A New Science Framework

How do we know whether an 8th-grade student is proficient in science? (Ditto for reading, math, or any other content area.) Who decides, and on what basis are such determinations made? Obviously, some form of assessment is required in order to meaningfully answer such questions. But how are assessments developed? How do we know…

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A Costly Disconnect

Once again, a group of Californians is attempting to qualify a statewide ballot initiative intended to dramatically increase parents’ ability to enroll their children in the school of their choosing, whether public or private. And once again, the effort is almost certain to sow disappointment, invite recrimination, and result in failure. It could

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For Every Action…

More than 30 states currently offer some form of ‘educational choice’ programming that includes private schools. Some states offer school vouchers. Some have gone a step farther by funding education savings accounts whose proceeds can be used to pay for private school tuition and other qualifying education expenses. Other states offer various education tax…

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The Nation’s Report Card and Your Private School

Beginning in September, 2023, a handful of the nation’s private schools will be invited to participate in the 2024 administration of the National Assessment of Education Progress, also known by its acronym, NAEP, and its more popular designation, The Nation’s Report Card. If your school is among those selected to form a nationally…

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Justice Delayed

Becoming a parent was, without doubt, the most humbling experience of my life. As a young educator, I found it surprisingly easy to dispense advice about other people’s children, a practice in which I blithely engaged with a self-appointed sense of authority. As if to exact a measure of compensation for bestowing the title…

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