#936: How socioeconomic factors explain achievement gaps, with Eric Hengyu Hu and Paul L. Morgan

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, SUNY Albany’s Eric Hengyu Hu and Paul L. Morgan, authors of Fordham’s recently released report Explaining Achievement Gaps: The Role of Socioeconomic Factors, joins Mike and David to discuss their findings. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a study of differences in grading practices between international and domestic instructors at U.S. public universities.

Recommended content:

• Eric Hengyu Hu and Paul L. Morgan, Explaining Achievement Gaps: The Role of Socioeconomic Factors, Fordham Institute (August 2024)
• “America’s highest-achieving students are disproportionately Asian. Let’s not be afraid to investigate why.”—Michael J. Petrilli and Amber M. Northern
• Meredith Coffey and Adam Tyner, Excellence Gaps by Race and Socioeconomic Status, Fordham Institute (August 2023)
• Trang Pham and Stephanie Potochnick, Undergraduate Grading Practices of International and Domestic Faculty: Evidence From Three Large U.S. Public Universities, AERA Open (2024)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Starlee Coleman, newly named President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, joins Mike and David to discuss how the charter sector can find success with a Trump or Harris presidency. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a study of how nearby charter schools impact Catholic school enrollment.

Recommended content:

• “How Kamala Harris can move to the center on education”— Michael J. Petrilli
• “What could a Vice President Vance do to advance rural and small town education?”—Aaron Churchill
• “Will next month’s Harris-Trump debate even mention education?”— Dale Chu
• Shaun M. Dougherty, Andrew Miller, and Yerin Yoon, “Charter School Expansion, Catholic School Enrollment, & the Equity Implications of School Choice,” EdWorkingPaper 24-1027, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2024)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Kelly James, a partner at Education First Consulting and Fordham’s 2024 Wonkathon winner, joins Mike and David to discuss how policymakers and practitioners can reduce chronic absenteeism in schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam reports on a study about the fiscal effects of states paying districts for the costs of students they no longer serve.

Recommended content:

• “‘Everything, everywhere, all at once’ solutions to chronic absenteeism”—Kelly James and Brad Bernatek
• “To fix chronic absenteeism, we must ask why kids don’t want to go to school” —Leslie Colwell
• “How does teacher experience impact student absenteeism in early elementary school?” —Heena Kuwayama
• Aaron Garth Smith and Christian Barnard, “Billions: The Cost of State Hold Harmless Policies in K-12 Education,” Reason Foundation, (June 2024)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.