Resident Scholar  Frederick M. Hess

To an unprecedented degree, this is the era of educational entrepreneurship. Unconventional thinkers have waded into the world of K-12 education, founded influential organizations, and upended conventions. They have developed new models for delivering instruction or recruiting teachers and have applied old-fashioned practices with inspired fidelity. While their efforts constitute a still-minuscule portion of schooling, they are responsible for many of the most exciting developments in 21st-century education.

Is this a good thing? What does it really mean? And what does it imply for policy and school improvement?

Consider Wireless Generation, a New York-based firm that provides schools with diagnostic software. The system operates on handheld computers, allowing teachers to diagnose student needs and chart progress while circling their classrooms. Growing Stars is a  California-based firm that provides tutoring for American students using dozens of instructors based in Cochin, India. Able to hire educated Indians at a steep discount, Growing Stars and its competitors are charging Americans $20 an hour for personal tutoring, less than half of the prevailing rate in much of the U.S.

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Frederick M. Hess is a resident scholar and director of education policy studies.