Thomas B. Fordham Institute - Advancing Educational Excellence

Conserving the education status quo?
The Common Core education standards are better than what we've been using across most of the U.S. So why are people fighting it?

State Education Standards and the Common Core in 2010 study cover

Publications

July 6, 2010

Ohio's Education Reform Challenges: Lessons from the Frontlines

Ohio's Education Reform Challenges: Lessons from the Frontlines

by Chester E. Finn, Jr., Terry Ryan, Mike Lafferty

Fordham been a dual participant as both an advocate of choice and as an authorizer of charter schools serving some of Ohio's neediest students. This book describes and analyzes our efforts, successes and failures, and what we think it all means for others committed to school reform and innovation.

June 23, 2010

Common Education Standards: Tackling the Long-Term Questions

Common Education Standards: Tackling the Long-Term Questions

How should the "common core" state standards initiative be governed? Who will "own" these standards (and related assessments) 20 years from now? To stir smart thinking about important aspects of these vital issues, the Fordham Institute invited knowledgeable experts to write background papers.

May 25, 2010

Needles in a Haystack: Lessons from Ohio's high-performing, high-need urban schools

Needles in a Haystack: Lessons from Ohio's high-performing, high-need urban schools

by Quentin Suffren, Theodore J. Wallace

Despite the overall dismal performance of schools serving Ohio's poor, urban youngsters, there are a handful of schools that buck these bleak trends and achieve significant results for their students. This report examines eight of these schools.

April 28, 2010

Charter School Autonomy: A Half-Broken Promise

Charter School Autonomy: A Half-Broken Promise

by Dana Brinson, Jacob L. Rosch

The typical U.S. charter school lacks the autonomy it needs to succeed, once state, authorizer, and other impositions are considered. For some schools--in some states, with some authorizers--the picture is brighter but for many it's bleak. State-specific grades for charter autonomy range from A to F.

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