Articles
Teaching and Testing the Skills That Matter Most
Jan 27th
© Tony Wagner, 2008 (first published in Education Week, November, 2008)
A commission composed of some of the country’s leading college-admissions officers is recommending that universities shift from a reliance on SAT and ACT scores and instead use entrance exams that test the academic content taught in high schools. (“Panel Urges More >
Rigor Redefined
Jan 27th
Even our “best” schools are failing to prepare students for 21st-century careers and citizenship.
© Tony Wagner, 2008 (first published in Educational Leadership, October, 2008)
In the new global economy, with many jobs being either automated or “off-shored,” what skills will students need to build successful careers? What skills will they need to More >
Leading for Change
Jan 27th
Five ‘Habits of Mind’ That Count
© Tony Wagner, 2008 (first Published in Education Week, August 14, 2007)
There are many things we do right as educators—most notably, working hard to make a difference in the lives of children, despite ever-escalating challenges. I’m beginning to see, however, that we educators are handicapped More >
Rigor on Trial
Jan 27th
© Tony Wagner, 2006 (first published in Education Week, January 11, 2006)
Rigor, it seems, is the new reform de jour. As a nation, we appear to have come to a consensus that all children deserve a “challenging and rigorous” education. The problem is: we have no common agreement about what More >
The Challenge of Change Leadership
Jan 27th
Transforming Education Through ‘Communities of Practice’
© Tony Wagner, 2004 (first published in Education Week, October 27, 2004)
Imagine, for a moment, that you wanted to learn how to play a sport or a musical instrument, but you had never seen the sport or heard the instrument played well, and there were no More >
Beyond Testing
Jan 27th
The 7 Disciplines For Strengthening Instruction
© Tony Wagner, 2003 (first published in Education Week, November 11, 2003)
With the new requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, and high-stakes accountability tests now in nearly every state, education leaders are under unprecedented pressure to improve student performance. The problem is, many don’t More >
Reinventing America’s Schools
Jan 27th
© Tony Wagner, 2003 (first published in the Phi Delta Kappan, May 2003)
Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and now that many new state tests have been put in place, a great deal—and nothing at all—has changed in the universe of public education. What has More >
Secondary School Change
Jan 27th
Meeting challenge with the three R’s of reinvention.
© Tony Wagner, 2002 (first published in Education Week, November 27, 2002)
Districts are making progress with elementary school reforms around the country. Fourth grade reading and math scores are up in many states. In elementary schools where recently I’ve spent time, there’s a sense More >
The Case for ‘New Village’ Schools
Jan 27th
New small schools foster a different kind of accountability.
© Tony Wagner, 2001 (first published in Education Week, December 5, 2001)
Public education accountability is an abiding preoccupation of policymakers and business leaders today, and for good reason. We need to ensure that schools are truly educating all students for a future More >
A Critical Fork in the Road
Jan 27th
Written by Tony Wagner (co-authored by Tom Vander Ark)
© Tony Wagner, 2001 (first published in Education Week, April 11, 2001)
President Bush’s strong support for the goal of raising learning standards for all students and focusing additional resources on improving schools that serve poor and minority children represents a significant step forward More >
