learning Block, SAGE Journals (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Mike and David discuss what's really going on with DOGE, including its cuts to IES research grants and the implications for education policy. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber highlights a study on whether the Core Knowledge curriculum helped strengthen kindergarteners' vocabulary and knowledge.Recommended content: Chester E. Finn, Jr., “Easy, DOGE. IES matters.,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (February 11, 2025).Robert Pondiscio, “Culture war vs. competence: Why conservatives should support Penny Schwinn,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (February 6, 2025).Chester E. Finn, Jr., “Trump should stay out of what students learn in school,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (January 30, 2025).Sonia Q. Cabell, James S. Kim, Thomas G. White, Charles J. Gale, Ashley A. Edwards, HyeJin Hwang, Yaacov Petscher, and Rhonda M. Raines, Impact of a Content-Rich Literacy Curriculum on Kindergarteners' Vocabulary, Listening Comprehension, and Content Knowledge, Journal of Educational Psychology (2024)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org. 

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Delia Pompa, Senior Fellow for Education Policy at MPI's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, joins Mike and David to discuss how the potential threat of immigration agents at school doors is affecting students—and what can be done to keep them coming to class. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a study on the impact of a Hawaii Public Schools policy that raised special education teacher salaries by $10,000.Recommended content: Alexander Russo, “Threat Assesment: Ice raids in schools,” The Grade (February 5, 2025).Ileana Najarro, “How Schools Can Navigate Trump's Immigration Policies,” Education Week (January 23, 2025).Liz Willen, “In just one week, Trump created a new culture of anxiety in education,” The Hechinger Report (January 27, 2025).Roddy Theobald, Zeyu Xu, Allison Gilmour, Lisa Lachlan-Hache, Elizabeth Bettini and Nathan Jones, The Impact of a $10,000 Bonus on Special Education Teacher Shortages in Hawai‘i, Sage Journals (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Brian Kisida, Associate Professor at the Truman School of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, joins Mike and David to discuss his recent Education Next article, which reports on what high school students are hearing from their teachers about racism in America. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study about how test-optional policies at elite universities hurt high-achieving, disadvantaged students.Recommended content: Brian Kisida, Gary Ritter, Jennifer Gontram, J. Cameron Anglum, Heidi H. Erickson, Darnell Leatherwood, and Matthew H. Lee., “Bridging the Divide over Critical Race Theory in America's Classrooms,” Education Next (November 1, 2024).Frederick Hess, “It's a Crisis! It's Nonsense! How Political Are K–12 Classrooms?,” Education Next (Winter 2025).Bruce Sacerdote, Douglas O. Staiger & Michele Tine, How Test Optional Policies in College Admissions Disproportionately Harm High Achieving Applicants from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, NBER (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Tim Daly, CEO of EdNavigator, joins Mike and David to discuss whether America should refocus its efforts on helping our lowest-performing students and explore the best ways to address this challenge. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study on how students prepare for tests and the effectiveness of their strategies.Recommended content: Tim Daly, “We're living through an education depression,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (November 1, 2024).Michael J. Petrilli, “Get ready for more bad news from NAEP 2024” Thomas B. Fordham Institute  (January 16, 2025)Robert Pondiscio, “After a “lost decade,” let's restore high expectations for students,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (December 12, 2024).Fatema Sultana, Richard C. Watkins, Tarek Al Baghal and John Carl Hughes, An Evaluation of Secondary School Students' Use and Understanding of Learning Strategies to Study and Revise for Science Examinations, Education Sciences (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Rick Hess, the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Mike and David to discuss education reform (or the lack thereof) during former President Biden's term and what we might expect from President Trump. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reviews a study on the implementation of college- and career-readiness policies, focusing on the alignment between career and technical education courses and industry-based certifications.Recommended content:  Rick Hess, “Miguel Cardona Is America's Worst Education Secretary,” American Enterprise Institute (October 25, 2024)Dale Chu, “Fault lines in the MAGA coalition and what they mean for education,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (January 16, 2025).Matt S. Giani, Madison E. Andrews, Tasneem Sultana, Fortunato Medrano, Curricular-Credential Decoupling: How Schools Respond to Career and Technical Education Policy, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Barbara Biasi, assistant professor at the Yale School of Management, joins Mike and David to discuss Wisconsin's Act 10 and its impact on teacher compensation. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber highlights a study on the underrepresentation of certain racial and socioeconomic groups in gifted education.Recommended reading: Barbara Biasi, “Wisconsin's Act 10, Flexible Pay, and the Impact on Teacher Labor Markets,” Education Next (April 25, 2023).Shawn Johnson, “Wisconsin's Act 10 is back in court. Here's what to know about the controversial law.,” Wisconsin Public Radio (December 4, 2024).Dante D. Dixson, Scott J. Peters, Jonathan A. Plucker, Carolyn M. Callahan, The (Conference) Room Where it Happens: Explaining Disproportional Representation in Gifted and Talented Education, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2025)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Alyson Klein, assistant editor at Education Week, joins Mike and David to discuss how President Trump could weaken the U.S. Department of Education without dismantling it entirely. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study examining the impact of early math intervention on student outcomes in Kentucky.Recommended content: Alyson Klein, “How Trump Can Hobble the Education Department Without Abolishing It,” Education Week (December 12, 2024).Chester E. Finn, Jr., “Will Trump eliminate the federal role in education or weaponize it?,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (December 12, 2024).Michael J. Petrilli, “How much blame does the federal government deserve for America's mediocre schools?,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (November 21, 2024).Zeyu Xu, Umut Özek, Jesse Levin and Dong Hoon Lee, Effects of Large-Scale Early Math Interventions on Student Outcomes: Evidence From Kentucky's Math Achievement Fund, SAGE Journals (2024)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org. New for 2025! You can now watch this episode on YouTube. 

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Checker Finn, Fordham's president emeritus—and the original Education Gadfly—joins Mike and David to discuss the best and worst news in education reform in 2024. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares the top five research studies of the year.Recommended content: Michael J. Petrilli, “How much blame does the federal government deserve for America's mediocre schools?,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (November 21, 2024).Michael J. Petrilli, “The end of MCAS is the end of an era. Now let's figure out what comes next.,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (December 5, 2024).David Griffith and Daniel Buck, “It's time for tough love to address chronic absenteeism,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (September 5, 2024).Dan Goldhaber and Grace Falken, ESSER and Student Achievement: Assessing the Impacts of the Largest One-Time Federal Investment in K12 Schools, CALDER (2024). Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org. 

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Philip K. Howard, chair of Common Good and a bestselling author, joins Mike and David to discuss what it takes to create positive school environments, as outlined in his recent Hoover Institution essay, “The human authority needed for good schools.” Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares an Urban Institute report analyzing states' demographically adjusted 2022 NAEP performance.Recommended content: Philip K. Howard, “The human authority needed for good schools,” Hoover Institution (November 19, 2024).Ashley Berner, “3 ways to increase choice and decrease polarization in U.S. schools,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (September 23, 2024).Jeff Murray, “Digging into the 2024 survey of American public school teachers,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (July 25, 2024).Matthew Chingos, States' Demographically Adjusted Performance on the 2022 Nation's Report Card, Urban Institute (2024). Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Colleen Hroncich, a policy analyst with the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom, joins Mike and David to discuss why pro–school choice ballot measures failed in Kentucky, Nebraska, and Colorado—and what it means for the future. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a study examining 100 years of data on elite private and public colleges, revealing persistent gaps in socioeconomic diversity despite changes in racial and geographic representation.Recommended content: Colleen Hroncich, Neal McCluskey, “Referendum Losses Are No Mandate against School Choice,” Real Clear Education (November 8, 2024).Juan Perez Jr., “Republicans' big idea for remaking public education hits voter resistance,” Politico (November 27, 2024).Michael McShane “Op-ed: Despite blows, school choice swept the ballot this election,” Chalkboard News (November 14, 2024).Ran Abramitzky, Jennifer K. Kowalski, Santiago Pérez & Joseph Price, The G.I. Bill, Standardized Testing, and Socioeconomic Origins of the U.S. Educational Elite Over a Century, NBER (2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Jim Peyser, former Massachusetts Secretary of Education, joins Mike and David to discuss voters' recent decision to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement and what it means for the future of high school. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares reports exploring the changing landscape of homeschooling in America.Recommended content:James A. Peyser, “Don't Abandon Common High School Graduation Exams” Education Next (2024).Frederick M. Hess, “Why Did Massachusetts Just Pull the Plug on 30 Years of K–12 Success?” AEI (November 6, 2024).Angela R. Watson, Homeschool Participation: Post-Pandemic Persistence and Growth Trends, Journal of School Choice (2024)Alanna Bjorklund-Young and Angela R. Watson, The Changing Face of American Homeschool: A 25-Year Comparison of Race and Ethnicity, Journal of School Choice (2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Dale Chu, a senior visiting fellow at the Fordham Institute, joins Mike and David to discuss how the election results could impact education and whether there's reason for optimism. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study examining how geographic access to public colleges affects enrollment decisions across different races and socioeconomic groups.Recommended content: Matt Barnum, “Trump Gears Up for Assault on Wokeness With Education Overhaul,” The Wall Street Journal (November 11, 2024).Alia Wong, “A push for school choice fell short in Trump's first term. He may now have a more willing Congress,” Associated Press (November 8, 2024).Tim Daly, “We're living through an education depression,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (November 1, 2024).Riley Acton, Kalena E. Cortes, and Camila Morales, Distance to Opportunity: Higher Education Deserts and College Enrollment Choices, Annenberg Institute (2024)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Jill Barshay, author of The Hechinger Report's “Proof Points” column, joins Mike and David to discuss her recent article on the surprising effects of colleges eliminating remedial courses. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study examining the impact of Washington's academic acceleration policies on high school students.Recommended content: Jill Barshay, “A decade of data in one state shows an unexpected result when colleges drop remedial courses,” The Hechinger Report (September 23, 2024).Michael J. Petrilli, “‘Kid, I'm Sorry, but You're Just Not College Material' Is exactly what we should be telling a lot of high school students,” Slate (March 18, 2014).Chester E. Finn, Jr., “What's the point of high school?” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (September 5, 2024).Megan Austin, Ben Backes, Dan Goldhaber, Dory Li, and Francie Streich, Leveling Up: An Academic Acceleration Policy to Increase Equity in Advanced High School Course Taking, American Educational Research Journal (2024). Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Brandon Wright, Fordham's Editorial Director and author of the latest Think Again brief, “Are Education Programs for High Achievers Inherently Inequitable?” joins Mike and David to explain why the answer to that question is “no” and why such programs are important. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study examining how individual teachers' effectiveness shifted when instruction went from in-person to on-line during the 2020-21 school year.Recommended content: Brandon L. Wright, Think Again: Are Education Programs for High Achievers Inherently Inequitable? Thomas B. Fordham Institute (October 2024). Building a Wider, More Diverse Pipeline of Advanced Learners: Final Report of the National Working Group on Advanced Education, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (June 2023). Brandon L. Wright, “Hope and progress for gifted education,” Advance (July 5, 2022).Jonathan Plucker, “Do programs for advanced learners work?” Thomas B. Fordham Institute (June 24, 2020).M. Cade Lawson and Tim R. Sass, Teacher Effectiveness in Remote Instruction, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Marc Porter Magee, CEO and Founder of 50CAN, joins Mike and David to discuss “The State of Educational Opportunity in America," 50CAN's new report based on a survey of over 20,000 parents from all 50 states and D.C. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a study examining how teacher strikes affect compensation, working conditions, and student achievement.Recommended content: The State of Educational Opportunity in America, 50CAN (2024). “Student enrollment is dropping. The charter sector should keep growing anyway.” —Michael J. PetrilliState of Educational Opportunity: Ohio Survey of Ohio Parents, Thomas B. Fordham Institute and 50CAN (2024).Melissa Arnold Lyon, Matthew A. Kraft, and Matthew P. Steinberg, The Causes and Consequences of U.S. Teacher Strikes, NBER (2024). Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, David Deming, a professor of Political Economy at the Harvard Kennedy School, joins Mike and David to discuss his article in The Atlantic arguing that it's not enough for governments and the private sector to eliminate college-degree requirement for good-paying jobs. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study investigating the “fade-out effect” in early childhood education programs.Recommended content: “We need supply-side education policy” —David Deming“The vibes for career-tech programs are great. But they're too rare.” —Michael J. Petrilli“What Kamala Harris should do on education and training” —Bruno V. MannoJohn A. List and Haruka Uchida, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Toward an Understanding of Fade-out in Early Childhood Education Programs, NBER (2024)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Parker Baxter, Director of the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado, joins Mike and David to discuss his new report on the impact of Denver's education reforms. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a RAND survey on teachers' experiences with school violence and lockdown drills.Recommended content: Parker Baxter, Anna Nicotera, David Stuit, Margot Plotz, Todd Ely, and Paul Tesk, Systemwide and Intervention-Specific Effects of Denver Public Schools' Portfolio District Strategy on Individual Student Achievement, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (September 2024)“Denver doesn't spell doom for portfolio-style reform” —Paul T. Hill“With student enrollment plummeting, which schools should be considered candidates for closure?” —Amber M. Northern and Michael J. PetrilliPauline Moore, Melissa Kay Diliberti, Brian A. Jackson, Teachers' Experiences with School Violence and Lockdown Drills, RAND (2024)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Devon Nir, a research assistant at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, joins Mike and David to discuss the complexities of ensuring accountability for education savings accounts. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a study exploring the financial returns of various non-degree credentials and degree programs.Recommended content: “The ‘à la carte education' accountability conundrum”—Michael J. Petrilli and Devon Nir“Finding the sweet spot on accountability”—Dale Chu" When Only Some Kids Can Afford Summer Camp — Why We Must Close the ‘Enrichment Gap'” —Michael J. Petrilli Jason Jabbari, Yung Chun, Xueying Mei, Stephen Roll, More Money for Less Time? Examining the Relative and Heterogenous Financial Returns to Non-Degree Credentials and Degree Programs, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Sofoklis Goulas, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Hamilton Project, joins Mike and David to discuss the Fordham report he just authored, Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study on the effects of Zearn Math on third through fifth grade math performance in Louisiana.Recommended content: Sofoklis Goulas, Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (September 2024)“The case for closing underenrolled, low-performing schools” —Michael J. Petrilli“We need to prepare now for the school closures that are coming” —Tim DalyShirin Hashim, Measuring the Efficacy of Zearn Math in Louisiana, AERA Open (2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Michael Goldstein, co-founder of the Math Learning Lab in Boston, joins Mike and David to discuss the track record of high-dosage tutoring in mitigating pandemic learning loss. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber shares a study on the long-term effects of the METCO program, which aims to increase diversity and reduce racial isolation by busing students from Boston to surrounding suburbs.Recommended content: Mike Goldstein and Bowen Paulle, The narrow path to do it right: Lessons from vaccine making for high-dosage tutoring, Thomas B. Fordham Institute (March 2021)“Students aren't benefiting much from tutoring, one new study shows” —JillBarshayMatthew A. Kraft, Danielle Sanderson Edwards, and Marisa Cannata, The Scaling Dynamics and Causal Effects of a District-Operated Tutoring Program, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (August 2024)Elizabeth Setren, Busing to Opportunity? The Impacts of the METCO Voluntary School Desegregation Program on Urban Students of Color, NBER (2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Paul Bruno, an assistant professor of education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joins Mike and David to discuss the pros and cons of universal free lunch. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber explores how mandating Advanced Placement course offerings and waiving AP exam fees impact student participation.Recommended content: “Should All School Meals Be Free?”—Tim Daly“Make School Lunches Great Again”—Max EdenIan Callen and Christiana Stoddard, “Putting the ‘A' in AP: The effect of advanced placement state policies on student participation and performance,” Economics of Education Review (2024)Feedback Welcome: This week, we're trying something new on the Education Gadfly Podcast! After nearly 20 years of keeping our episodes short and snappy, we're experimenting with a longer format to explore topics in greater depth. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this change—whether you love it or hate it. If you enjoy the podcast, please share it with your friends and colleagues; your support helps us reach more listeners! Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

#936: How socioeconomic factors explain achievement gaps, with Eric Hengyu Hu and Paul L. MorganOn this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, SUNY Albany's Eric Hengyu Hu and Paul L. Morgan, authors of Fordham's recently released report Explaining Achievement Gaps: The Role of Socioeconomic Factors, joins Mike and David to discuss their findings. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a study of differences in grading practices between international and domestic instructors at U.S. public universities.Recommended content: Eric Hengyu Hu and Paul L. Morgan, Explaining Achievement Gaps: The Role of Socioeconomic Factors, Fordham Institute (August 2024)“America's highest-achieving students are disproportionately Asian. Let's not be afraid to investigate why.”—Michael J. Petrilli and Amber M. NorthernMeredith Coffey and Adam Tyner, Excellence Gaps by Race and Socioeconomic Status, Fordham Institute (August 2023)Trang Pham and Stephanie Potochnick, Undergraduate Grading Practices of International and Domestic Faculty: Evidence From Three Large U.S. Public Universities, AERA Open (2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Starlee Coleman, newly named President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, joins Mike and David to discuss how the charter sector can find success with a Trump or Harris presidency. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a study of how nearby charter schools impact Catholic school enrollment.Recommended content: “How Kamala Harris can move to the center on education”— Michael J. Petrilli “What could a Vice President Vance do to advance rural and small town education?”—Aaron Churchill“Will next month's Harris-Trump debate even mention education?”— Dale ChuShaun M. Dougherty, Andrew Miller, and Yerin Yoon, “Charter School Expansion, Catholic School Enrollment, & the Equity Implications of School Choice,” EdWorkingPaper 24-1027, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2024)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Kelly James, a partner at Education First Consulting and Fordham's 2024 Wonkathon winner, joins Mike and David to discuss how policymakers and practitioners can reduce chronic absenteeism in schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam reports on a study about the fiscal effects of states paying districts for the costs of students they no longer serve.  Recommended content: “‘Everything, everywhere, all at once' solutions to chronic absenteeism”—Kelly James and Brad Bernatek “To fix chronic absenteeism, we must ask why kids don't want to go to school” —Leslie Colwell“How does teacher experience impact student absenteeism in early elementary school?” —Heena KuwayamaAaron Garth Smith and Christian Barnard, “Billions: The Cost of State Hold Harmless Policies in K-12 Education,” Reason Foundation, (June 2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Othiniel Mahone, the principal at GEO Academies 21st Century School in Gary, Indiana, joins Mike and David to discuss effective strategies for implementing and enforcing an “away for the day” school cellphone policy. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam reports on a study about the impact of middle school principals on various long-term outcomes for students.Recommended content: “How to implement a cellphone ban in schools” —Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Fordham Institute“LAUSD approves cellphone ban as Newsom calls for statewide action” —Howard Blume and Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times“New York City Schools Should Be Next to Ban Mobile Phones” —Michael R. Bloomberg, BloombergEric A. Hanushek, Andrew J. Morgan, Steven G. Rivkin, Jeffrey C. Schiman, Ayman Shakeel, and Lauren Sartain, “The Lasting Impacts of Middle School Principals,” NBER Working Paper No. 32642 (July 2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Fordham's Checker Finn joins Mike and David to discuss the changes in how the College Board is scoring Advanced Placement exams. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of robot-assisted foreign language learning.Recommended content:  “Are AP exams getting easier?” —Chester E. Finn, Jr. “The Great Recalibration of AP exams” —John Moscatiello“The College Board's new method for raising AP scores” —John MoscatielloAli Derakhshan, Timothy Teo, Esmaeel Saeedy Robat, Mostafa Janebi Enayat, and Akbar A. Jahanbakhsh, “Robot-Assisted Language Learning: A Meta-Analysis,” Review of Educational Research (May 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Vlad Kogan, a professor at Ohio State University, joins Mike and David to discuss what role race, achievement, and enrollment play in a district's decision to close a school. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a new report that investigates the staffing difficulties and potential academic effects of class size reduction policies in New York City.Recommended content: “Flawed work to close city schools will hurt Columbus for years to come. It must be fixed.” —Vlad Kogan, The Columbus Dispatch“Schools Will Have to Start Closing Again” —Michael Petrilli, Wall Street Journal“Enrollment down. Achievement lackluster. Should this school close?” —Francis Pearman, Education WeekMatthew Chingos, Ariella Meltzer, and Jay Carter, “Will implementing class size caps exacerbate hiring challenges in New York City's highest-poverty schools?,” Urban Institute (July 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Dale Chu, a senior visiting fellow at the Fordham Institute, joins Mike and David to discuss how Biden passing the torch and Trump picking J.D. Vance could affect U.S. school policy. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a new study that compares the academic impacts of urban versus suburban charter schools.Recommended content: “Vance vs. Pence: How Trump's VP picks compare on education” —Dale Chu, Fordham Institute“The Democratic replacement candidates on education” —Daniel Buck, Fordham InstituteSarah Cohodes and Astrid Pineda, “Diverse paths to college success: The impact of Massachusetts' urban and nonurban charter schools on college trajectories,” National Bureau of Economic Research (July 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Daniel Buck at dbuck@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Francis Pearman, an assistant professor of education at Stanford University, joins Mike and David to debate the impact that budgets, enrollment, and race play in closing schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a new study investigating the efficacy of learning-loss-recovery interventions across eight districts.Recommended content: "Enrollment down. Achievement lackluster. Should this school close?” —Francis Pearman, Education Week“Schools will have to start closing again” —Michael Petrilli, Wall Street Journal“Doing educational equity right: School closures” —Michael Petrilli, Fordham InstituteMaria V. Carbonari et al., “Impacts of Academic Recovery Interventions on Student Achievement in 2022-23,” CALDER Working Paper (July 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Daniel Buck at dbuck@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Kristen Huff, the vice president of assessment and research at Curriculum Associates, joins Mike and David to discuss the academic performance our youngest students in the wake of the pandemic. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a new study investigating the demographic effects of test-optional policies at selective universities.Recommended content: “The Youngest Pandemic Children Are Now in School, and Struggling” —New York TimesEthan Young and Kelsey Young, “Student growth in the post-COVID era,” Curriculum Associates (June 2024). “The Democratic replacement candidates on education” —Daniel Buck, Fordham InstituteAdam Tyner, “Think Again: Do College Admissions Exams Drive Higher Education Inequities?” Fordham Institute (February 2023).Kelly Rosinger, Dominique J. Baker, Joseph Sturm, Wan Yu, Julie J. Park, OiYan Poon, Brian Heseung Kim, and Stephanie Breen, “Exploring the relationship between test-optional admissions and selectivity and enrollment outcomes during the pandemic,” Annenberg Institute at Brown University (June 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Daniel Buck at dbuck@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Marguerite Roza, the director of the Edunomics Lab and a research professor at Georgetown University, joins Mike and David to discuss how schools and school systems can downsize in response to declining enrollment. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam examines a new study investigating the academic impacts of ESSER funding, the largest one-time federal investment in public schools in history.Recommended content: “The math of school closures: How district leaders should navigate the perfect storm of budget shortfalls and declining student enrollment” —Marguerite Roza & Aashish Dhammani, The 74“Schools will have to start closing again” —Michael Petrilli, Wall Street Journal“Doing educational equity right: School closures” —Michael Petrilli, Fordham InstituteDan Goldhaber and Grace Falken, “ESSER and student achievement: Assessing the impacts of the largest one-time federal investment in K12 schools,” CALDER (June 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Daniel Buck at dbuck@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Alina Adams, a New York Times best-selling author, joins Mike and David to discuss the parenting lessons she learned from watching “Young Sheldon.” Then, on the Research Minute, Adam examines a new study investigating the rigor (or lack thereof) of online credit recovery courses.Recommended content: “I watched the parenting on ‘Young Sheldon'… and did the exact opposite” —Alina Adams, Education Next“Fun fact: ‘Young Sheldon' provides insight into parenting bright children” —Jonathan Plucker, Education Next“Time to press ‘pause' on credit recovery” —Adam Tyner, Fordham InstituteJennifer Darling-Aduana, Carolyn J. Heinrich, Jeremy Noonan, Jialing Wu, and Kathryn Enriquez, “Failing to learn from failure: The facade of online credit recovery assessments,” Education Finance and Policy (March 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Daniel Buck at dbuck@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at Fordham and the American Enterprise Institute, joins Mike and David to discuss the lack of curriculum oversight in American schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines a new study of whether aspiring teachers' professional references predict their later performance.Recommended content: “How public schools became ideological boot camps” —Robert Pondiscio, The Free Press“Taking curriculum implementation seriously” —Robert Pondiscio, Fordham InstituteDan Goldhaber, Cyrus Grout, and Malcolm Wolff, “How well do professional reference ratings predict teacher performance?” Education Finance and Policy (March 2024).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Daniel Buck at dbuck@fordhaminstitute.org.