The Education Exchange

Cal Jillson, a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Southern Methodist University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's effort to oust Texas House Republicans in primary races who have opposed his statewide Education Savings Account initiative.

Christy Wolfe, the senior vice president for policy, research, and planning for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, joins the Education Exchange to discuss what the budget cuts proposed by the Biden Administration could spell for charter schools.

Daniel Hamlin, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Oklahoma, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss efforts to regulate homeschooling rules in states, and the upcoming Emerging School Models: Maintaining the Momentum conference, which will be hosted by Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and Governance on Sept. 12 and 13, 2023. Learn more about the conference, and register to attend, here: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/taubman/programs-research/pepg/events/2024-emerging-school-models

Brooks Bowden, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Bowden's latest research, which looks into the effects of lenient grading and standards on student learning. "The Unintended Consequences of Academic Leniency," co-written with Viviana Rodriguez and Zach Weingarten, is available now. https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai23-836.pdf

Larissa May, the founder of #HalfTheStory, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how May's organization is working to help teens change social media.

Dr. Carey Wright, the State Superintendent of Schools for Maryland, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Wright's time as Mississippi's state superintendent, as well as her current role in Maryland.

Angela R. Watson,a senior research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and an assistant research professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the launch of the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub.

Patrick J. Wolf, a professor of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Wolf’s new research, which investigates the impact of private education on civic knowledge, skills and participation. “The Public Purposes of Private Education: a Civic Outcomes Meta-Analysis,” co-written with M. Danish Shakeel, Alison Heap Johnson, Mattie A. Harris and Sarah R. Morris, is available now at Educational Psychology Review: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-024-09874-1"

Vladimir Kogan, a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Ohio State University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss a new report from the New York State Education Department which argues that control of schools should move from mayors to school boards.

Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the phenomenon of political leaders who publicly oppose school choice programs, while exercising choice options for their own children.

John Schilling, a senior advisor for the nonprofit Invest in Education, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the Educational Choice for Children Act that is currently being debated in Congress.

Beth Schueler, an Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how tutoring could be used to lessen learning losses in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Steven Wilson, a Senior Fellow at Center on Reinventing Public Education, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss urban charter schools, and how a focus on culture rather than rigor is changing their mission.

Donald Wittman, an emeritus professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Wittman's latest report, which contends that the University of California erred when it ended the use of SAT and ACT scores in admissions. Wittman's article, "The University of California Was Wrong to Abolish the SAT: Admissions When Affirmative Action Was Banned," is available now. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/emip.12598

Ben Chapman, a reporter for the 74, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Chapman's recent article, which details the recent struggles of charter school operators in Los Angeles, Calif.

Nat Malkus a senior fellow and the deputy director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Malkus's latest report, which looks at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on chronic absenteeism in schools. Malkus's report, "Long COVID for Public Schools: Chronic Absenteeism Before and After the Pandemic," is available now. https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/long-covid-for-public-schools-chronic-absenteeism-before-and-after-the-pandemic/

Jim Stergios, the executive director of the Pioneer Institute, Jim Stergios, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the teachers strike that took place in Newton, Mass., and if it could lead to future strike activity in the state. Stergios recently published an op-ed in the Boston Globe, "Teachers strikes hurt the students." https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/29/opinion/newton-teachers-strike-hurts-students/

Jacob Light, a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Stanford University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Light's latest paper, which examines how quickly universities react in creating new courses and making popular courses available, based on the needs of students. Light's paper, "Student Demand and the Supply of College Courses," is available now. https://jacob-light.github.io/catalog-project.pdf

Michael Hartney, a fellow at the Hoover Institution and assistant professor of political science at Boston College, Joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how education will factor into the 2024 presidential election.

Paul Carrese, a Professor in the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how civic education is taught, and improvements that can be made by state and local leadership in education. Carrese's article, "Civic Preparation of American Youth: Reflective Patriotism and Our Constitutional Democracy," is available now. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00027162231192166

Doug Lemov, the author of the international bestseller Teach Like a Champion, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how grade inflation is impacting student achievement. "Your Neighborhood School Is a National Security Risk," by Lemov, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/your-neighborhood-school-national-security-risk-student-achievement-merit-losing-prospects-era-everybody-wins/

Nolan Pope, an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Pope's latest research, which investigates the impact of non-traditional school calendars on student achievement. "Schedule-Driven Productivity: Evidence from Non-Traditional School Calendar," co-written with Taylor J. Landon, is available now. "https://conference.nber.org/conf_papers/f192865.pdf

James Hankins, a professor of history at Harvard University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss academic honesty and it's importance in research institutions. Hankins' commentary, "Claudine Gay and Why Academic Honesty Matters," is available now at The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/claudine-gay-and-why-academic-honesty-matters-plagiarism-research-science-98a441c1

Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Peterson’s latest research, which ranked states by their charter school performance and found that Oklahoma had one of the top-performing charter sectors in the United States. “The Nation’s Charter Report Card: First-ever state ranking of charter student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress,” co-written with M. Danish Shakeel, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/nations-charter-report-card-first-ever-state-ranking-charter-student-performance-naep/

Scott Carrell, a Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Carrell's latest research, which looks at whether high schools have a significant effect in whether or not students go to college. "Do Schools Matter? Measuring the Impact of California HighSchools on Test Scores and Postsecondary Enrollment," co-written with Michal Kurlaender, Paco Martorell, Matthew Naven, and Christina Sun, is available now. https://conference.nber.org/conf_papers/f191771.pdf

Frank Edelblut, the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Peterson’s latest research, which ranked states by their charter school performance and found that Alaska had the top-performing charter sector in the United States. "The Nation’s Charter Report Card: First-ever state ranking of charter student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress," co-written with M. Danish Shakeel, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/nations-charter-report-card-first-ever-state-ranking-charter-student-performance-naep/

Deena M. Bishop, the Commissioner of Education for the state of Alaska, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Peterson's latest research, which ranked states by their charter school performance and found that Alaska had the top-performing charter sector in the United States. "The Nation’s Charter Report Card: First-ever state ranking of charter student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress," co-written with M. Danish Shakeel, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/nations-charter-report-card-first-ever-state-ranking-charter-student-performance-naep/

Jim Peyser, the former Massachusetts Secretary of Education, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Peterson's latest research, which for the first time ranks states by their charter school performance, based on student performance in reading and math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, between 2009 and 2019. "The Nation’s Charter Report Card: First-ever state ranking of charter student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress," co-written with M. Danish Shakeel, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/nations-charter-report-card-first-ever-state-ranking-charter-student-performance-naep/

Michael Hartney, a fellow at the Hoover Institution and assistant professor of political science at Boston College, Joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the influence of teachers-union endorsements on school-board elections.

Nina Rees, the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the continued growth of the charter school sector in 2023, led by state-level legislation.

Thiru Vignarajah, the former Deputy Attorney General of Maryland and the former Law Clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Breyer's book, "Breaking the Promise of Brown", and Vignarajah's experiences as one of his law clerks and in working on the issue of school segregation. "Breaking the Promise of Brown" is available now from Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/books/breaking-the-promise-of-brown/

The Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, Eric Hanushek, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the the Accelerating Campus Excellence program and efforts to attract and retain effective teachers. "Attracting and Retaining Highly Effective Educators in Hard-to-Staff Schools," co-written with Andrew J. Morgan, Minh Nguyen, Ben Ost and Steven G. Rivkin, is available now from NBER. https://www.nber.org/papers/w31051

Julie Young, the Vice President of Education Outreach and Student Services for Arizona State University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how concern over virtual schools can mirror similar concerns about artificial intelligence in education.

Jay P. Greene, a Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Greene's testimony in the New Yorkers for Students’ Educational Rights, et al. v. The State of New York case. Greene's report debunks the claim that increasing education spending generally leads to improved student outcomes. "Expert Report of Jay P. Greene, PhD: New Yorkers for Students’ Educational Rights, et al. v. The State of New York" is available now. https://www.heritage.org/education/report/expert-report-jay-p-greene-phd-new-yorkers-students-educational-rights-et-al-v-the

Ira Nichols-Barrer, a principal researcher at Mathematica, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Nichols-Barrer's latest research, which looks at the long-term impacts of enrolling at a KIPP public school. "Long-Term Impacts of KIPP Middle and High Schools on College Enrollment, Persistence, and Attainment," co-written with Alicia Demers and Elisa Steele, is available now. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/long-term-impacts-of-kipp-middle-and-high-schools-on-college-enrollment-persistence-and-attainment

Vladimir Kogan, a Professor in the Department of Political Science at The Ohio State University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how reading and math scores in Ohio had changed since the Covid-19 pandemic. Kogan's report, "Student Achievement and Learning Acceleration in Ohio," is available now. https://glenn.osu.edu/research-and-impact/student-achievement-and-learning-acceleration-ohio

Melissa S. Kearney, the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Kearny's new book, The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo205550079.html

Jason Bransford, the Chief Executive Officer for Gem Innovation Schools, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the learning societies microschools in Idaho, and the impact they've had on student achievement.

Lauren May, the Director of Advocacy at Step Up for Students, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss her latest report, which details the growth of Catholic school enrollment in Florida since 2013. "Why Catholic Schools in Florida Are Growing: 5 Things to Know," co-written with Patrick Gibbons and Ron Matus, is available now. https://www.reimaginedonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Why-Catholic-Schools-In-Florida-Are-Growing-Five-Things-to-Know-Final.pdf

Daniel Hamlin, an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the "Emerging School Models" conference, which will be hosted by Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance on Sept. 28 and 29, 2023. Learn more about "Emerging School Models: Moving from Alternative to Mainstream," including information on registration. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/taubman/programs-research/pepg/events/emerging-school-models

Alicia Sasser Modestino, the research director for the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss her latest research, which finds benefits for students selected into a program that matches them with summer jobs. "Year-Round Benefits from Summer Jobs: How work programs impact student outcomes," co-written with Richard Paulsen, is available now at Education Next. https://www.educationnext.org/year-round-benefits-summer-jobs-how-work-programs-impact-student-outcomes

John Bailey, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss artificial intelligence and what role it could have in the classroom. "AI in Education: The leap into a new era of machine intelligence carries risks and challenges, but also plenty of promise," is available now at Education Next. https://www.educationnext.org/a-i-in-education-leap-into-new-era-machine-intelligence-carries-risks-challenges-promises

Adam Tyner, the national research director at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Tyner's recent research, which questions whether economically disadvantaged students receive less funding than other students. Tyner's research brief, "Think Again: Is education funding in America still unequal?," is available now. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/think-again-education-funding-america-still-unequal

Jane Quinn, the former director of the National Center for Community Schools, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss her new book, "The Community Schools Revolution." "The Community Schools Revolution," co-written with Martin Blank, Ira Harkavy, Lisa Villarreal and David Goodman, is available now. https://www.communityschoolsrevolution.org/

Greg Richmond, the superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how Chicago's Catholic schools reacted to the Covid-19 pandemic and earned gains in student achievement.

The editor-in-chief of Education Next and member of the National Assessment Governing Board, Martin R. West, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the latest release of National Assessment of Educational Progress data.

The executive director of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Institute of American Civics at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, Joshua Dunn, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, which ends the use of race in college admissions. Dunn's article, "High Court Decision in College Admissions Case Has K-12 Implications," is available now at EducationNext.org. https://www.educationnext.org/harvard-unc-admissions-k-12-effects-supreme-court/

The president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, Heather Peske, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss NCTQ's latest report, which focuses on how to bring effective literacy instruction to scale. "Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction," is available now. https://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Teacher_Prep_Review_Strengthening_Elementary_Reading_Instruction

A Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, Macke Raymond, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss CREDO’s latest study, which examines the academic progress of students enrolled in charter schools compared with the progress of students enrolled in traditional public schools. "As a Matter of Fact: The National Charter School Study III," is available now. https://ncss3.stanford.edu/

A Professor of Economics and the Gimelstob-Landry Distinguished Professor of Regional Economic Development at Western Carolina University, Angela K. Dills, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Dills' latest research, which investigates the role of social capital on upward social and economic mobility. The paper, "Are Connections the Way to Get Ahead? Social Capital, Student Achievement, Friendships, and Social Mobility," co-written with Peterson and M. Danish Shakeel, is available now. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Taubman/PEPG/research/PEPG23_01.pdf