Top Performers
Marc Tucker was president of the National Center on Education and the Economy. For two decades, his research focused on the policies and practices of the countries with the best education systems. This blog is no longer being updated.
School & District Management
Opinion
NAEP: Do the Data Show That 'Education Reform' Has Worked—Or That It Hasn't?
Marc Tucker argues stagnant scores and widening gaps on the recently released 2017 NAEP results demonstrate the failure of the dominant model of American education reform.
Special Education
Opinion
I'm Back! Reflections on My Detour
Having spent five weeks recovering from a bad spinal injury, Marc Tucker reflects on what it would be like if youth in our most challenged schools received the same level of care and coordination that a trauma patient receives in a leading hospital.
Education
Opinion
A Short Break for Top Performers
Top Performers will be taking a brief break. Check back here in the coming weeks for new pieces from Marc Tucker.
Assessment
Opinion
The U.S. Education System is Very Inefficient: Fact or Fiction?
Marc Tucker responds to critics of the comparative method of research and details the value that it brings to public policy analysis.
Future of Work
Opinion
Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump on Jobs: Both Wrong
Neither Trump's trade policies nor Sanders' promise of free college are strategies that will build the workforce we need to compete in the global economy, writes Marc Tucker.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
Every Students Succeeds: A Strategy, Not a Slogan
While many students in the U.S. are entering school already years behind, Marc Tucker describes how education systems in other countries are providing the support students need to meet high standards from the start.
School & District Management
Opinion
David Driscoll's Lessons From Massachusetts
Marc Tucker reviews David Driscoll's new book, 'Commitment and Common Sense', and describes how the Massachusetts reforms are comparable to those in top performing education systems around the world.
Future of Work
Opinion
Defining Life and Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Marc Tucker discusses a new book from MIT's Max Tegmark and its analysis of how we understand life and learning and its implications for a future dominated by artificial intelligence
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Education in 2017 Through the 'Top Performers' Lens
Marc Tucker's most-read blog posts in 2017.
International
Opinion
Culture Is Not Destiny in Education
Marc Tucker challenges the idea that the primary drivers of higher student achievement in other countries are their unique cultural contexts.
Education Funding
Opinion
Free Market Reforms in Education: Is Monopoly Better?
Education in the U.S. doesn't need more disruption by the "free market", argues Marc Tucker. It needs to learn from the world's top performers about how to effectively leverage education research for improvement in the classroom.
Assessment
Opinion
NAEP vs. PISA? Hands down, It's PISA
PISA's collection of background data provides policymakers critical insights beyond just student performance. Marc Tucker makes the case that NAEP should collect similar information.
School & District Management
Opinion
Wahhabi Schools: Saudi Arabia's Most Successful Export?
Marc Tucker weighs in on what the spread of Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi schools could mean for the United States.
Social Studies
Opinion
A Quiet Reflection on Thanksgiving Day
Marc Tucker reflects on the Thanksgiving season and its meaning in today's world.