Bridging the Accountability Gap: A New Framework for the Future of School Choice

As Education Savings Account (ESA) programs and various school choice initiatives proliferate across the United States, a fundamental tension has emerged: how can states provide clear, reliable signals regarding academic…

Beyond the Transcript: Why Our Current Assessment Models Fail the Collective Learner

By: Jane R. Shore In the modern classroom, we often celebrate the "star pupil"—the student who absorbs every fact, memorizes every date, and produces a flawless, solitary project that earns…

The Great Contraction: Is Higher Education Finally Reversing the Era of Administrative Bloat?

In the quiet months of late summer, Louisiana State University (LSU) President Wade Rousse announced a pivot that sent ripples through the higher education landscape. The university was set to…

Bridging the Future: Chicago’s New Pathways for Entrepreneurship and the Arts

By: Getting Smart Staff As the global landscape of work continues to shift under the weight of rapid technological advancement and changing economic demands, the traditional K-12 educational model faces…

Beyond the Diploma: Rethinking the Future of American High Schools

For decades, the American high school experience was governed by a singular, implicit promise: if you study hard, graduate, and secure a seat in a four-year university, you have effectively…

The Great Cognitive Outsourcing: Why Generative AI is Fueling a New Learning Crisis

In the evolving landscape of 21st-century education, a new, unsettling phenomenon has emerged. While previous ed-tech initiatives struggled with the "5 Percent Problem"—a term coined by Laurence Holt of the…

The Great Disconnect: Why Americans’ Faith in Higher Education is Plummeting While Enrollment Remains Steady

In the American cultural imagination, the college degree has long served as the ultimate passport to the middle class. For decades, the path was clear: graduate from high school, secure…

The Legislative Horizon: Predicting the Educational Landscape in a Potential Blue Wave

While Republican strategists continue to anchor their electoral hopes on a substantial financial advantage and a deep-seated skepticism toward traditional polling methods—which have famously faltered in recent cycles—the political winds…

Decoding the Blueprint of Change: A Unified Language for School Transformation

For decades, the American education system has been characterized by a proliferation of "transformation frameworks." From personalized learning models and competency-based education to place-based design and restorative justice protocols, school…

Beyond the Course Catalog: Ensuring the Dual Enrollment Promise

This report is the second installment in the four-part series Beyond the Course Catalog: What Makes Dual Enrollment Actually Work, presented by Getting Smart in partnership with Britebound. This series…