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Curriculum & Instruction
Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation (National Council on Teacher Quality, June 2026)
Publication Date
August 11, 2026
Authors
Elena Aydarova, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This review examines a National Council on Teacher Quality report on elementary teacher preparation for reading instruction and concludes that its recommendations are not supported by rigorous evidence. The review argues that the report relies on outdated research, flawed methodology, and apparent conflicts of interest, and cautions policymakers against using it to guide teacher preparation or literacy policy.
Navigating the Math Wars: A Practical Guide to the Divides and Debates Influencing Math Instruction
Publication Date
July 28, 2026
Authors
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce; Public Education
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The review examines current debates over math instruction and argues that a report intended to clarify them instead reinforces polarization and lacks sufficient nuance about classroom practice.
Sifting Through the Mississippi Evidence
Publication Date
July 14, 2026
Authors
Gregory Camilli, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Early Childhood; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
New review uses Progressive Policy Institute report as starting point to try to better understand the impact of literacy reforms and other factors that may have influenced the state's NAEP fourth-grade reading scores.
Review of Beyond Race: What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap
Publication Date
May 12, 2026
Authors
Will Flanders; Jaekyung Lee, University at Buffalo
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) highlights stark achievement gaps between White and Black students in Wisconsin, particularly in elementary-level English language arts and reading. While the report deserves credit for bringing attention to this important issue, its analysis is incomplete and misleading.
Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States
Publication Date
November 4, 2025
Authors
Kevin Burke, University of Georgia; Heidi Hadley, Auburn University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
American public education faces an escalating challenge: the rise of Christian nationalism. This movement entwines politics and religion, insisting the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed by rigid hierarchies under the Christian God. A new policy brief explores the political and ideological effects this movement has on education policy.
Review of Let's Get Ready! Educating All Americans for Success
Publication Date
October 14, 2025
Authors
Ryan Pfleger
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction; School Funding; General / Needs Review; School Choice & Vouchers
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
In late July, the National Governors Association released a report urging states to transform schools into stronger drivers of economic competitiveness. The report recommends that governors build public dashboards to track outcomes, align schools with workforce needs, and evaluate programs based on graduates' earnings potential.
Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good
Publication Date
March 5, 2024
Authors
Ben Williamson, University of Edinburgh; Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder; Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A new NEPC policy brief, Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good, warns of the dangers of unregulated AI in schools, highlighting democracy and privacy concerns. Authors Ben Williamson of the University of Edinburgh, and Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder, examine the evidence and conclude that the proliferation of AI in schools jeopardizes democratic values and personal freedoms.
The Conflict Over Parents' Rights
Publication Date
January 16, 2024
Authors
Vivian Hamilton, William & Mary Law School
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A vocal minority of parents has, over the past couple years, invoked the idea of "parents rights" to demand curricular and policy changes that affect not only their own children, but all children within reach of those changes. These parents have, for example, sought to alter history curricula on slavery and race, to dictate how (and whether) schools teach about sexual orientation and gender identity, to remove books in school library collections, and to set school policies relating to transgender students. Interestingly, the most vocal parents taking part in campaigns for parents’ rights tend to see themselves as standing against the state and its schools, instead of standing inside a democratic community that strives for inclusive participation, informed inquiry, and respectful deliberation among the members of the community. In a new NEPC policy brief, The Conflict Over Parents' Rights, Professor Vivian Hamilton of William & Mary Law School details the politicization of parents’ rights and specific rights and responsibilities of various stakeholders, and she explains how competing rights of parents and schools can be reasonably aligned in practice.
Review of Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction
Publication Date
September 19, 2023
Authors
Christie Ellis, Shannon Holston, Graham Drake, Hannah Putman, Abigail Swisher, and Heather Peske; Paul Thomas, Furman University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) evaluates more than half of the elementary teacher preparation programs in the U.S., to gauge their effectiveness in reading instruction. A review finds, however, that the report lacks the rigor necessary to adequately inform policy or practice.
The Science of Reading Movement: The Never-Ending Debate and the Need for a Different Approach to Reading Instruction
Publication Date
September 13, 2022
Authors
Paul Thomas, Furman University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
How students learn to read and how reading is best taught are often the focus of media, public, and political criticism. In a new NEPC policy brief, The Science of Reading Movement: The Never-Ending Debate and the Need for a Different Approach to Reading Instruction, Paul Thomas of Furman University explores the controversial history of the reading reform movement.
Review of The Unexamined Rise of Therapeutic Education: How Social-Emotional Learning Extends K-12 Education's Reach Into Students' Lives and Expands Teachers' Roles
Publication Date
February 21, 2022
Authors
Robert Pondiscio; Julia Mahfouz, University of Colorado Denver
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the American Enterprise Institute presents concerns regarding how Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) approaches have imposed ideas and techniques from psychology on classroom practices, and thus have shifted the mission of education away from academic instruction. But a review of the report finds misrepresentations of both the definition and the goals of SEL.
Review of Representation of Social Groups in U.S. Educational Materials and Why It Matters
Publication Date
February 8, 2022
Authors
Amanda LaTasha Armstrong; Christine Sleeter, California State University, Monterey Bay
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Equity & Civil Rights
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
New America recently released a report about the value of culturally relevant curriculum in schools. According to a new review, the report is timely and helpful, although some limitations in its analysis weaken an otherwise valid exploration of how to address long-standing issues of racial and gender justice.
Review of 2020 Teacher Prep Review: Clinical Practice and Classroom Management
Publication Date
March 16, 2021
Authors
Laura Pomerance and Kate Walsh; Jamy Stillman and Katherine Schultz, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The authors of the NCTQ report reviewed over 2,400 programs, including what NCTQ terms "traditional" and "alternative" programs in two areas: clinical practice and classroom management. Only 3% of traditional programs received the highest grade for their approaches to clinical practice, signaling their compliance with the internal standards set by NCTQ. Asserting that a "positive" environment is the product of classroom management, the report offers as a major conclusion that there was a 26% increase in the number of programs that taught five specific classroom management strategies
Review of Language Counts: Supporting Early Math Development for Dual Language Learners
Publication Date
March 2, 2021
Authors
Brandon Lewis, Melissa Steel King, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis, University of New Mexico
Research Areas
General / Needs Review; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Bellwether Education Partners recently published a report that establishes the need to focus on the mathematics education of young Dual Language Learners (DLLs). The report provides a useful resource for policymakers and practitioners.
Education System Alignment for 21st Century Skills: Focus on Assessment
Publication Date
April 2, 2019
Authors
Lorrie Shepard, of the University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from the Brookings Institution uses international examples to make the case for the importance of “21st century skills” as goals for education systems. It focuses specifically on the development of new assessment methods as a primary means to help countries integrate these 21st century skills – such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication – into curricular reforms.
The Academic and Behavioral Consequences of Discipline Policy Reform: Evidence from Philadelphia
Publication Date
February 15, 2018
Authors
Matthew P. Steinberg and Johanna Lacoe; Yolanda Anyon, University of Denver; and Kathryn E. Wiley, University of California San Diego.
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from the Fordham Institute attempted to investigate the impact of a student discipline reform in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). The report concluded that the reform was a failure. The reform in question eliminated suspensions for certain low-level school misbehaviors. The Fordham report in question looked at district out-of-school suspension rates for students, academic and behavioral outcomes, and racial disparities in suspensions.
Review of A 21st Century School System in the Mile-High City
Publication Date
July 26, 2016
Authors
David Osborne; Terrenda White, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Progressive Policy Institute advocated for expanded use of the “portfolio model” of school governance. The report drew on contemporary reforms adopted by the Denver Public Schools. It claimed that reforms enacted by the Denver Public Schools (viz., portfolio model, school closings, and charter expansion) positively impacted student test scores. The goal was to highlight Denver as a success story that should be copied elsewhere.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Five Simple Steps to Reading Policy Research
Publication Date
April 28, 2016
Authors
Holly Yettick, Education Week Research Center
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
As part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues, Holly Yettick, Ph.D., director of the Education Week Research Center, provides a single-page brief to identify tips for recognizing higher-quality research studies and making better use of education policy research.
Learning about Learning: What Every New Teacher Needs to Know
Publication Date
March 24, 2016
Authors
Laura Pomerance, Julie Greenberg and Kate Walsh; P.L. Thomas, Furman University; and Christian Z. Goering, University of Arkansas
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
As part of a series of reports chronicling teacher education, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) attempted to investigate the textbooks used in teacher prep coursework. The report contended that textbooks assigned in methods coursework fail to provide teacher candidates with proper preparation. The NCTQ report is based on six strategies adapted from a practice guide provided by the What Works Clearinghouse, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The report offers recommendations for textbook publishers, teacher education programs, and state departments of education.
The Hidden Value of Curriculum Reform: Do States and Districts Receive the Most Bang for their Curriculum Buck?
Publication Date
November 19, 2015
Authors
Ulrich Boser, Matthew Chingos, and Chelsea Straus; Sarah Lubienski, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Center for American Progress (CAP) issued a recent report that drew on bold conclusions about the high payoff of better textbooks. The report claimed that, compared to other reforms, a switch to better textbooks was a cost-efficient way to improve student achievement. The report pointed to very real problems with textbook adoption, including poor alignment with standards. It also made strong claims about the payoff of schools’ investment in high-quality curriculum materials.
Fixing Classroom Observations: How Common Core Will Change the Way We Look at Teaching
Publication Date
January 21, 2014
Authors
Jennie Whitcomb, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report suggests that many states and school districts are rolling out new teacher evaluation systems that will not succeed in improving instruction because they have not been updated to reflect the Common Core. The report asserts that new evaluation systems have not remedied practical challenges of classroom observations. It calls for increased emphasis on lesson content and a paring down of observation rubrics – to make them more focused and clear.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking — Moving Beyond Tracking
Publication Date
May 30, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research. Despite incontrovertible evidence demonstrating the harms of ability grouping, resistance to the elimination of tracking in schools remains strong. The latest in a series of two- and three-page briefs summarizing current relevant findings in education policy research reviews the evidence for and against “tracking” students through school – that is, assigning students to particular classes, curricula and courses of study by their perceived ability.
Measures of Effective Teaching—Asking Students About Teaching
Publication Date
November 15, 2012
Authors
Eric M. Camburn, The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) Project presents advice on administering and using information from student surveys to evaluate teachers and provide feedback to teachers.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking— Common Core State Standards
Publication Date
October 11, 2012
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current research findings on the likely effect of the widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This two-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
Teachers in the Digital Age of Digital Instruction: Creating sound policy for digital learning
Publication Date
April 3, 2012
Authors
Luis A. Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Teachers in the Digital Age of Digital Instruction: Creating sound policy for digital learning
U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective: How Well Does Each State Do at Producing High-Achieving Students
Publication Date
January 11, 2011
Authors
Jeremy Kilpatrick, University of Georgia
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report compares the performance of high-achieving math students domestically and internationally, using data from the 2005 NAEP and PISA.
The 2010 State School Report Card: A state-by-state analysis of learning, efficiency, and standards
Publication Date
December 14, 2010
Authors
Edward Fierros and Bridget Ann Rooney, Villanova University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report ranks states on four indices of school performance: learning, education expenditure, quality of state standards, and an overall achievement grade based on the average of the first three indices. The authors use the data to advocate for Parent Trigger legislation and school choice policies.
The "Common Core" Standards Initiative: An Effective Reform Tool?
Publication Date
July 21, 2010
Authors
William J. Mathis, Ph.D. University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief explores the "common core" standards initiative embraced by the Obama administration as a means for increasing student achievement and ensuring global economic competitiveness. Author William Mathis raises questions about the development of common core standards and provides an overview of the relevant research on this topic. Mathis also includes a series of recommendations for moving forward with the common core standards initiative.
Behind the Curtain: Assessing the Case for National Standards
Publication Date
April 21, 2010
Authors
William J. Mathis, University of Colorado, Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report argues that national curriculum standards will have a very limited effect on education reform and concludes that universal school choice (free market model) is the best way to reform education.
The Misplaced Math Student: Lost in Eighth-Grade Algebra
Publication Date
October 14, 2008
Authors
Carol Corbett Burris
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report argues that as a misguided national push a subgroup of students enrolled in eighth grade algebra lack the basic mathematical skills they need to succeed. It further argues that this unpreparedness harms those students as well as the highly proficient students in the class.
Whole Language High Jinks: How to tell when ‘scientifically-based reading Instruction’ isn’t
Publication Date
February 14, 2007
Authors
Richard Allington, University of Tennessee
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report asserts that scientific research supports systematic phonics instruction and contends that ideologically biased supporters of whole-language instruction have thwarted the advance of scientifically based reading instruction.
The State of State Standards 2006
Publication Date
September 11, 2006
Authors
Kenneth Howe, University of Colorado
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report assigns grades to the academic content standards in each state and claims that higher content standards lead to better student test scores.
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