New York and Kentucky have begun testing based on the new Common Core education standards, and they are quickly seeing frustration among educators, parents, and students. The states that have signed on to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative are supposed to fully implement the standards by the 2014–2015 …
Douglas County, Colorado is once again leading the state in education reform by adopting a teacher compensation plan that has school districts across the nation talking. Teachers in Douglas County are finally getting a pay system that could reflect their value: one that rewards hard work based on merit, not …
Washington state is considering a major school choice proposal. The proposal would allow corporations to receive a 100 percent tax credit for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations, which would provide vouchers to children from low-income families to attend private schools of their choice. The scholarship program would have an initial cap …
Today’s technology means that education can be tailored to the specific needs of each child. Idaho is leading the way in adopting these types of innovations with its statewide initiative to integrate Khan Academy videos into the classroom. The Khan Academy is an online-based learning tool that creates a self-paced …
The Common Core State Standards are causing major discontent across the ideological spectrum. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has joined groups like the Republican National Committee, the American Association of Christian Schools, the Home School Legal Defense Association, Tea Party groups, public policy organizations, and parents across the country …
After a series of school choice victories across the nation, the Louisiana Supreme Court issued a disappointing ruling this Tuesday when it upheld a lower court’s ruling invalidating the state’s school voucher program. With a 6-1 vote, the higher court declared the funding mechanism for Governor Bobby Jindal’s (R) 2012 …
Starting July 1, interest rates on federal student loans are set to rise from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. As Congress again considers preventing the interest rate on federal student loans from doubling, the cost to taxpayers should be a central issue. However, in a recent Issue Brief, Heritage analyst …
This past weekend, Indiana legislators approved a proposal to halt the implementation of Common Core until after preliminary hearings and an in-depth analysis are conducted. The bill now rests on Governor Mike Pence’s (R) desk awaiting his signature. In February, the Indiana state senate voted 38–11 in favor of anti–Common …
In a huge victory for school choice, the Colorado Court of Appeals last month overturned the injunction placed on the Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program (CSP). The CSP is Colorado’s only school-choice voucher program. Any student who lives within the Douglas County School District, and has resided there for at …
Very few government programs can claim a positive return on taxpayer investment. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP) is one of them. Launched in 2004, the DCOSP provides scholarships of approximately $8,500 for K–8 students or $12,000 for high school students from low-income families to attend private schools of their …
