Matt has written numerous times on the remarkable progress that has been made in Florida, see for example here. Forces are gathering in Indiana that suggests they may be next to try to full court press of Florida reforms. The governor, the state superintendent, the Indianapolis newspaper, and a bipartisan coalition of state legislators on the education committee seem poised to pursue some significant reforms.
First up on their agenda is passage of a bill to end the social promotion of 3rd graders who are unable to read at a basic level. Patricia Levesque and I each have op-eds in the Indy Star on this topic , with a favorable introduction from the editor.
Check it out.
Jay P. Greene's Blog 