The Education Gadfly Show

By The Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Education K-12

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The barriers blocking stude...

02.19.2020

On this week’s podcast, Ed Trust’s Ary Amerikaner and Kayla Patrick join Mike Petrilli to discuss why students of color lack access to gifted programs and advanced coursework, and ways to help fix that. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern ...

The Education Gadfly Show episodes:

02.19.2020 The barriers blocking students of color from challenging courses On this week’s podcast, Ed Trust’s Ary Amerikaner and Kayla Patrick join Mike Petrilli to discuss why students of color lack access to gifted programs and advanced coursework, and ways to help fix that. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern ...
02.12.2020 Why teachers with higher grading standards get better student outcomes On this week’s podcast, Seth Gershenson, associate professor at American University, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the Fordham study he authored this month, Great Expectations: The Impact of Rigorous Grading Practices on Student Achievement. On the Research ...
02.05.2020 Finding the right school for your child On this week’s podcast, Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss whether affluent suburban kids deserve vouchers too. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines the extent to which older siblings ...
01.29.2020 School Choice Week 2020 On this week’s podcast, Mike Magee, CEO of Chiefs for Change, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss National School Choice Week. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how teachers who specialize instead of teaching all subjects affect ...
01.22.2020 Research Deep Dive: School discipline reform On this week’s podcast, Matthew Steinberg, associate professor of education policy at George Mason University, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith for the second installment of our Research Deep Dive series, this one focusing on school discipline reform.
01.15.2020 The 2020 election and education reform On this week’s podcast, Mike Petrilli, Robert Pondiscio, and David Griffith discuss the latest news from the 2020 election debate and what it portends for our schools. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how air quality (yes, air quality) ...
01.08.2020 The best education research studies of 2019 On a special all-Research-Minute podcast, Amber Northern, Mike Petrilli, and David Griffith discuss the best research studies of 2019.
12.17.2019 Why rural education matters On this week’s podcast, Daniel Showalter, associate professor of math at Eastern Mennonite University and author of "Why Rural Matters," joins Mike Petrilli and Victoria McDougald to talk about the many challenges facing rural schools in America. On the Research ...
12.11.2019 On online curriculum materials On this week’s podcast, Morgan Polikoff, associate professor of education at USC, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to talk about Fordham’s new report that he coauthored, The Supplemental Curriculum Bazaar. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern discusses a study ...
12.04.2019 The effects of early college programs On this week’s podcast, Kristina Zeiser, senior researcher at American Institutes for Research, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to talk about the long-term impact of early college high school programs. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern breaks down the ...
11.26.2019 The obstacles of evidence-based practices On this week’s podcast, Kim Marshall, author of The Best of the Marshall Memo, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to talk about the challenge of spreading evidence-based practices in schools. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how performance-based ...
11.20.2019 Are screens to blame for NAEP’s bottom falling out? On this week’s podcast, Sarah Sparks, a reporter and data journalist for Education Week, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to talk about the possible link between students’ screen time and reading scores. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines ...
11.13.2019 The Scarcity of High-Quality Early Childhood Education On this week’s podcast, Carrie Gillispie, senior analyst in P–12 policy at The Education Trust, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to talk about the state of early childhood education for students of color. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern ...
11.06.2019 NAEP 2019: It (was) the economy, stupid On this week’s podcast, Marty West, a Harvard professor of education, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to talk about last week’s NAEP results and their relationship to the Great Recession. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how graduation ...
10.30.2019 On education, Warren’s got a pander for that On this week’s podcast, Mike Petrilli and David Griffith talk to Checker Finn about Senator Warren’s flawed education proposal. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines improvements to the student teaching experience that can help candidates feel more prepared for ...
10.23.2019 Early warning: Kindergarten readiness skills are trending downward On this week’s podcast, Megan Kuhfeld, a research scientist at NWEA, joins Mike Petrilli to discuss her recent, sobering findings about the reading and math skills of children entering kindergarten. On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner examines how “stereotype threat” ...
10.16.2019 Why the Big Easy’s big gains are over On this week’s podcast, Doug Harris, director of the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the progress, and recent plateauing, of NOLA’s ed reforms. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how ...
10.09.2019 Everything we know about effective teachers On this week’s podcast, Dan Goldhaber, the director of CALDER, joins Mike Petrilli, David Griffith, and Amber Northern to discuss what rigorous research says about identifying, developing, and retaining effective teachers.
10.02.2019 Charter schools lift all boats On this week’s podcast, Nina Rees, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to talk about David’s new Fordham study of how charter market share affects student achievement ...
09.25.2019 The meaning of Success Academy’s success On this week’s podcast, Mike Petrilli and David Griffith talk with Robert Pondiscio about his new book on Success Academy. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines whether providing more information to college admissions officers boosts the acceptance odds for ...
09.18.2019 All about AP On this week’s podcast, Mike Petrilli talks with Checker Finn and Andrew Scanlan about their new book on the past, present, and future of Advanced Placement. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern explores why Texas’s fracking boom was a bust ...
09.11.2019 Parents’ role in school improvement On this week’s podcast, Patrick Corvington, executive director of DC School Reform Now, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to offer advice on how parents can play a role in improving their kids’ schools. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern ...
09.04.2019 Trends in public opinion on choice, testing, and teacher salaries On this week’s podcast, Martin West, Harvard professor and editor-in-chief of Education Next, joins Mike Petrilli to discuss the results of Ed Next’s annual survey of public opinion. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines whether video technology can improve ...
08.28.2019 Boosting student outcomes with end-of-course exams On this week’s podcast Mike Petrilli and David Griffith talk to Adam Tyner about the new Fordham report he co-authored with Matthew Larsen on end-of-course exams and student outcomes. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines efforts to improve the ...
08.21.2019 The homecoming court edition On this week’s podcast, Jeremy Tate, CEO of the Classic Learning Test, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss what classical learning is and why it’s important. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines whether popular children have an ...
08.14.2019 Media literacy in our schools On this week’s podcast, Alice Huguet, an associate policy researcher at RAND, joins David Griffith and Adam Tyner to discuss whether and how K–12 schools should teach students media literacy. On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner examines the effects of ...
08.07.2019 Should all students be prepared for both college and career? On this week’s podcast, Kate Blosveren Kreamer, deputy executive director of Advance CTE, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss whether we should change the conjunction in “college and career readiness” to “or.” On the Research Minute, Amber Northern ...
07.31.2019 Is it time to reform discipline reform? On this week’s podcast Mike Petrilli speaks with David Griffith and Adam Tyner about school discipline reform in America, and their new Fordham study of educators’ views on the issue.
07.24.2019 What rural Americans think about charter schools On this week’s podcast, Danish Shakeel, a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss how information affects attitudes toward charters in rural America. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines the impact of ...
07.17.2019 One small step for man, one giant leap for our schools? On this week’s podcast, Fordham’s own Checker Finn joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss, during the week of Apollo 11’s fiftieth anniversary, how the moon landing related to American education. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how ...
07.10.2019 While the Democratic candidates debate the past, the future of education policy is in the hands of the states On this week’s podcast, Marc Porter Magee, CEO and founder of 50CAN, joins Mike Petrilli to discuss last month’s presidential debates, and the busy legislative sessions recently concluded in many states. On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner examines how socioeconomic ...
06.26.2019 Research, practice, and the feds On this week’s podcast, Elizabeth Albro, Commissioner of the IES National Center for Education Research, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss ways to increase the effect of evidence on classroom practice. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines ...
06.19.2019 Getting wonky on the Democratic candidates’ education ideas On this week’s podcast, Conor Williams, a fellow at the Century Foundation, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the leading Democratic presidential candidates’ education proposals. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how student academic growth data affects ...
06.12.2019 Data-based decision-making is great, as long as data are not only test scores On this week’s podcast, Josh Boots, Founder and Executive Director of EmpowerK12, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss how high-performing schools use all sorts of data—and not just test scores—to improve their instruction and outcomes. On the Research ...
06.05.2019 THe benefits of having a same-race teacher On this week’s podcast, Seth Gershenson, an associate professor at American University and author of Fordham’s latest study, Student-Teacher Race Match in Charter and Traditional Public Schools, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss that research. On the Research ...
05.29.2019 Rural schools and the urban bleed On this week’s podcast, journalist Arielle Dreher joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the struggles of rural areas to hold on to their brightest residents. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how different post-secondary pathways affect the ...
05.22.2019 Education leadership’s gender imbalance On this week’s podcast, Julia Rafal-Baer, chief operating officer at Chiefs for Change, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss her organization’s recent report on the gender imbalances at the very top levels of educational leadership. On the Research ...
05.15.2019 Can we really transform district schools? On this week’s podcast, Donald P. Nielsen, program director of the Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the feasibility of empowering school administrators, and whether it’s feasible in district schools. On ...
05.08.2019 Should U.S. schools mandate foreign language instruction? On this week’s podcast, William Egginton, a professor of the humanities at Johns Hopkins University, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to make the case for foreign language instruction in America’s schools. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines a ...
05.01.2019 Preschool for children of immigrants On this week’s podcast, Erica Greenberg, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, joins David Griffith and Brandon Wright to discuss her research on the state of early childhood education for the sons and daughters of immigrants. On the Research ...
04.24.2019 Searching for "deeper learning"—and not finding it On this week’s podcast, Jal Mehta, an associate professor of education at Harvard, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss his new book about the lack of “deeper learning” in most American high schools. On the Research Minute, Adam ...
04.17.2019 Will charter opposition come for D.C.? On this week’s podcast, Jessica Sutter, a newly elected member of the DC State Board of Education, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the politics of Washington’s ed reform scene. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how ...
04.10.2019 Is Checker going soft on “social and emotional learning”? On this week’s podcast, Checker Finn joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss his new paper with Rick Hess on how the social and emotional learning movement can avoid going off the rails. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern ...
04.03.2019 CTE and local labor markets On this week’s podcast, Cameron Sublett, associate professor of education at Pepperdine University, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the findings of Fordham’s newest report, How Aligned is Career and Technical Education to Local Labor Markets?, that he ...
03.27.2019 Are schools ready for an economic downturn? On this week’s podcast, Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab and a research associate professor at Georgetown University, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to remind schools to prepare for a rainy day, which is likely coming soon. On ...
03.20.2019 Education’s philanthropic shift On this week’s podcast, Celine Coggins, executive director at Grantmakers for Education, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss philanthropy’s shift to the left on education policies. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines America’s persistent achievement gaps.
03.13.2019 Richard Whitmire is all about the B.A. On this week’s podcast, veteran education writer Richard Whitmire joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss his forthcoming book, The B.A. Breakthrough. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines whether private school choice improves student character.
03.06.2019 How KIPP-DC develops and retains teachers On this week’s podcast, Susan Schaeffler, founder and CEO of KIPP DC, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the Capital Teaching Residency and other efforts to build an effective and sustainable teacher corps. On the Research Minute, Amber ...
02.27.2019 Philadelphia’s brotherly love between charter, district, and parochial schools On this week’s podcast, Mark Gleason, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Schools Partnership, joins Mike Petrilli to discuss the burgeoning, and surprisingly collaborative, school choice scene in the nation’s sixth largest city. On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner examines whether ...
02.20.2019 Out of commission On this week’s podcast, Mike Petrilli, Checker Finn, and David Griffith discuss Checker’s experience on Maryland’s Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, and its bold proposals for improving the state’s schools. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines the ...

Older episodes

The Education Gadfly Show

What's The Education Gadfly Show about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Education Gadfly Show episodes:

The barriers blocking students of color from challenging courses

Why teachers with higher grading standards get better student outcomes

Finding the right school for your child

School Choice Week 2020

Research Deep Dive: School discipline reform

The 2020 election and education reform

The best education research studies of 2019

Why rural education matters

On online curriculum materials

The effects of early college programs

The obstacles of evidence-based practices

Are screens to blame for NAEP’s bottom falling out?

The Scarcity of High-Quality Early Childhood Education

NAEP 2019: It (was) the economy, stupid

On education, Warren’s got a pander for that

Early warning: Kindergarten readiness skills are trending downward

Why the Big Easy’s big gains are over

Everything we know about effective teachers

Charter schools lift all boats

The meaning of Success Academy’s success

All about AP

Parents’ role in school improvement

Trends in public opinion on choice, testing, and teacher salaries

Boosting student outcomes with end-of-course exams

The homecoming court edition

Media literacy in our schools

Should all students be prepared for both college and career?

Is it time to reform discipline reform?

What rural Americans think about charter schools

One small step for man, one giant leap for our schools?

While the Democratic candidates debate the past, the future of education policy is in the hands of the states

Research, practice, and the feds

Getting wonky on the Democratic candidates’ education ideas

Data-based decision-making is great, as long as data are not only test scores

THe benefits of having a same-race teacher

Rural schools and the urban bleed

Education leadership’s gender imbalance

Can we really transform district schools?

Should U.S. schools mandate foreign language instruction?

Preschool for children of immigrants

Searching for "deeper learning"—and not finding it

Will charter opposition come for D.C.?

Is Checker going soft on “social and emotional learning”?

CTE and local labor markets

Are schools ready for an economic downturn?

Education’s philanthropic shift

Richard Whitmire is all about the B.A.

How KIPP-DC develops and retains teachers

Philadelphia’s brotherly love between charter, district, and parochial schools

Out of commission

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