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By now, everyone has heard of the story of baseball’s Oakland Athletics and their 2002 season, immortalized by Michael Lewis in the book (and the movie) Moneyball. Recognizing his team’s limitations and scarce resources, Oakland general manager Billy Beane pioneered the use of performance data, rather than unscientific scouting reports, to drive his player draft […]

When I was a senior in high school growing up in Medford, Massachusetts, I probably would have applied only to local colleges — not Harvard, that was for rich kids who were straight-A students, and I was neither. But I was lucky: I had an after-school job at an electronics company, and one of the […]

I often brag about the school where I work, explaining to people I meet that it’s a great place for kids and teachers. When I mention that the school is Boston, they ask if I teach in a suburb of the city, or whether it’s a private school. I am constantly disheartened by the perception […]

One of the lovely formulations in John F. Kennedy’s inaugural addressexpressed his hope that “a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion.” Kennedy was talking about the Cold War, but we could use a little of this in the partisan and ideological warfare that engulfs our nation’s capital. And so let us […]

It’s been known for a while that U.S. students trail their counterparts in some other countries on academic performance measures. But some Wisconsin high schools are actually performing above the level of the highest-performing “economy” in the world — Shanghai, China — according to results from an international exam. Last spring, almost 300 high schools, […]

When I was a senior in high school growing up in Medford, Massachusetts, I probably would have applied only to local colleges — not Harvard, that was for rich kids who were straight-A students, and I was neither. But I was lucky: I had an after-school job at an electronics company, and one of the […]

The United States fails to do right by most low-income students who excel in school. They overcome long odds and do well enough in high school to show they can thrive in college. Nevertheless, many never receive a bachelor’s degree. Now, though, the country may be approaching something of a turning point. As data has […]

By David Leonhardt The United States fails to do right by most low-income students who excel in school. They overcome long odds and do well enough in high school to show they can thrive in college. Nevertheless, many never receive a bachelor’s degree. Now, though, the country may be approaching something of a turning point. […]

  $1.7 million grant funds program to ensure that teachers and principals help lead the conversation around the Common Core This fall, the America Achieves Fellowship for Teachers and Principals (AAFTP) will launch state-based educator voice fellowships across Colorado, Michigan, and New York, which will give outstanding teachers and principals the opportunity to share with […]

A new report finds that U.S. students’ financial literacy is only average compared to students worldwide. So what can be done to improve the performance of our schools? Education correspondent John Merrow reports on one test that may help American students compete more successfully in an increasingly global economy.