Parents need to be vigilant about the Common Core. The Common Core itself is neither a good nor a bad idea. It has the potential to be a positive force in education, but it will rise and fall on how it is implemented in schools and classrooms across the country.

US school district central offices must tackle the mismatch between new school performance demands and traditional central office work and capacity. This will require, among other things, creating partnerships between principals and executive-level central office staff and establishing superintendent and other central office leadership that will promote better performance.

Well-meaning education reformers are too often content to layer their new proposals atop outdated schools and systems. Unsurprisingly, school improvement efforts have repeatedly failed to deliver the results for which we hoped. Doing radically better will require state, civic, and system leaders to embrace a more coherent and comprehensive...

School improvement efforts have repeatedly failed to deliver the results for which we hoped. Doing radically better will require state, civic, and system leaders to embrace a more coherent and comprehensive push to overhaul antiquated structures, regulations, policies, and practices.

A decade ago, Milwaukee was regarded as one of the nation's iconic cities when it came to school reform. It can be that way again.

Driving excellent teaching and learning across schools necessitates considering how districts can be best structured to help schools meet unique student needs while maintaining alignment and system coherence.

At this AEI conference, panelists will present the results of their research and thoughts on the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and provide actionable responses to the questions that will mark the next phase of Common Core implementation efforts.

AEI's Frederick M. Hess and Michael Q. McShane have commissioned eight papers that address the complements and conflicts assciated with this state-driven initiative and provide actionable responses to the questions that will mark the next phase of Common Core implementation efforts.

In his first term, President Obama pushed bold K–12 education reforms. As he begins a second term, it is worth examining how the federal government can reform education in America. Washington has effectively ensured constitutional protections in education and has given states and districts incentives for policy changes but has not enforced mandates nor fixed inadequate schools.

I’m not at all sure that standards and funding should differ by state, but we’d do well to acknowledge that there may be unanticipated, adverse consequences when we seek to prohibit such variation.