Ednext Podcast

Colleges are trying harder to recruit high-achieving students from low-income families. And some organizations are now ranking colleges on the extent to which they provide opportunities to those students. But new research identifies problems with the way these rankings are calculated, and suggests that colleges should be looking at the numbers differently. Caroline Hoxby, the Scott and Donya Bommer Professor in Economics at Stanford University and a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, joins EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss her latest research piece, "The Right Way to Capture College "Opportunity", co-written with Sarah Turner. https://www.educationnext.org/right-way-capture-college-opportunity-popular-measures-can-paint-wrong-picture-low-income-student-enrollment/

The Department of Education's proposed new Title IX regulations have generated over 72,000 comments and a lot of debate, especially the requirement that schools allow students who have filed sexual-assault complaints to be cross-examined. As the public comment period for the new rules is about to close, Shep Melnick joins Marty West to discuss how federal mandates on sexual harassment have evolved and what happens next. Melnick wrote about the proposed changes in "New Title IX Rules Require Hearings, Cross-Examinations in Colleges But Not High Schools." https://www.educationnext.org/new-title-ix-rules-require-hearings-cross-examinations-in-colleges-not-high-schools/

Parents often rely on school shopping websites to find out more about schools they are considering for their children. A new study looks at how the content and layout of these websites influence how parents judge schools. Ira Nichols-Barrer, a Senior Researcher at Mathematica and one of the authors of the study, joins EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss his findings. The study, "Presenting School Choice Information to Parents: An Evidence-Based Guide," was co-written with Steve Glazerman, Jon Valant, Jesse Chandler and Alyson Burnett. A blog post summarizing the study is available at: https://www.educationnext.org/design-with-care-school-information-displays-impact-school-choices/

Every year since 2010, Rick Hess and his team at AEI have ranked the university-based researchers who are doing the most to shape the conversation about education policy and practice. Today Rick Hess talks with EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West about this year's Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. Read about the rankings here: https://www.educationnext.org/2019-edu-scholar-public-influence-rankings/

When Magnolia Public Schools, a charter school network based in California, tried to open a new science academy in Anaheim, its proposal was opposed by lobbyists paid by the government of Turkey. Caprice Young, former CEO of Magnolia Public Schools, joins EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's battles against charter schools across the U.S. This is the subject of a new article by Menachem Wecker, "Turkey's Fight Against U.S. Charters." https://www.educationnext.org/turkey-fight-against-us-charters-autocrat-declares-war-high-performing-american-schools

EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West sits down with Senior Editor Paul E. Peterson to talk about some of the most popular articles published by Education Next in 2018, articles on inclusion and special education, teacher evaluation, homework, and more. Check out the Top 20 Education Next articles of 2018 here: https://www.educationnext.org/top-20-education-next-articles-2018/

Chester E. Finn, Jr. joins EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss the life and legacy of President George H.W. Bush. who declared on the campaign trail that he wanted to be "the education president." In “Remembering Two Education Reformers," Finn wrote about Bush's education reform efforts, as well as those of Harold O. Levy, who also died last month. https://www.educationnext.org/remembering-two-education-reformers/

Charles Barone, the chief policy officer at Democrats for Education Reform and Education Reform Now, joins Education Next Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss the results of the midterm election and what impact they might have on education policy. Barone recently wrote “Election 2018: The Voters Have Spoken” for EdNext, available at: https://www.educationnext.org/election-2018-voters-have-spoken-what-did-they-say-about-education/

As college costs rise, some see cause for alarm in rising levels of student loan debt. However, a new study finds that students who take out loans do better in school. Lesley Turner joins Marty West to discuss that new study, "The Benefits of Borrowing: Evidence on student loan debt and community college attainment," which she co-authored with Benjamin M. Marx. The study is available at: https://www.educationnext.org/benefits-of-borrowing-evidence-student-loan-debt-community-college-attainment/

Research shows that teachers who raise student test scores also improve long-term outcomes for their students. A new study finds that long-term outcomes for students are even more strongly predicted by student behaviors than they are by student test scores. And the teachers who are good at improving student behaviors are not necessarily the same teachers who are good at raising student test scores. The author of the new study, C. Kirabo Jackson, professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University, discusses his findings with EdNext editor-in-chief Marty West. The study, "The Full Measure of a Teacher: Using value-added to assess effects on student behavior," will appear in the Winter 2019 issue of Education Next and is now available online at https://www.educationnext.org/full-measure-of-a-teacher-using-value-added-assess-effects-student-behavior/

For four years, Tom Kane ran a project for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which offered to help a set of school districts develop new ways of evaluating teacher effectiveness. He talks with EdNext's Marty West about lessons to be learned from that effort. Kane, the Walter H. Gale Professor of Education and Economics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is the author of "Develop and Validate — Then Scale: Lessons from the Gates Foundation’s Effective Teaching Strategy." The article is available at: https://www.educationnext.org/develop-validate-scale-lessons-gates-foundation-effective-teaching-strategy/

While many parents worry that their children are assigned too much homework, studies show that American students do very little homework, on average. Janine Bempechat, clinical professor of human development and the author of a new article, "The Case for (Quality) Homework." talks with Marty West why homework improves learning and how parents can help. Read Professor Bempechat's article here: https://www.educationnext.org/case-for-quality-homework-improves-learning-how-parents-can-help/

Does Massachusetts really have the best charter schools in the country? If it does, why is the charter sector growing so slowly in the state? In this episode, Marty West talks with Cara Stillings Candal, the author of a new book on charter schools in Massachusetts, The Fight for the Best Charter Public Schools in the Nation. She wrote a blog entry for Education Next based on her new book. You can read it here: https://www.educationnext.org/fight-for-the-best-charter-schools-in-the-country-what-massachusetts-got-right-wrong/

Earlier this year, the Global Teacher Prize was awarded to Andria Zafirakou, an arts educator at an inner city secondary school in London. Zafirakou joins Marty West to talk about how she uses the arts to inspire the students in her school and and her plan to use the $1 million prize to launch a charity supporting arts education in the UK.

Should data drive decision-making in education policy or should data be used in the service of our values? Harry Brighouse and Susanna Loeb join Marty West to discuss how the tools of philosophy and social science can help policymakers make better decisions. Brighouse and Loeb, along with Helen Ladd and Adam Swift, are the authors of Educational Goods: Values, Evidence, and Decision-Making. David Steiner reviewed the book for EdNext here: https://www.educationnext.org/contemplative-approach-education-policy-book-review-education-goods-brighouse-ladd-loeb-swift/

In many school districts, teachers receive generous health care benefits even after they retire, but states and school districts have not been putting aside sufficient funds to pay for those promises. In many school districts, teachers receive generous health care benefits even after they retire, but states and school districts have not been putting aside sufficient funds to pay for those promises. Chad Aldeman joins EdNext editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss his article, "Health Care for Life: Will teachers' post-retirement benefits break the bank?" available at https://www.educationnext.org/health-care-for-life-will-teachers-post-retirement-benefits-break-bank/

Including students with disabilities in regular classsrooms is a worthy goal, but it may not always be the best way of serving children with disabilities. It can also sometimes have negative consequences for teachers and for students without disabilities. Allison Gilmour, an assistant professor of special education at Temple University, joins EdNext editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss her article, “Has Inclusion Gone Too Far?” Read the full article here: https://www.educationnext.org/has-inclusion-gone-too-far-weighing-effects-students-with-disabilities-peers-teachers/

In Oklahoma, teachers walked out for nine days this April to demand better pay and more spending on schools. Eleanor Goetzinger, a special ed teacher and behavior specialist in the Oklahoma City Public Schools, talks with Marty West about what the strike meant for her, for her students, and for schools in Oklahoma.

The Office of the Inspector General from the U.S. Department of Education is widely respected for its efforts to ferret out waste, fraud and abuse, but what happens when the OIG starts making policy recommendations? Jason Delisle, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss the involvement of the OIG in policymaking. Delisle is the co-author, with Nat Malkus, of "Inspecting the Inspector General: Should Auditors Set the Terms of Debate on Federal Education Policy," available at https://www.educationnext.org/inspecting-inspector-general-should-auditors-set-terms-debate-federal-education-policy/

When teachers open their classroom doors and allow trained coaches to observe them and offer feedback, the teachers' instruction improves. But can this form of teacher professional development be taken to scale? Matthew Kraft, an associate professor of education and economics at Brown University, sits down with EdNext editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss his article, “Taking Teacher Coaching To Scale,” co-written with David Blazar. Read the full article here: https://www.educationnext.org/taking-teacher-coaching-to-scale-can-personalized-training-become-standard-practice/