Newsletter Archive 2011

Is the U.S. Department of Education Relying on Sound Information to Guide Economically Hard-Pressed School Districts?
December 14, 2011
Contact:  Jamie Horwitz,202-549-4921, jhdcpr@starpower.net Bruce D. Baker (732) 932-7496, x8232, bruce.baker@gse.rutgers.edu Is the U.S. Department of Education Relying on Sound Information to Guide Economically Hard-Pressed School Districts? BOULDER, CO (December 15, 2011)– A federal project designed to help schools “do more with less” relies overwhelmingly on speculative theorizing and other work that falls far short of the high-quality research available in the...
Brookings Small Reforms Report a Useful Contribution, Says Independent Review
November 28, 2011
Report highlights successful education reform efforts largely missed by media and policymakers.  Contact:Jamie Horwitz202-549-4921jhdcpr@starpower.net Patrick J. McEwan(781) 283-2987pmcewan@wellesley.edu  BOULDER, CO (November 29) – A recent report from the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution examines three school organization reforms that may yield positive results but have not captured the attention of policymakers or the media. The report concludes that at...
Would Changing Teacher Pensions Attract and Retain the Best Teachers or Save Money?
November 21, 2011
Two Center for American Progress reports raise important questions about proposals to switch to cash-balance plans in California and elsewhere, but more research is needed.  Contact: Jamie Horwitz202-549-4921jhdcpr@starpower.net Teresa Ghilarducci646-369-7136Teresa.Ghilarducci@gmail.com  BOULDER, CO (November 22) – At a time when California’s governor has proposed a major change to that state’s public employees’ pension plan, the Center for American Progress...
California Charter Schools Don’t Narrow Black-White Achievement Gap
November 9, 2011
Recent report by Golden State charter advocates claiming gains tarnished after review by Arizona State professor. Contact: Jamie Horwitz202-549-4921jhdcpr@starpower.net David R. Garcia480-727-7413d.garcia@asu.edu  BOULDER, CO (November 10) – In a recent report, the California Charter School Association claims that the state’s charter schools are narrowing the Black-White achievement gap. Not so, explains Arizona State University professor David Garcia, an expert on charter...
What Are They Thinking?
November 6, 2011
New report on corporate commercialism in schools finds sponsorships and corporate marketing threaten students’ critical thinking skills. Contact: Jamie Horwitz202-549-4921jhdcpr@starpower.net Alex Molnar480-797-7261nepc.molnar@gmail.com Faith Boninger480-390-6736fboninger@gmail.com BOULDER, CO (November 7, 2011) – Partnerships between schools and for-profit companies are a growing trend in cash-strapped school districts but may cause harm to schoolchildren, according to...
As Enrollment in Cyber Schools Rises So Do Questions About Quality and Accountability According to New National Study
October 24, 2011
Thirty Percent of U.S. High School Students Have Taken At Least One Course Online, NEPC Report Finds Serious Problems With Full-time Virtual Schools, More Oversight is Necessary Contact: Jamie Horwitz 202/549-4921 jhdcpr@starpower.net Gene V Glass 480-294-1120 gene.glass@colorado.edu Justin Bathon 859-257-7845 justin.bathon@uky.edu Boulder, Colorado (October 25, 2011)--Virtual schooling is the fastest growing alternative to traditional K-12 education in the United States. Forty states operate...
Low Marks for ‘High Flyers’ Report
October 12, 2011
Leading expert finds Fordham Foundation study claiming low-performing students gain at the expense of high-achievers uses faulty methods and reaches a faulty conclusion. Contact:   Jamie Horwitz202-549-4921jhdcpr@starpower.net Jaekyung Lee 716-645-1132JL224@buffalo.edu  BOULDER, CO-– Is it true that education policies are so skewed toward boosting academic achievement among low-performing students that high-performing students suffer? A recent report jointly released...
Kicked-Out Then Dropped-Out
October 4, 2011
New National Report on School Discipline Shows that Harsh Discipline Policies are Being Applied Unfairly to Minority Students, Dragging Down Academic Achievement Report Points to Effective Alternatives to Kicking Students Out Contact:  Jamie Horwitz (202) 549-4921 jhdcpr@starpower.net WASHINGTON-- Does a policy of kicking “bad kids” out of school so “good kids” can learn really work? Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice, a new report...
Separate is Not Equal or Successful
September 27, 2011
Are the Lessons from Brown v Board of Education Being Lost? Million-dollar NEPC initiative funded by the Ford Foundation is designed to put high-quality research about racial diversity and student success in the hands of parents, educators and policy makers. Contact: Jamie Horwitz 202/549-4921 jhdcpr@starpower.net Kevin Welner (303) 492-8370 Welner@colorado.edu BOULDER, CO (September 28, 2011) - Most parents want their children to attend schools with a diverse student population,...
Report on “Middle Class Students Not Making the Grade” Flunks Independent Review
September 21, 2011
Third Way Think Tank Claims “Fresh Thinking” but Report Marred by Spoiled Analysis Contact: Bruce D. Baker (732) 932-7496 ext. 8232 bruce.baker@gse.rutgers.edu William Mathis, NEPC (802) 383-0058 William.Mathis@colorado.edu BOULDER, CO (September 22, 2011) – Who constitutes the middle class and how are their kids doing in school? Third Way, an organization led by centrist Democrats, claims in a report released last week that so-called “middle-class schools”...