Readers of the Education Next blog in 2024 evinced intense interest in what is happening in American classrooms on both sides of the desk. Blog posts that drew attention to the degree of rigor students are exposed to in school were especially popular, as were musings on the type of instruction teachers are offering. Also top of mind was the turbulent election season, during which education likely would have again played a bit part, if not for President-elect Donald Trump’s renewed calls to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.
Former Education Next managing editor Ira Stoll earned the top blog spot in 2024 with his analysis of skyrocketing scores on AP tests between 2023 and 2024, particularly in U.S history and U.S government. Both he and renowned education reformer Chester E. Finn Jr. drew reader’s attention to the College Board’s “recalibration” of scores, giving far more students top marks than in past years—a concerning development for readers tuned into the trend of diminishing academic excellence in American schools.
Philadelphia-based math teacher Ryan Hooper called out another unnerving trend: Building Thinking Classrooms, an inquiry-based learning model for math instruction that minimizes teachers and puts students in the driver’s seat for learning math. Hooper’s critique of this edu-fad and counter-promotion of direct instruction earned him second place among this year’s blog posts. Meanwhile, Education Next executive editor Michael Petrilli landed at number five with a fresh take on the phenomenon of elite-college students who struggle to read books, while Benjamin Riley took the seventh spot with his critique of predictions that generative artificial intelligence is poised to transform schooling.
In an election year filled with handwringing over The Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership (commonly known as “Project 2025”)—which calls for, among other things, the elimination of ED—followed by the Republicans’ decisive sweep of the presidency and Congress in November, blog readers also sought out guidance on the future of the federal role in education. Education Next emeritus editor and host of the Education Exchange podcast Paul E. Peterson and executive editor Rick Hess offered a pre-election and post-election take, respectively, on that future, both of which earned spots in this year’s list.
A pervasive sense of wariness may well be the unifying theme of the Education Next blog this year. Readers will be able to continue to rely on its succinct, reasonable analyses of the ever-shifting education landscape in the year ahead.
The full top ten list is here:
1. Grade Inflation Sends AP Test Scores Soaring
College Board appears to be bowing to pressure to reduce failure rates
By Ira Stoll
2. The Math Movement Taking Over Our Schools
The “Building Thinking Classrooms” approach defies research and common sense
By Ryan Hooper
3. The Fine Art of Making Dungeons & Dragons Really Boring
A new book about the iconic game offers a tutorial on the problems with academic history
By Rick Hess
4. Seven Thoughts about Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
There’s a paucity of evidence that high schools are to blame
By Mike Petrilli
5. Are AP Exams Getting Easier?
There’s reason to suspect that the gold standard for academic achievement is losing its shine
By Chester E. Finn, Jr.
6. How Morgan Freeman and Robin Williams Derailed America’s Schools
It’s impossible to be a serious teacher AND a cultural performer
By Rick Hess
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7. Generative AI in Education: Another Mindless Mistake?
We humans haven’t learned how humans learn
By Benjamin Riley
8. What’s Ahead for Colleges, School Choice, and the Department of Education?
Judging the key post-election hot takes
By Rick Hess
9. Comparing the GOP Platform and Project 2025 on K–12 Education
While distinct in their details, both documents share commitments to a reduced federal role and universal school choice
By Paul E. Peterson
10. I Watched the Parenting on Young Sheldon . . . and Did the Exact Opposite
A New York mother of three took a cue from the sitcom for how not to parent a gifted child
By Alina Adams
