December 10, 2009

Tracking and Detracking: High Achievers in Massachusetts Middle Schools

by Tom Loveless

What are the implications of "tracking," or grouping students into separate classes based on their achievement? In this Thomas B. Fordham Institute report, Brookings scholar Tom Loveless examines tracking and detracking in Massachusetts middle schools, with particular focus on changes that have occurred over time and their implications for high-achieving students. Among the report's key findings: detracked schools have fewer advanced students in mathematics than tracked schools. The report also finds that detracking is more popular in schools serving disadvantaged populations.

October 8, 2009

Stars by Which to Navigate? Scanning National and International Education Standards in 2009

In this report, expert reviewers appraise the Common Core drafts - which outline college and career readiness standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and in math - and also evaluate the reading/writing and math frameworks that undergird the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Achievement (PISA). How strong are these well-known models?

November 20, 2009

Seeking Quality in the Face of Adversity: 2008-09 Fordham Sponsorship Accountability Report

As a charter school sponsor (authorizer), Fordham submits an accountability report to the Ohio Department of Education at the end of November each year. The report includes profiles of each Fordham-sponsored school, as well as graphics comparing the achievement data of our schools, their home districts, and statewide averages. You'll also find pertinent information on Ohio charter school spending over the last decade, and in the introduction, a timely analysis of the political and legislative environment impacting Ohio charters in 2008-09 that explains why the title, "Seeking Quality in the Face of Adversity," is befitting.