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The Education Equation with Jeremy Singer

The Education Equation with Jeremy Singer

Written by: The College Board
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  I'm Jeremy Singer, President of the College Board. I've spent my career grappling with what truly drives student success. On this podcast, I'll talk with people who are researching, building and scaling solutions that matter. Every episode will go beyond the hype and focus on data and evidence to see what's actually working. Let's stop guessing and let's figure out what works. Economics Management Management & Leadership Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Dr. Janice Jackson | Aspen Institute

    Dr. Janice Jackson | Aspen Institute
    Dec 15 2025
    🎧 The Education Equation: Dr. Janice Jackson on Scaling Solutions On this episode of The Education Equation, host Jeremy Singer speaks with Dr. Janice Jackson, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's Education and Society Program. Dr. Jackson, a CPS alumna, discusses her journey leading one of the nation’s largest school districts. She notes that her time as a principal provided the best preparation for the superintendency. Under her leadership, CPS boosted its graduation rate from 55.8% in 2010 to 82.5% in 2020. This dramatic turnaround was driven by intentional work, including making students take a college entrance exam to graduate and implementing the Freshmen on Track system, which was informed by data from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. This success was built on data transparency, accountability, principal empowerment, and strong public-private partnerships. The conversation moves to Hope Chicago, the two-generation debt-free scholarship model she founded. Hope Chicago provides debt-free support (tuition, books, fees, and a stipend) to students from neighborhood high schools. By reducing financial risk, the model has significantly increased matriculation rates from about 57% to about 85% today. First-year persistence also increased from 61% to about 75%, demonstrating that removing debt and providing one-on-one support boosts college success. Now at the Aspen Institute, Dr. Jackson is exploring the future of student outcomes on a national level. She emphasizes the need for leadership to address major challenges like economic preparedness, the impact of AI and EdTech, and the rise of alternative schooling models. Her goal is to translate her lessons from Chicago to a national context, advocating for a return to non-political accountability to ensure every child can succeed. Dr. Jackson's education book recommendation: "It's Being Done": Academic Success in Unexpected Schools Key Takeaways: - Principal Power: The principalship is the single best leverage point for large district change. - Data-Driven Turnaround: CPS used the "Freshmen on Track" indicator to drive a dramatic increase in its graduation rate from 55.8% to 82.5%. - The Affordability Barrier: Hope Chicago's debt-free scholarship model significantly increases college matriculation and persistence rates for low-income students by eliminating financial risk. - National Education Gaps: At Aspen, Dr. Jackson is focusing on creating a new course for education that addresses economic preparedness, AI integration, and the regulation of alternative schooling models. Why You Should Listen: Dr. Jackson offers a rare perspective, having led one of the country's largest school districts through a period of significant positive change. Her work provides clear, data-backed examples of how systemic improvements can be achieved. Listen for her insights on transforming a large school system and why her work now focuses on setting a new, accountable course for American education. Like, Follow, and Share The Education Equation wherever you get your podcasts. Time Stamps [00:00:54] Introduction to Dr. Janice Jackson's background [00:05:37] The principalship as the best preparation for CEO [00:14:15] Achieving CPS’s historic graduation rate increase [00:29:21] Launching and scaling Hope Chicago [00:36:06] Setting a new course at the Aspen Institute
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    41 mins
  • Liz Cohen | The Future of Tutoring | LIVE! from the College Board Forum

    Liz Cohen | The Future of Tutoring | LIVE! from the College Board Forum
    Nov 17 2025
    In this special live episode, Jeremy Singer interviews Liz Cohen, author and VP of Policy at 50Can, as part of the College Board Forum 2025. Cohen, an expert in K-12 education, discusses her new book, The Future of Tutoring: Lessons from 10.000 School District Tutoring Initiative. She argues convincingly that tutoring is one of the few interventions with clear evidence of improving educational outcomes. The conversation explores how the COVID-19 pandemic and federal ESSER funds created a unique opportunity for the research and scaling of tutoring, which Cohen refers to as an "accidental experiment". By May 2023, 80% of U.S. school districts were offering some form of tutoring. Cohen shares data on significant academic gains from initiatives in places like Washington D.C. and Guilford County, North Carolina. Key Takeaways: Defining High-Impact Tutoring (HIT): Effective elements include tutoring at least three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes, a student-to-adult ratio of no more than 4:1 (ideal), and the use of a consistent tutor. Virtual vs. In-Person: The data shows that the modality—virtual or in-person—does not significantly impact outcomes, and virtual tutoring increases access and flexibility. The Power of Embedding and Alignment: Success is enhanced by integrating tutoring into the regular school day (often via an intervention block) to reduce student stigma, and by aligning the tutoring with the core curriculum. AI’s Role: Cohen is optimistic about AI's potential to reduce costs and enhance human tutoring, for example, by creating "AI tutor coaches" to provide instant guidance and eliminate the "learning curve" for new tutors. Navigating Cost and Scale: The discussion addresses how to sustain costly HIT programs after ESSER funds expire, exploring solutions like outcomes-based contracts and increased efficiency. Why You Should Listen: Liz Cohen’s insights provide a blueprint for education leaders seeking to implement proven, scalable interventions. She argues that the successful adoption and scaling of tutoring demonstrates the education system can embrace big, hard changes. The episode concludes with thoughtful questions from the live audience on tutor preparation, combating student stigma, and measuring the return on investment by reducing future remediation costs. Liz’s education book recommendation: The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School by Neil Postman. Like, follow, and share The Education Equation with Jeremy Singer wherever you get your podcasts. Timestamps: 03:18 The Impact of COVID on Education 06:11 The History and Evolution of Tutoring 13:09 High Impact Tutoring Defined 19:07 Success Stories and Data Insights 20:04 Embedding Tutoring in School Schedules 26:40 Strategies to Reduce Tutoring Costs 31:43 The Role of AI in Tutoring 37:47 Rapid Fire Questions and Audience Q&A
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    52 mins
  • Dan Gonzalez | District C

    Dan Gonzalez | District C
    Oct 13 2025
    A Reimagined Internship with Dan Gonzalez Welcome to the Education Equation, a new podcast focused on what the evidence says actually moves the needle in education. In this episode,Jeremy Singer talks with Dan Gonzalez, co-founder and co-CEO of District C, a national nonprofit reimagining the internship experience. Dan's career spans engineering, the classroom, and corporate leadership, In 2016, Dan and his wife, Ann Jones, launched District C to address a crucial gap between academic learning and the collaborative skills students need for the modern workforce. Their solution, called Teamship, offers a new internship model where student teams solve real-world problems for real businesses. Referenced in the Episode: Dan C talking about the "3-point economy" - https://www.districtc.co/point-of-view/ Dan’s Education Book: Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol: https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Inequalities-Children-Americas-Schools/dp/0060974990 Finding Purpose: Dan explains how he found purpose in the "unlikeliest of places"—a crisis at Manhattan Prep—where a team rallied together to protect the company they had built after a major security breach. This experience taught him the importance of a common purpose in professional life. The Problem with Traditional Education: Dan argues that the education system often prepares "two-point players" for a "three-point economy" by focusing on individual achievement rather than essential collaborative and problem-solving skills. Teamship aims to develop these "three-point skills" that are valued by every employer. Teamship's Model: The Teamship program involves teams of three to four students who work on a real business problem over four to six weeks. The time commitment for the business partner is intentionally light—just five hours total—with an educator trained by District C serving as the coach. Dan provides examples of typical projects, which fall into categories such as operations, marketing, or human resources. Challenges of Scaling: The biggest challenge for scaling District C is getting school districts to adopt the program, as it doesn't have an existing "vessel" or a specific class where it easily fits. Dan hopes to solve this by creating a dedicated space for this type of programming within the school day. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of education and workforce development. Dan Gonzalez offers a compelling look at how to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the skills students need to succeed in the real world. He discusses the benefits of Teamship, the power of a shared purpose, the challenges of scaling educational innovation, and the importance of preparing the next generation with essential collaborative skills. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Education Equation podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit us at ⁠TheEducationEquation.org ⁠for more.
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    34 mins
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