A Think Twice Review of:

High Stakes for High Achievers / High Stakes for High Schoolers

Think Twice - Jan 26, 2017

Publisher/Think Tank - Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Author(s) - Michael J. Petrilli, David Griffith, Brandon L. Wright, and Audrey Kim / Michael J. Petrilli, David Griffith, and Brandon L. Wright

Two recent think tank reports from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute called into question the impact of accountability systems on “high achievers.” The reports claimed that states have failed to address the needs of higher-scoring students, and that state accountability systems should be redesigned under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) with those students in mind.

Reviewer(s) - Beth C. Rubin, Rutgers University

An academic review of the reports finds that the recommendations could result in a furthering of the inequitable educational opportunities that ESSA was designed to reduce. Despite arguing that “high achievers” are being neglected educationally, the review finds that both reports fail to address the concerns productively. Beth C. Rubin concludes that these reports contribute to the collective discussion regarding the federal role in education, but they must be approached with caution.