Sep 20, 2017
The Consequences of Chronic Absenteeism
Brian A. Jacob joins EdNext editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss the causes and consequences of chronic absenteeism in school. Listen to the podcast Here.[...]
May 22, 2017
In New York City Pre-Ks, Adding 123s to the ABCs
According to the Wall Street Journal, the New York City Department of Education is expanding an early-childhood math program, Building Blocks, to more public pre-kindergarten classrooms, despite inconsistent evidence that it helps math skills.[...]
View an archived version of the article Here.
Jul 14, 2017
In New York Times, Dynarski makes the case for universal college admission testing
In the New York Times, Susan Dynarski lays out the case for states to offer free, and universal, college admission testing.[...]
Jun 9, 2017
Jacob on Michigan Radio: MI reforms of under-performing schools have been unsuccessful
On June 6, Brian Jacob spoke with Dustin Dwyer of Michigan Radio about recent research that explores whether Michigan's[...]
Apr 28, 2017
Seven key ingredients for effective collaboration
How university scholars and policy practitioners approach partnership for the public good[...]
Feb 22, 2017
Jacob speaks with Michigan Radio, poor marks for Michigan's reading, math proficiency
"Are Michigan’s schools improving? According to a new analysis of national testing data, the answer is a clear 'no,'" says Michigan Radio's "Stateside"[...]
Feb 3, 2017
Jacob on how the U.S. Department of Education can foster reform in the Trump era
In "How the U.S. Department of Education can foster education reform in the era of Trump and ESSA," Brian Jacob describes Michigan's disappointing performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. According to Jacob's analysis, Michigan "ranks dead last in terms of proficiency growth since 2003."[...]
Nov 30, 2016
Youth Policy Lab announces application for new technical assistance program
Brian Jacob in Brookings: "The wisdom of mandatory grade retention" in Michigan
The Youth Policy Lab has issued a request for proposals to organizations seeking to use data to improve service delivery or program design for Michigan youth. Applications for the Michigan Technical Assistance Partnership (M-TAP) Program[...]
Oct 13, 2016
U-M launches Youth Policy Lab to improve young lives
Researchers at the University of Michigan have launched a new lab designed to help state and local agencies, social service providers, nonprofits and educators improve life outcomes for Michigan youth, from birth through age 25.[...]
Sep 30, 2016
Brian Jacob in Brookings: "The wisdom of mandatory grade retention" in Michigan
Brian Jacob's latest contribution to Brookings' Evidence Speaks focuses on “The wisdom of mandatory grade retention.”[...]
Sep 21, 2016
"Class sizes in Michigan, the quiet crisis," policy brief and online comparison tool
New research from the Education Policy Initiative at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy found that many Michigan K-12 students experience very large core classes—with 40 or more students—but that some students are at greater risk.[...]
Sep 2, 2016
Don’t miss Dynarski’s “74” interview on data-driven education policies and practices
Susan Dynarski was interviewed by The 74, a non-profit news site (named after the 74 million American children under the age of 18) that covers pressing topics in domestic education.[...]
Aug 16, 2016
Susan Dynarski in NYT, “Why American schools are even more unequal than we thought”
Susan Dynarski, writing for The New York Times, explains “Why American schools are even more unequal than we thought.” In the piece, Dynarski describes a new measure of economic hardship—one that reveals an even more troubling picture of the achievement gap between America’s richest and poorest children.[...]
Jul 11, 2016
Inaugural Detroit Data Fellow will assist Motor City police with real-time data analysis
University of Michigan alum Reid Wilson was selected as the first Detroit Data Fellow and will spend the next two years analyzing Detroit Police Department data to help understand crime patterns in real time.[...]
May 6, 2016
For Brookings, Brian Jacob describes "the opportunities and challenges of digital learning"
On the 20th anniversary of the publication of his first op-ed on the use of classroom computers, Brian Jacob, who is engaged in several digital learning research initiatives, explores “The opportunities and challenges of digital learning.” Jacob’s piece appears in Evidence Speaks, a weekly series published by the Brookings Institution’s Center on Children and Families.[...]
Apr 9, 2016
Dynarski in Sunday NYT, why talented black and Hispanic students can go undiscovered
Susan Dynarski’s economic view, “Why talented black and Hispanic students can go undiscovered,” was published in this Sunday's New York Times.[...]
Mar 9, 2016
Michigan Radio interviews Brian Jacob about latest research on MI high school curriculum reforms
Last week, Brian Jacob, Susan Dynarski and two colleagues from Michigan State released a new paper, "Are expectations alone enough? Estimating the effect of a mandatory college-prep curriculum in Michigan." The paper examines the effect of the 2006 Michigan Merit Curriculum reforms on subsequent student achievement.[...]
Feb 22, 2016
Dynarski in NYT Upshot: We need to get students across the finish line to graduation
The United States has a college dropout crisis, says Susan Dynarski in her latest New York Times Upshot piece.[...]
Feb 2, 2016
Robin Jacob quoted in NPR story on executive function coaching
A story on the NPR website, “The Science of Getting Kids Organized,” looks at coaching students to build executive function—categories of skills the brain uses for general organization and judgment. Robin Jacob, who published an overview of studies on executive function training, is quoted: "We're always looking for the panacea. We move from fad to fad, and I feel like executive function is sort of the fad of the day. We should be cautious before we invest a lot of money in such interventions, before we really have the solid evidence base to show that it works."[...]
Nov 12, 2015
"Why financial aid is broken and a simple solution to fix it," TEDx Talk by Sue Dynarski
On October 20, Susan Dynarski delivered a powerful talk at TEDxIndianapolis: "Why financial aid is broken and a simple solution to fix it." The focus? Dynarski’s simple and cost-effective strategy for dramatically reducing a significant roadblock to college for low-income and first-generation students.[...]
Oct 30, 2015
Brian Jacob co-authors op-ed criticizing proposed mandatory retention in Michigan schools
In an op-ed titled "Why rush to hold kids back?" published by The Detroit News on October 29th, Brian Jacob and Michael Lombardo applaud a new state legislature bill proposing Michigan’s first comprehensive reading program.[...]
Oct 8, 2015
Susan Dynarski honored by Michigan for tackling barriers to education for low-income youth
On September 21st, State Representative Adam Zemke, State Senator Rebekah Warren, and Governor Rick Snyder honored Professor Susan Dynarski with a special tribute from the state for her work on the HAIL (High Achieving Involved Leaders) Scholarship program at the University of Michigan.[...]
Sep 17, 2015
Education Policy Initiative informs new pilot scholarship designed to enhance diversity at U-M
Last weekend throughout the state, an estimated 1,000 economically disadvantaged high school students with high GPAs and ACT scores found a major opportunity in their mailboxes from the University of Michigan. The students received a customized invitation to apply for undergraduate admission, including a step-by-step guide to applying and fee-waivers for each step of the process.[...]
Jun 29, 2015
EPI, Excellent Schools Detroit release K-12 scorecard
The 2015 Excellent Schools Detroit (ESD) K-12 Scorecard — which the Ford School’s Education Policy Initiative (EPI) helped develop — was released last week. More than 200 schools, including private and charter schools, were evaluated and assigned “A” through “F” letter grades.[...]
May 24, 2015
Robin Jacob quoted in Boston Globe story on executive function coaching
In a story in the Boston Globe, “Executive function not a panacea for education ills,” the author discusses the prospective benefits of programs designed to strengthen students’ executive function cognitive skills, the popularity of and rapid adoption of the concept over the past few years, and lack of concrete evidence of program effectiveness in improving academic outcomes.[...]
Mar 30, 2015
Robin Jacob quoted in Washington Post story
A story in The Washington Post, “Can volunteers help kids read more proficiently? New research says yes,” includes quotes from Robin Jacob. “Bringing volunteer programs to scale is often quite difficult, so that’s really the exciting thing about the research coming out now,” she said.[...]
Mar 12, 2015
Dynarski on how to boost graduation rates at community colleges
In this year’s State of the Union address, President Obama put forth a plan to make a student’s first two years of community college free. But is that plan viable? Susan Dynarski sees problems that must be fixed before it can conceivably work.[...]
Dec 4, 2014
Ford School faculty member, alum join White House College Opportunity Day of Action
Professor Susan Dynarski and alum Brandy Johnson (MPP ‘09) traveled to Washington, DC for the Obama Administration’s College Opportunity Day of Action on December 4, 2014. They joined President Barack Obama, the First Lady, and Vice President Biden, along with hundreds of college presidents and higher education leaders, as the White House announced new steps to enhance college readiness and access, particularly for low-income students.[...]
Sep 04, 2014
Robin Jacob quoted in New York Times story on early literacy
In an article focusing on how to improve early literacy, The Fix author Tina Rosenberg includes research conducted by Robin Jacob and others on the effectiveness of tutoring to improving early literacy.[...]
Apr 22, 2013
Brian A. Jacob helps city schools become data driven
In an era of shrinking public education budgets, school districts cannot afford to make the wrong decision when they hire a teacher or cut a program. To make sure they reach the right answers, administrators are turning to Annenberg Professor Brian A. Jacob, whose data analysis has helped guide urban public school reforms across the country.[...]