On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Paul Bruno, an assistant professor of education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joins Mike and David to discuss the pros and cons of universal free lunch. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber explores how mandating Advanced Placement course offerings and waiving AP exam fees impact student participation.

Recommended content:

• “Should All School Meals Be Free?”—Tim Daly
• “Make School Lunches Great Again”—Max Eden
• Ian Callen and Christiana Stoddard, “Putting the ‘A’ in AP: The effect of advanced placement state policies on student participation and performance,” Economics of Education Review (2024)

Feedback Welcome: This week, we're trying something new on the Education Gadfly Podcast! After nearly 20 years of keeping our episodes short and snappy, we're experimenting with a longer format to explore topics in greater depth. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this change—whether you love it or hate it. If you enjoy the podcast, please share it with your friends and colleagues; your support helps us reach more listeners!

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

#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.