The “genome” of a great elementary school Episode 1014 of The Education Gadfly Show

On this week’s solo episode, Mike Petrilli explores a big question: What would it look like to define an evidence-based model for American elementary schools—and could AI help us get there? Drawing on his long view of school reform, he considers what most schools have in common, where they fall short, and whether a clearer, research-backed playbook could improve outcomes at scale. This is a work-in-progress idea, and Mike wants your feedback. Share your thoughts at mpetrilli [at] fordhaminstitute [dot]org. Then on the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines new evidence on special education, finding that after students are identified for services, their achievement rebounds significantly—suggesting that individualized supports may boost learning more than previously understood. Recommended content: Both/and on test scores & school inspections —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED Follow the Science to School: Evidence-based Practices for Elementary Education — Michael J. Petrilli, Kathleen Carroll, and Barbara Davidson An ode to elementary schools —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Special Education Substantially Improves Learning: Evidence from Three States — Stephanie G. Coffey, Joshua Goodman, Amy Ellen Schwartz, Leanna Stiefel, Marcus A. Winters and Yunee H. Yoon, NBER (2026) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

You can listen to The “genome” of a great elementary school Episode 1014 of The Education Gadfly Show online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The “genome” of a great elementary school Episode 1014 of The Education Gadfly Show is an episode from The Education Gadfly Show by Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

This episode is 30:56 long.

This episode was published on Apr 22, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Education Gadfly Show when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.