Most Recent Analysis and Perspectives

K-12 Accountability Systems/NCLB

21st-Century Skills Are Not a New Education Trend but Could Be a Fad

In his latest column for U.S. News & World Report, Co-director Andrew Rotherham cautions proponents of 21st century skills against establishing a false choice between teaching facts and teaching how to approach them.

Undergraduate Education

Admired, Not Read

Kevin Carey reviews the book "A Great Idea," for The Washington Monthly.

Undergraduate Education

Transformation 101

In an article for The Washington Monthly, Kevin Carey asks: If technology is driving down the cost of teaching undergraduates, then why are tuition bills going up?

Politics of Education

Dear President-Elect Obama

In a commentary for National Public Radio, Co-director Andrew Rotherham says the next president will have two important tools at his disposal to be successful on education: the power of the podium and the power of the purse.

Undergraduate Education

No One Rises to Low Expectations

How do expectations and student outcomes match up in higher education? Kevin Carey explains in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Most Recent Research and Reports

K-12 Accountability Systems/NCLB

Measuring Skills for the 21st Century

Leaders in government, business, and higher education are calling for today's students to show a mastery of broader and more sophisticated skills like evaluating and analyzing information and thinking creatively about how to solve real-world problems. But standing in the way of incorporating such skills into teaching and learning are widespread concerns about measurement. In this report, Senior Policy Analyst Elena Silva examines new models of assessment that illustrate that the skills that really matter for the 21st century can be measured accurately and in a common and comparable way.

K-12 Accountability Systems/NCLB

Changing the Game

To resolve dramatic disparities in educational achievement and ensure future American workers are globally competitive, the federal government needs to change the game in public education, argue Co-director Andrew Rotherham and New American Foundation Fellow Sara Mead in a new report released by the Brookings Institution.

Teacher Quality

Achieving Teacher and Principal Excellence: A Guidebook for Donors

In this guidebook written for the Philanthropy Roundtable, Co-director Andrew J. Rotherham provides philanthropists a solid grounding in the nature of the human capital challenge. It explores the current policy landscape, most effective interventions, and opportunities for donors seeking to achieve an excellent teacher and principal for every child.

Educational Choice and Charter Schools

Plotting School Choice

Allowing students in low-performing schools to attend better schools in other districts seems like a winning strategy. Interdistrict choice, many argue, will give students more options and a greater chance to achieve. But there are a number of factors that limit the potential of interdistrict choice, cautions Policy Analyst Erin Dillon in this new Education Sector report.