2013 REPORT HARVARD’S PROGRAM on EDUCATION POLICY and GOVERNANCE a Bridge to the Future
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2013 REPORT HARVARD’S PROGRAM ON EDUCATION POLICY AND GOVERNANCE A Bridge to the Future EN Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) From the Director Director Faculty Affiliates Matthew M. Chingos Paul E. Peterson Roland Fryer Fellow, Governance Studies, Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government Professor of Economics, Harvard University Brown Center on Education Policy, Brookings Institution Harvard University Nathan Glazer Editor-in-Chief, Education Next Jay P. Greene Professor Emeritus of Education and Sociology, Harvard University Department Head and 21st Century Chair in Education Reform, University of Arkansas Deputy Director Joshua Goodman Martin R. West Eric A. Hanushek The Harvard Program on Education Policy and Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Governance (PEPG) has acted as a bridge to the educational Assistant Professor of Education Harvard Kennedy School Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Education Hoover Institution future by holding true to its research and training mission, Christopher Jencks Michael Henderson producing influential reports and involving students in its Professor of Social Policy, Harvard University Advisory Committee Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi research, conferences and other activities. PEPG is entering Richard Light Jeb Bush (Chair) Frederick M. Hess its 17th year and celebrating the 13th year of its widely read Professor of Education, Harvard University Foundation for Excellence in Education Resident Scholar and Director of Education quarterly journal Education Next. Through careful research, PEPG scholars Cory Booker Donald Rubin Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute Through careful research, PEPG scholars are clarifying Professor of Statistics, Harvard University are clarifying the school reform agenda Mayor, Newark, NJ William G. Howell the school reform agenda—on topics that range from middle Cesar Conde Sydney Stein Professor of American Politics, schools and social promotion to international competitiveness —on topics that range from middle schools Univision Networks Education Next Harris School, University of Chicago Frederick M. Hess and digital learning. For example, PEPG’s widely cited Bruce Douglas Martina Viarengo and social promotion to international Executive Editor report, Achievement Growth, found that student achievement Harvard Development Company Assistant Professor of Economics Michael Horn Graduate Institute of International and gains in the U.S. fail to close the international achievement Timothy Draper competitiveness and digital learning. Executive Editor Development Studies of Geneva gap—the U.S. ranked 25th out of 49 countries in student Draper Fisher Jurvetson Marci Kanstoroom Ludger Woessmann test-score gains over a 14-year period. A separate report, The Peter Flanigan Executive Editor Professor of Economics of Education, Effects of School Vouchers on College Enrollment, found college the global debt crisis and its effects on U.S. and European UBS Securities, LLC Michael J. Petrilli University of Munich enrollment increases of 24 percent for African Americans who federalist-based governments. PEPG research and articles C. Boyden Gray Executive Editor Human Capital and Innovation Dept. Head, attended a private school with the help of a voucher. from its journal, Education Next have been widely cited by Gray & Schmitz, LLP Ifo Institute for Economic Research Martin R. West Digital learning was the focus of a conference hosted at scholars and bloggers alike, used for teaching in colleges and Phil Handy Executive Editor Patrick J. Wolf the Hoover Institution of Stanford University in February universities around the country and across the oceans, quoted Winter Park Capital Company Professor and Endowed Chair in School Choice, Carol Peterson Roger Hertog Department of Education Reform, 2012, at which former governor Bob Wise of West Virginia by elected officials, and reported in major media outlets. Managing Editor Alliance Capital Management University of Arkansas unveiled basic principles he and his colleagues offered as These are a few of the activities highlighted in the pages Kathryn Ciffolillo Al Hubbard a guide to the online learning community. In July 2012, that follow. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Manuscript Editor E&A Industries Project Funders and Contributors PEPG hosted an international conference on the achievement Gisèle Huff Bodman Foundation growth in the U.S. and in countries abroad. The keynote Jaquelin Hume Foundation Staff speech was delivered by Maureen McLaughlin, Senior Advisor Antonio M. Wendland Boone Family Foundation John F. Kirtley to the Secretary and Director of International Affairs at the Associate Director Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation KLH Capital, L.P. U.S. Department of Education. August brought scholars, Nick Tavares Educate Texas Joel L. Klein Research, Web & Data Manager again from both within the U.S. and Europe, to discuss —Paul E. Peterson News Corporation Thomas B. Fordham Foundation Maura R. Roche Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Steve Klinsky Staff Assistant New Mountain Capital, LLC Hoover Institution Deborah McGriff Research Affiliates Jaquelin Hume Foundation NewSchools Christopher Berry Individual Donor Gifts Inside James Piereson Associate Professor, Harris School, Kern Family Foundation William E. Simon Foundation University of Chicago ............................................. Kovner Foundation New Digital Learning Policy Conference Hosted by PEPG 2 Michael Podgursky David E. Campbell University of Missouri Professor of Political Science, Searle Freedom Trust School Vouchers Help African Americans Go to College ................................................4 Jerry Rappaport University of Notre Dame William E. Simon Foundation Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Third Graders Benefit from Grade Retention. 6 Rajashri Chakrabarti Thomas W. Smith Foundation Foundation Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Nina S. Rees Smith-Richardson Foundation The Middle School Plunge ...........................................................................7 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Tau bman Center on State and Local Government, Harvard Kennedy School of Government Education Next After 12 Years .......................................................................8 Gerard Robinson gh Former Commissioner of Education, Florida The Walton Family Foundation Why Can’t American Students Compete with the Rest of the World? . 10 ......................................................................... Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) International Conferences 12 Harvard Kennedy School, Room T-304, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Sixth Annual Public Opinion Survey ................................................................. 14 Phone: (617) 495-7976, Fax: (617) 496-4428 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/pepg http://www.educationnext.org Federalism and the Global Debt Crisis .............................................................. 16 PEPG Fellows . Cover photos: Top: Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to President Obama on Education; Middle: Mona Mourshed, McKinsey Company; Bottom left: Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin 17 and Martin R. West, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Bottom center: Julie Young, Florida Virtual School; Bottom right: Principal Shouqian Tang, Shanghai High School hks.harvard.edu/pepg 1 New Digital Learning Policy Conference Hosted by PEPG Education experts from districts, charter schools, legislatures, education companies, foundations, think tanks, and academia gathered at the Hoover Institution on the campus of Stanford University to discuss some of the thornier policy questions By Michael Horn, Executive Editor, Education Next As digital learning opportunities are spreading, the hype around of one-size-fits-all legislation for all states to solve these their potential to create a student-centric public education system issues may be more of a pipe dream than many have is expanding at just as rapid a pace. Many worry, however, that hoped, which could stymie efforts, like those of the if the proper policies and regulations are not in place to focus Alliance for Excellent Education, led by Governor Wise, them around student learning outcomes and growth, then digital to create model digital-learning legislation to help states learning may fail to deliver on its promise. In early February, modernize their education systems. If this year’s state education experts from districts, charter schools, legislatures, legislative sessions are any indication, the confusion at the education companies, foundations, think tanks, and academia conference is likely to pale in comparison to that around gathered at the Hoover Institution on the campus of Stanford the nation. That may also be a good thing, as each state University to discuss some of the thornier policy questions tries different approaches and innovations so that the relating to the growth of digital learning in the country’s K–12 country can learn what approaches work best. education system. With the 10 Elements of High Funding follows the student Quality Digital Learning, created in When the state of Florida moved 2010 by the Digital Learning Council, the funding for its Florida co-chaired by former governors Jeb Bush Virtual School (FLVS) away and Bob Wise, providing the starting from a year-to-year line-item point for the conversation, participants appropriation to a