Education

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Why High School Graduates Turn Out to Be College Illiterates

Education Week recently pointed out that high school graduates’ “college readiness has reached historic lows, according to several metrics—including the lowest scores in 30 years on the ACT and declining scores on the SAT, the two primary standardized tests used for college admissions.” The ACT measures college readiness in English ...
Classroom Ideology

Read the latest on equity grading in public schools

Equity grading is just grade inflation dressed in woke clothing

As standardized student test scores plunge, some school districts are responding by masking student knowledge deficiencies through equity grading, which is little more than grade inflation dressed up in woke clothing. There is little doubt that student learning across the country is at a dire level. On the 2022 National ...
Blog

Producing Democratic Citizens: Private Schools Do Better Than Public Schools

As college campuses across the country descend into chaos, with authoritarian mobs violently taking over buildings, attacking police, and vandalizing property, Americans rightly wonder why so many young people are engaging in grossly undemocratic behavior.  New research provides a clue, with public schools scoring significantly below private schools in forming ...
Education

How Lowered Academic Standards Hurts California’s Students, Economy – 2024 Sacramento Policy Conference

From PRI’s 2024 Sacramento policy conference, senior director of education studies Lance Izumi moderates a panel discussing the implosion of academic rigor in California’s schools, and how that affects California’s students – particularly those most vulnerable – and impacts the state’s economic competitiveness. A preview of his upcoming PRI book ...
Blog

Learn About Latest Ineffective Education Spending

Lawsuit Settlement Forces Accountability on California’s Spending for Student Learning Loss

After sharply criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s unaccountable education spending proposals, I was happily surprised to see my criticisms vindicated in a recent court settlement that will force the state to finally demonstrate that its spending programs actually produce positive outcomes for students. In Governor Newsom’s proposed 2024-25 budget, he included ...
Blog

Celebrating National School Choice Week

Missing from Newsom’s Ed Budget: Student Outcome Goals and Choice

Newsom proposes $127 billion in total funding for education.  Yet, his spending proposals contain no goals on improving student outcomes. For example, Newsom is proposing $13 billion to address learning loss among students and promote learning recovery. There is no question that California’s ineffective education policies during the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Blog

Take a deep dive on Gov. Newsom's education budget

Newsom’s Proposed Education Budget: A Recipe for More Disaster

With all the blaring headlines about California’s huge state budget deficit, one would think that education spending, which accounts for around 45 percent of the budget, would take a significant hit.  Well, think again. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was the last pre-pandemic budget, state General Fund spending for ...
Blog

Lessons from PRI’s School Board Member Conferences: Your Superintendent Does Not Have the Final Say – You Do.

The highlight of these events, however, was the opportunities for school board members to network and meet like-minded people fighting the same fight in their districts. Many of the school board members in attendance are in the minority on their boards, some being the lone voice of reason. Many are ...
Charter School

Lance Izumi Discusses Charter Schools on Lars Larson Show

Listen to Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education, make the case for why government-run public schools should learn something from America’s charter schools on the nationally-syndicated Lars Larson Show. TheLarsLarsonShow · Lance Izumi Should Government Run Public Schools Learn Something From America's Charter Schools
Blog

Honoring America's heroes on Veterans Day

Personal stories and lessons for Veterans Day

Today, we honor those who have served in our nation’s armed forces.  We honor their dedication, their self-sacrifice, and their commitment to, in the words of General Douglas MacArthur, “Duty, honor, country.” Every veteran has his or her own story about how their military service impacted their life. What I’d ...
Blog

Why High School Graduates Turn Out to Be College Illiterates

Education Week recently pointed out that high school graduates’ “college readiness has reached historic lows, according to several metrics—including the lowest scores in 30 years on the ACT and declining scores on the SAT, the two primary standardized tests used for college admissions.” The ACT measures college readiness in English ...
Classroom Ideology

Read the latest on equity grading in public schools

Equity grading is just grade inflation dressed in woke clothing

As standardized student test scores plunge, some school districts are responding by masking student knowledge deficiencies through equity grading, which is little more than grade inflation dressed up in woke clothing. There is little doubt that student learning across the country is at a dire level. On the 2022 National ...
Blog

Producing Democratic Citizens: Private Schools Do Better Than Public Schools

As college campuses across the country descend into chaos, with authoritarian mobs violently taking over buildings, attacking police, and vandalizing property, Americans rightly wonder why so many young people are engaging in grossly undemocratic behavior.  New research provides a clue, with public schools scoring significantly below private schools in forming ...
Education

How Lowered Academic Standards Hurts California’s Students, Economy – 2024 Sacramento Policy Conference

From PRI’s 2024 Sacramento policy conference, senior director of education studies Lance Izumi moderates a panel discussing the implosion of academic rigor in California’s schools, and how that affects California’s students – particularly those most vulnerable – and impacts the state’s economic competitiveness. A preview of his upcoming PRI book ...
Blog

Learn About Latest Ineffective Education Spending

Lawsuit Settlement Forces Accountability on California’s Spending for Student Learning Loss

After sharply criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s unaccountable education spending proposals, I was happily surprised to see my criticisms vindicated in a recent court settlement that will force the state to finally demonstrate that its spending programs actually produce positive outcomes for students. In Governor Newsom’s proposed 2024-25 budget, he included ...
Blog

Celebrating National School Choice Week

Missing from Newsom’s Ed Budget: Student Outcome Goals and Choice

Newsom proposes $127 billion in total funding for education.  Yet, his spending proposals contain no goals on improving student outcomes. For example, Newsom is proposing $13 billion to address learning loss among students and promote learning recovery. There is no question that California’s ineffective education policies during the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Blog

Take a deep dive on Gov. Newsom's education budget

Newsom’s Proposed Education Budget: A Recipe for More Disaster

With all the blaring headlines about California’s huge state budget deficit, one would think that education spending, which accounts for around 45 percent of the budget, would take a significant hit.  Well, think again. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was the last pre-pandemic budget, state General Fund spending for ...
Blog

Lessons from PRI’s School Board Member Conferences: Your Superintendent Does Not Have the Final Say – You Do.

The highlight of these events, however, was the opportunities for school board members to network and meet like-minded people fighting the same fight in their districts. Many of the school board members in attendance are in the minority on their boards, some being the lone voice of reason. Many are ...
Charter School

Lance Izumi Discusses Charter Schools on Lars Larson Show

Listen to Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education, make the case for why government-run public schools should learn something from America’s charter schools on the nationally-syndicated Lars Larson Show. TheLarsLarsonShow · Lance Izumi Should Government Run Public Schools Learn Something From America's Charter Schools
Blog

Honoring America's heroes on Veterans Day

Personal stories and lessons for Veterans Day

Today, we honor those who have served in our nation’s armed forces.  We honor their dedication, their self-sacrifice, and their commitment to, in the words of General Douglas MacArthur, “Duty, honor, country.” Every veteran has his or her own story about how their military service impacted their life. What I’d ...
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