This podcast, Sold a Story, was produced by APM Reports and reprinted with permission.
Sold a Story is an investigative podcast about how kids learn — what works in the classroom, the science behind those insights and why that research often doesn’t make it into schools. Season 1 revealed why so many kids are struggling to learn how to read, and it sparked a wave of change across the country. In Season 2, we go beyond reading to look at teaching itself.
Season 2, Episode 4: What can you do for my Black children?
In a poor, Black neighborhood in Houston, principal Thaddeus Lott transforms a struggling elementary school with “direct instruction.” Soon, his students are outperforming students at much wealthier schools. The results are so remarkable, some people think it’s too good to be true.
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