Social emotional learning – explicitly teaching students skills such as managing their emotions, showing empathy, and building positive relationships – has gained ground in American schools. After all, time management, conflict resolution, and other social skills are essential to success in life and career.

Host Nat Malkus talks to Jackie Jodl and Robert Pondiscio about the benefits (and possible pitfalls) of social emotional learning. What does social emotional learning look like in practice? How is it distinctive from the natural relationship-building that has always taken place in schools?

Earlier this fall, the annual US News & World Report college
rankings were released. Princeton and Harvard again topped the list, followed by a handful of other elite institutions. Do these rankings give students valuable information? How do students approach the process of choosing a college? How should they go about it?

In this episode, host Nat Malkus talks to Michael Horn about his new book Choosing College: how to make better learning decisions throughout your life. They discuss how students can be better consumers in the college process, and what role parents, guidance counselors, colleges, and policymakers can play in facilitating students’ college decision-making journey.

When it comes to teaching reading, most American schools prioritize skill acquisition over background knowledge. Students are asked to find the main idea of a passage without learning the background knowledge that the passage is discussing. However, research shows that background knowledge is more critical to reading comprehension than disembodied skills.

In This episode, host Nat Malkus talks to Natalie Wexler about her new book, where she argues that the knowledge gap is responsible for the achievement gap. He also talks to Ashley Berner, whose team at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy has developed a tool to help districts map the knowledge their curriculum gives students so they can close any gaps.

Today, most income share agreements – arrangements in which students pay a fixed percentage of their income for a limited period of time after graduation – are small. They are limited to a few schools and complement other forms of financial aid. But what if we overhaul the entire federal loan system using a system similar to an income share agreement?

In this episode, host Nat Malkus talks to Jason Delisle of AEI – who has proposed this idea – and Colleen Campbell of the Center for American Progress about how it would work, the tradeoff between simplicity and flexibility, and whether the concept is as simple as it seems.

Last year, student loan debt hit $1.5 trillion. From free college to loan forgiveness, there are plenty of ideas to lower student debt. At the same time, policymakers are increasingly interested in finding ways to hold colleges accountable for student outcomes.

In this episode of the Report Card, on the AEI Education Podcast, host Nat Malkus talks to Tonio DeSorrento of Vemo Education and Beth Akers of the Manhattan Institute, about an innovative idea that could address both of these concerns: Income share agreements (ISA’s). Under ISA’s, students pay the school a fixed percentage of their income after graduation instead of paying tuition up front. If students earn too little income, they pay nothing.

Sports are a staple of the American school experience. They can teach children social and emotional skills such as cooperation and teamwork, give players mentors (such as coaches) that push them to excellence in sports and academics, and build social capital within communities. However, sports can also distract from academics, expose students to physical harm, and drain resources from other priorities.

Should sports be part of kids’ school experience, or are independent clubs best? In this episode of the Report Card, on the AEI Education Podcast, Nat Malkus talks to Joshua Childs and Michael Hansen about the value of school sports, promising reforms across the country, and how to ensure that sports and academics complement each other.

Education and criminal justice are inextricably linked. The education system failed many prisoners: over 60% of them are functionally illiterate and lack skills to enter the workforce. However, over 90% of inmates will be released and return to their communities. What can we do as a society to insure they succeed?

In this episode of the Report Card, on the AEI Education podcast, host Nat Malkus talks to Gerard Robinson and Elizabeth English Smith about efforts to provide educational opportunities behind bars, what programs are working, and what obstacles are preventing former inmates from getting a second chance.

While more high school seniors than ever are going on to college, degree completion rates are extremely low. But what can we do about it?

In this episode of “The Report Card,” the AEI education podcast, host Nat Malkus talks to Marc Jerome, who leads a college lazer-focused on improving outcomes for low income students. Drew Magliozzi and Karan Goel also join us to discuss how leveraging social networks can help students complete and stay connected to their school.