Frederick M. Hess

Bror Saxberg

Reboot student learning the right way! Today’s most successful school leaders are truly “learning engineers”: creative thinkers who redefine their problems and design new ways to better serve kids’ success. Technology has a critical role, but it’s the creative reinvention of schools, systems, and classrooms that has to come first. In this powerful book, best-selling author and education policy expert Rick Hess and chief learning officer Bror Saxberg show you how to become your school's learning engineer. Using cutting-edge research about learning science as a framework, you’ll: Identify specific learning problems that need solving Devise smarter ways to address them Implement technology-enabled, not technology-driven, solutions

Breakthrough Leadership in the Digital Age

Letters to a Young Education Reformer

Jal Mehta

Robert B. Schwartz

The futures of school reform

Hess argues that in the current disputes over education reform, virtually all vocal parties-- from teachers' unions and ed schools on the left, to the charter school or testing enthusiasts on the right-- accept without questioning the features and structures of schools that were established in the late 19th century. Under this approach, the long-standing assumption is that all schools need to be standardized in their curricula, that all students enroll in uniform schools, and that all schools be organized on the one-teacher-per-age-defined classroom. Provocatively, Hess states that these Left-Right disputes are standing in the way of actual progress and that everything from pedagogical techniques, curricular variability, and the structure of the teaching profession needs to be rethought given 21st century economic realities.

The Same Thing Over and Over

Bringing together a mix of researchers and practitioners, With the Best of Intentions examines the major goals of recent philanthropic efforts and looks at some of the key lessons--for educators, philanthropists, policymakers, and community leaders--of philanthropic contributions to schools and school systems. From the Gates small school initiative to the Annenberg challenge to the Broad prize for urban education, philanthropic giving has played an increasingly prominent role in recent years in education reform efforts across the United States. Yet while we recognize that philanthropic organizations influence education in countless ways, we know strikingly little about the extent, dynamics, and results of their efforts. This lack of knowledge calls out for urgent attention of total K-12 spending, it has a disproportionate impact in shaping reform agendas and promoting cutting-edge efforts to improve schools and classrooms. With the Best of Intentions aims to fill this gap, offering lively perspectives on the role of philanthropy in K-12 education. It opens by surveying the current landscape in philanthropic giving to education, then examines the major goals of recent philanthropic efforts: building new schools, supporting troubled districts, promoting school choice, and advancing educational research and policy. The book concludes by looking at some of the major lessons--for educators, philanthropists, policymakers, and community leaders--of philanthropic contributions to schools and school systems. An informative and multifaceted volume, With the Best of Intentions is also full of debates and controversies. It will be of interest to scholars, policymakers, and education and community leaders--as well as to the philanthropic community itself.

How Philanthropy is Reshaping K-12 Education

With the Best of Intentions

When Research Matters considers the complex and crucially important relationship between education research and policy. In examining how and under what conditions research affects education policy, the book focuses on a number of critical issues: the history of the federal role in education policy; the evolving nature of educational policy research; the role of research in debates about reading, NCLB, and “out-of-field” teaching; how research affects policy by shaping public opinion, judicial rulings, and the decisions of district and school leaders; and the incentives that help explain the behavior of researchers and policymakers.

How Scholarship Influences Education Policy

When Research Matters

Michael Q. McShane

How can the Common Core complement and not conflict with school improvement efforts already at work across the United States? How can it be seamlessly integrated into accountability systems, teacher preparation and development, charter schools, and educational technology? This timely volume brings together prominent scholars and policy analysts to examine the pressing issues that will mark Common Core implementation. Whether or not you agree with the standards, the Common Core is coming, and this book will help policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders anticipate the challenges and take steps to address them. “Common Core Meets Education Reform raises the hard questions about implementing and sustaining the Common Core State Standards so they don’t end up in the dustbin of abandoned public education reforms. These new standards can help students enormously in becoming problem solvers and critical thinkers—which is essential in the 21st century—but only if teachers become engaged in the rollout, get the support they need, and the fixation on high-stakes testing gives way to a fixation on learning.” —Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers “Adopting the Common Core in a mad dash for federal gold, policymakers across the country blew right past critical questions about how they’d implement the thing. This volume, in stark contrast, meticulously studies the road ahead, seeking out tripwires, pitfalls, and boulders, making it a must-read for anyone who hopes to avoid total Common Core disaster.” —Neal McCluskey, associate director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute, Washington, DC “This balanced, wide-ranging, and deeply informed book is certain to guide educators and reformers through a complex time of transition for U.S. education. But it also turns out to be timely and clarifying as politicians battle over ambitious new academic standards with plenty of heat and smoke but appallingly little illumination. Thanks to the authors for turning on some lights!” —Chester E. Finn, Jr., senior fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University and president, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Frederick M. Hess is director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and serves as executive editor of Education Next. Michael Q. McShane is a research fellow in education policy studies at AEI.

What It All Means for Politics, Policy, and the Future of Schooling

Common Core Meets Education Reform

Both an invaluable resource and a how-to-manual, this book is unlike any other on the market! All materials are reproducible! Two early charts help teachers to quickly determine which lessons can be used with which instructional units and which skills are emphasized in each item. Without sacrificing content, this book offers a happy compromise to teachers who are often dissatisfied with traditional rote instruction and with many of the substantively weak solutions designed to enliven courses. This book was written with the practicing teacher in mind. It offers ten tested, varied, and refined simulations that will enliven a classroom in grades 7-12 without sacrificing content! In fact, these lessons help a teacher teach concepts, material, and skills more effectively. The lessons are ready-to-use, including directions, background context, reproducible materials, and guidelines for assessment. Topics include: Constructing a New American Government, The Mighty Dorito Cartel, and Making the United Nations Work. The author also provides discussion on designing, modifying, running, and assessing simulations. Rick Hess is currently an assistant professor of education and government at the University of Virginia. His current research emphasizes the effects (or non-effects) of competition on public school systems.

10 Simulations for History, Economics, Government, and Geography

Bringing the Social Sciences Alive

Bethany Little

More than a decade ago, Michael Lewis penned the influential book "Moneyball." An examination of how Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane used data to make his franchise competitive with wealthier baseball teams, the book struck a chord. Beane's strategy of making decisions based on data had a powerful and positive impact on the performance of the Oakland A's, and people quickly saw that this practice could and should be more widely applied. This paper suggests ways to revamp federal education policies and programs to help lawmakers spend public funds more effectively and efficiently to improve student outcomes. The aim is to identify a set of proposals that have some bipartisan appeal and can make a practical difference. This effort was informed by thinking from a select group of seasoned experts from the left and right who have much experience with federal education policy. Given strong-principled disagreements about the nature of the federal role in education, three caveats are vital. First, this exercise assumes that the recommendations will be revenue neutral. Second, this exercise does not assume that the federal government should dictate to states or localities exactly how to spend their funds. Third, "moneyball" strategies are not imagined to suggest that we should only value what can currently be measured, or paint everything as either "working" or "not working." Even with these caveats, however, promoting more use of data, evidence, and evaluation to do better for students is too important to pass up. Moneyball could also present a bipartisan pathway forward at a time when much of education policy seems to be increasingly stuck in fruitless debate.

"Moneyball" for Education Using Data, Evidence, and Evaluation to Improve Federal Education Policy

Pedro A. Noguera

At a time of bitter national polarization, there is a critical need for leaders who can help us better communicate with one another. In A Search for Common Ground, Rick Hess and Pedro Noguera, who have often fallen on opposing sides of the ideological aisle over the past couple of decades, candidly talk through their differences on some of the toughest issues in K-12 education today--from school choice to testing to diversity to privatization. They offer a sharp, honest debate that digs deep into their disagreements, enabling them to find a surprising amount of common ground along the way. Written as a series of back-and-forth exchanges, this engaging book illustrates a model of responsible, civil debate between those with substantial, principled differences. It is also a powerful meditation on where 21st-century school improvement can and should go next. Book Features: Modeling dialogue: Rick and Pedro provide a model for how to sort through complicated issues and find common ground in today's atmosphere of distrust. Deliberate, sustained exchange: Rick and Pedro demonstrate how deliberate, sustained reflection allows them to respectfully flesh out differences and sharpen their own thoughts. Left and Right Politics: Rick (generally Right) and Pedro (generally Left) offer a window into where they do and don't agree on education and point the way to principled cooperation. Readable and conversational: Rather than pushing a partisan agenda, Rick and Pedro have crafted a stimulating read for education newcomers and experts alike. Unique approach: While other books about the different sides of the education debates simply present paired essays, Rick and Pedro actually engage with each other to strive for a deeper understanding of their differences.

Conversations about the Toughest Questions in K-12 Education

A Search for Common Ground

The Cage-Busting Teacher adopts the logic of Cage-Busting Leadership and applies it to the unique challenges and opportunities of classroom teachers. Detailed, accessible, and thoroughly engaging, it uncovers the many ways in which teachers can break out of familiar constraints in order to influence school and classroom practice, education policy, and school reform. “Cage-busting is concrete, precise, andpractical,” writes Frederick M. Hess. This invaluable book helps teachers understand why and how to revisit their assumptions and enables them to have greater impacts upon their schools and beyond. Based on interviews with hundreds of teachers, teacher advocates, union leaders, and others, Hess identifies the challenges teachers face, seeks concrete and workable solutions, and offers recommendations to put those solutions in place. A uniquely practical and inspiring book, The Cage-Busting Teacher is for educators who want to shape the schools and systems in which they work.

The Cage-Busting Teacher

Mary Cullinane

In 2006, educators teamed up with Microsoft to design the School of the Future. What Next? reveals the reasons for the school's success and how technology, introspection, inclusion, and other elements have turned this school into a worldwide model.

Educational Innovation and Philadelphia's School of the Future

What Next?

Max Eden

In this foundational book, Frederick M. Hess and Max Eden bring together a cross-section of respected academics and journalists to examine key aspects of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This volume provides a thematic and in-depth analysis of the central provisions of this landmark legislation, presenting a range of perspectives. The contributors—leading researchers, policy analysts, and journalists—explore the conflicts and compromises that shaped the emerging law, outline its core provisions, and trace its implications for urban districts, states, and the federal government. Complementing these descriptions are chapters presenting opposing viewpoints on the law’s merits and its ramifications for future reform efforts. Enacted in December 2015, ESSA represents a major shift of the federal role in education, and its provisions touch on almost every aspect of education policy. Yet it arrived in something of a whirlwind, and scholars, advocates, and policy makers are struggling to make sense of this new act. By bringing together leading thinkers to make sense of this important law, The Every Student Succeeds Act provides a solid foundation for scholars, advocates, and policy makers as they begin to navigate a new era in education policy.

What It Means for Schools, Systems, and States

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Andrew P. Kelly

Carrots, Sticks, and the Bully Pulpit explores the role of the federal government in education, tracing the influence of government intervention through programs like No Child Left Behind, federal funding, testing standards, and other recent measures.

Frederick M. Hess

About

Books

Join the club