Tests and the Rest
What does public education owe to advanced students?
A conversation about challenging students and the responsibilities of public education.
Media & interviews
Media &
interviews.
Conversations about school funding, educational inequality, and what public education owes its students.
Watch
In conversation.
American Educational Research Association
School spending cuts and student learning.
Matthew Steinberg and I discuss school funding and achievement during the Great Recession.
Listen
Podcasts & audio.
APM Reports
Sold a Story, Episode 14, The Cuts
My experience at IES and the consequences of cuts to federal education research.
The Green · Delaware Public Media
What’s next for education funding reform in Delaware
My legislative testimony on Delaware school funding, in the context of reforms adopted by other states.
Evidence for Education · University of Delaware
Examining the impact of career and technical education
A discussion with Arielle Lentz and Bart Gill about Delaware students’ postsecondary education and employment outcomes.
Evidence for Education · University of Delaware
Investing in educational equity
Evidence on school finance reforms and educational opportunity.
CPRE Research Minutes
Categorical inequality and persistent racial gaps
A conversation about racial inequality in educational systems.
CPRE Research Minutes
The educational toll of the Great Recession
Matthew Steinberg and I discuss recession-related spending cuts and student achievement.
Read
Selected media coverage.
May 21, 2026
Spotlight Delaware
New bill would give Delaware schools right to small annual tax hikes without referendum
How property-tax policies can reinforce funding inequalities between districts.
May 29, 2025
Delaware Public Media
Experts express concern over Delaware’s new proposed education funding model ahead of final vote
Why education funding should follow student needs.
October 23, 2024
Education Week
How kindergarten redshirting is changing
Research on how kindergarten enrollment delays changed during the pandemic.
July 10, 2024
Spotlight Delaware
Could Delaware spend $1B more annually on schools? A panel may decide
Student needs and local fiscal capacity in the debate over Delaware school funding.
July 3, 2024
Spotlight Delaware
Cellphone pouches to be piloted at schools across Delaware
Reducing classroom distractions and supporting student engagement.
July 17, 2023
The 74
$190B later, reason to worry relief funds won’t curb COVID’s academic crisis
The limits of pandemic relief spending and the need to evaluate recovery efforts.
2023
↗October 24, 2022
The New York Times
Math scores fell in nearly every state, and reading dipped on national exam
National achievement declines and the scale of pandemic recovery.
2022
Forbes
Four in five students say their education suffered during lockdown
The educational consequences of the pandemic.
2022
USA Today
COVID-19 pandemic aid more than $300 billion short for dealing with student learning loss
Research on the cost of addressing pandemic learning loss.
October 10, 2022
The 74
$700B to fix pandemic learning loss, study says
Research with Matthew Steinberg on the resources needed for academic recovery.
May 2, 2022
The New York Times
Learning more
David Leonhardt on improvements in American education and the role of school funding.
2021
The Economist
Why reopening schools in minority neighbourhoods is hard
School reopening and educational inequality.
2019
The Economist
What budget cuts during the Great Recession did to pupils’ test scores
The effects of recession-related school spending cuts.
2018
The New York Times
The numbers that explain why the teachers are in revolt
School funding in the years after the Great Recession.
February 24, 2018
The 74
The next educational equity battleground
Within-district spending disparities and school finance transparency.
2017
↗2016
The Washington Post
Achievement gaps matter, even if all students are learning
Understanding differences in student achievement.
2016
The New York Times
Money, race and success
An exploration of achievement gaps across American school districts.