From Our Blog
How Middle Schools Hurt Student Achievement
Today’s Wall Street Journal reports on a new Education Next study showing that, at least in New York City, attending a standalone middle school rather than a K-8 school has a big negative impact on student achievement and attendance rates.
What do Americans think of the Nation’s Schools? How Widespread is the Support for Charter Schools?
Education Next and Phi Delta Kappan both released their annual polls last week. When it comes to evaluations of the nation’s schools and assessments of charter schools, they report results that are strikingly similar.
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On Top of the News
Middle Schools Fail Kids, Study Says
09/01/10 | The Wall Street Journal
Behind the Headline
from the EdNext Archives
Education Next
A new study by Jonah Rockoff and Benjamin Lockwood finds that students in New York City attending standalone middle schools score lower on standardized tests than students of the same age who attend K-8 schools. The study appears in the Fall 2010 issue of Ed Next.
Parents Push For Diversity In New Orleans' Schools
08/30/10 | NPR
Behind the Headline
from the EdNext Archives
Education Next
While the city of New Orleans is 40% white, many of its schools are over 95% black. An NPR story looks at how some schools are trying to enroll more diverse student bodies. In a forum that appears in the Fall 2010 issue of Ed Next, Susan Eaton and Steve Rivkin discuss the impact of desegregation on student learning.
- Stuck in the Middle
How and why middle schools harm student achievement
By Jonah E. Rockoff and Benjamin B. Lockwood
—
Podcast: Jonah Rockoff talks with Education Next.
- Meeting of the Minds
The 2010 EdNext-PEPG Survey shows that, on many education reform issues, Democrats and Republicans hardly disagree
By William Howell, Paul E. Peterson and Martin West
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Video: Marty West and Paul Peterson discuss the survey.
- The 2010 Education Next-PEPG Survey
Complete Results
By William Howell, Paul E. Peterson and Martin West
- Advocating for Arts in the Classroom
Academic discipline or instrument of personal change?
By Mark Bauerlein
- Grading Schools
Can citizens tell a good school when they see one?
By Matthew M. Chingos, Michael Henderson, and Martin West
- Is Desegregation Dead?
Parsing the relationship between achievement and demographics
By Susan Eaton and Steven Rivkin
How and why middle schools harm student achievement
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Podcast: Jonah Rockoff talks with Education Next.
The 2010 EdNext-PEPG Survey shows that, on many education reform issues, Democrats and Republicans hardly disagree
—
Video: Marty West and Paul Peterson discuss the survey.
More from Ednext
2+2=Litigation
New front opens in the math wars
Lessons from a Reformer
Review of Larry Cuban’s As Good As It Gets
School on the Inside
Teaching the incarcerated student
Luck of the Draw
Review of The Lottery (2010), Directed by Madeleine Sackler
No Federal Case
Court says charter school is not a state actor

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Videos
Video: Marty West and Paul Peterson discuss the 2010 Education Next-PEPG Survey.
Podcast
Podcast: Jonah Rockoff talks with Education Next about his new study, which finds that when students move to a middle school, their academic achievement declines substantially relative to students who continue to attend a K-8 school.
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Press Releases and Announcements
Comprehensive analysis of 10 years of data from New York City shows middle-school students experience substantial achievement decline compared to K-8 peers
National Survey also reveals increased support for virtual schooling, support for charter schools rises sharply in minority communities
EdNext in the News
Middle Schools Fail Kids, Study Says
September 1, 2010 | The Wall Street Journal
NYC Study Gives K-8 Schools an Edge Over Middle Schools
September 1, 2010 | Education Week
Teachers, public sharply divided on key issues
August 26, 2010 | Boston Globe
Spend more on education! No higher taxes! Would this survey be true for Richardson voters?
August 25, 2010 | Dallas Morning News (blog)
A gulf between teachers and the public on what works best in our schools, including merit pay and end to tenure
August 25, 2010 | Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
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Featured Comment
Discipline training vs personal transformation: surely this is a false dichotomy? Attaining the habits and proficiencies of thought that come with disciplinary expertise is surely one of the most profound personal transformations we can experience.
in: comments on Advocating for Arts in the Classroom