Education

Measuring Academic Success with Education Savings Accounts

• James Paul
• June 23, 2017

How do we determine if a school is succeeding? Many will point to a combination of test scores, graduation rates, and student growth. Certainly, these are important factors—but by no…

Media

Regulation

Making the Most of Philadelphia’s Upswing

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 13, 2017

Last week I blogged about Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s misplaced confidence in government energy mandates to grow the Steel City. On the other side of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney…

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Education

Op-Ed: The Cure for ‘March Madness’

• James Paul
• April 5, 2017

While the NCAA basketball tournament had the nation on the edge of its seat, Philadelphia students faced their own version of March Madness—full of drama, heartache, and uncertainty, but with far more…

Commentary

Education

Education Spending & Academic Achievement

• James Paul
• May 19, 2015

Increased education spending has not led to improved academic performance. This is reflected in SAT scores and NAEP results, as well numerous studies at the state, national, and international level.

Fact Sheet

York City School District: Academic Performance

• October 10, 2014

York City SD ranked 499 out of 500 districts on the Department of Education’s 2012-13 State Performance Profile( SPP), with a score of 46.5.

Fact Sheet

Education

Lies from PSEA Leadership

• James Paul
• August 29, 2014

Repeating the same lie over and over does not make it magically come true. Yet this hasn’t stopped the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) leadership from an…

Media

Education

How is Your Public School Performing?

• Jessica Barnett
• October 4, 2013

The Pennsylvania School Performance Profile launched today, but will it deliver the “accountability system” Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq promised in a briefing earlier this month? Created through a…

Media

Education

Cyber Schools Receive Less Per Student

• Priya Brannick
• June 3, 2013

Pennsylvania cyber schools receive on average about 20 percent less revenue per student than school districts spend. Like other public charter schools, cyber schools receive funds only when families choose…

Media

Education

Top 5 Charter School Myths

• Priya Brannick
• October 15, 2012

Session days in the Pennsylvania legislature are dwindling, but the assembly still has time to pass essential reforms to how charter schools are run. The valuable reforms contained in…

Media