James S. Murphy
@jamessmurphy.bsky.social
Sometimes I write slow, sometimes I write quick. Mostly about college stuff.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.jamessmurphy.com
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.jamessmurphy.com
Pinned
James S. Murphy
@jamessmurphy.bsky.social
· Nov 20
What states get the biggest benefit from the US Department of Education (@usedgov)
@ipeds_nces has until next Friday to release the Winter 2024-5 survey data before it will be the latest release ever.
November 26, 2025 at 7:59 PM
@ipeds_nces has until next Friday to release the Winter 2024-5 survey data before it will be the latest release ever.
Excited to talk about this subject that unexpectedly has taken up a lot of space in my brain and work this fall.
Speaking of work, I'm no longer at Ed Reform Now. I'm thrilled to be a Senior Fellow at Class Action, where I'll continue to work on admissions reform and expanding access to higher ed.
Speaking of work, I'm no longer at Ed Reform Now. I'm thrilled to be a Senior Fellow at Class Action, where I'll continue to work on admissions reform and expanding access to higher ed.
New ACTS reporting requirements are finalized and they introduce significant data obligations for 4-year institutions. Join us for a webinar with @jamessmurphy.bsky.social to unpack what's next.
Thurs, Dec 4 @ 3pm ET
Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
#ACTS #IPEDS #HigherEd #EdPolicy #Data
Thurs, Dec 4 @ 3pm ET
Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
#ACTS #IPEDS #HigherEd #EdPolicy #Data
November 26, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Excited to talk about this subject that unexpectedly has taken up a lot of space in my brain and work this fall.
Speaking of work, I'm no longer at Ed Reform Now. I'm thrilled to be a Senior Fellow at Class Action, where I'll continue to work on admissions reform and expanding access to higher ed.
Speaking of work, I'm no longer at Ed Reform Now. I'm thrilled to be a Senior Fellow at Class Action, where I'll continue to work on admissions reform and expanding access to higher ed.
It appears that a bunch of NCES sites are down with a 503 error this morning.
November 26, 2025 at 11:39 AM
It appears that a bunch of NCES sites are down with a 503 error this morning.
Reposted by James S. Murphy
The good news: the president has pardoned the turkey.
The bad news: two hours later the turkey was arrested for running a ponzi scheme and committing acts of gross sexual imposition.
The bad news: two hours later the turkey was arrested for running a ponzi scheme and committing acts of gross sexual imposition.
November 25, 2025 at 1:38 PM
The good news: the president has pardoned the turkey.
The bad news: two hours later the turkey was arrested for running a ponzi scheme and committing acts of gross sexual imposition.
The bad news: two hours later the turkey was arrested for running a ponzi scheme and committing acts of gross sexual imposition.
Take 2 minutes to tell your Congress Members "no thanks" to transferring programs and offices out of the Department, and tell them to speak out against attempts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
www.protectpubliced.org/take-action
www.protectpubliced.org/take-action
Take Action — ProtectPublicEd.org
www.protectpubliced.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Take 2 minutes to tell your Congress Members "no thanks" to transferring programs and offices out of the Department, and tell them to speak out against attempts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
www.protectpubliced.org/take-action
www.protectpubliced.org/take-action
Reposted by James S. Murphy
Turns out that holding kids back if they can't read by 3rd grade is good for temporary test score increases but terrible for the adults the kids become www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
November 24, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Turns out that holding kids back if they can't read by 3rd grade is good for temporary test score increases but terrible for the adults the kids become www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Reposted by James S. Murphy
My reflections on the illegal destruction of the U.S. Department of Education for @circulatingideas.bsky.social. It’s not too late to fix this! #highered #academicsky
I was honored to interview Bradley Dean for the Circulating Ideas podcast. Bradley really did a fantastic job in this interview. @circulatingideas.bsky.social
circulatingideas.com/2025/11/24/3...
circulatingideas.com/2025/11/24/3...
301: Federal Education Policy, with Dr. Bradley Custer
Guest host Troy Swanson chats with Dr. Bradley Custer, higher education expert, about his experience at the U.S. Department of Education, the impact of recent mass firings, and what these changes m…
circulatingideas.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:53 PM
My reflections on the illegal destruction of the U.S. Department of Education for @circulatingideas.bsky.social. It’s not too late to fix this! #highered #academicsky
Saw a post over the weekend speculating that "elite" universities would soon be the only place offering bachelor's degrees in the humanities. I'm not so sure.
November 24, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Saw a post over the weekend speculating that "elite" universities would soon be the only place offering bachelor's degrees in the humanities. I'm not so sure.
Reposted by James S. Murphy
It appears that ED's first attempt to shift a piece of its portfolio to another agency has not gone tremendously well. We'll see if there are any lessons applied to this new, larger attempt.
The Education Department gave another agency power to distribute money. It hasn’t gone smoothly.
Critics say issues with accessing federal career and technical education funding could preview bigger problems when the Trump administration starts to outsource more of the Education Department’s resp...
www.politico.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:40 PM
It appears that ED's first attempt to shift a piece of its portfolio to another agency has not gone tremendously well. We'll see if there are any lessons applied to this new, larger attempt.
Reposted by James S. Murphy
On Dec 4, @innovateedunyc.bsky.social and I are hosting a webinar unpacking the new ACTS reporting requirements and what happens next. Sign up below.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
November 21, 2025 at 3:23 AM
On Dec 4, @innovateedunyc.bsky.social and I are hosting a webinar unpacking the new ACTS reporting requirements and what happens next. Sign up below.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Reposted by James S. Murphy
Highly selective colleges have been leaning into early decision. At more than 70 colleges and universities last year, they enrolled 40%+ of their class through ED. Evan Mandery and I are asking them to reverse course in this @bostonglobe.com op-ed. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/15/o...
Why top colleges should cut back on early decision admissions - The Boston Globe
Colleges have increasingly relied upon early decision to secure ever-larger portions of their entering classes. But the early decision edge goes largely to students who already have a big leg up on th...
www.bostonglobe.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Highly selective colleges have been leaning into early decision. At more than 70 colleges and universities last year, they enrolled 40%+ of their class through ED. Evan Mandery and I are asking them to reverse course in this @bostonglobe.com op-ed. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/15/o...
Saw Sentimental Value today. Just incredible.
November 24, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Saw Sentimental Value today. Just incredible.
Reposted by James S. Murphy
Gen Xers weren't hating the Beatles, they were figuring out that Revelvor is the best one.
November 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Gen Xers weren't hating the Beatles, they were figuring out that Revelvor is the best one.
Reposted by James S. Murphy
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
In case you were wondering why legacy preferences still exist in elite college admissions.
"the emails depict a group whose highest commitment is to their own permanence in the class that decides things. When principles conflict with staying in the network, the network wins."
An excellent and tragically necessary piece from Anand Giridharadas (@anandwrites.bsky.social) for the NYT (gift-link): www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
November 23, 2025 at 1:15 PM
In case you were wondering why legacy preferences still exist in elite college admissions.
When satire is actually pretty good advice. theonion.com/nation-s-par...
Nation’s Parents Release Annual Ranking Of Top 50 ‘Perfectly Good’ State Schools
The list includes dozens of totally fine schools where students can learn all the same things they’d learn at one of those expensive colleges on the East Coast.
theonion.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:45 PM
When satire is actually pretty good advice. theonion.com/nation-s-par...
Reposted by James S. Murphy
Irony about this *turns out COVID didn't break the Dems after all* take is that the polls re school closures have been remarkably consistent on this FOR YEARS. Question is why have so many journalists/pundits been unable to accept this? www.theargumentmag.com/p/the-covid-...
The COVID political backlash disappeared
Turns out the pandemic didn't break the Democratic Party
www.theargumentmag.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Irony about this *turns out COVID didn't break the Dems after all* take is that the polls re school closures have been remarkably consistent on this FOR YEARS. Question is why have so many journalists/pundits been unable to accept this? www.theargumentmag.com/p/the-covid-...
Reposted by James S. Murphy
I wanted to write a story about how public universities discussed the proposed federal compact in private. But public universities are resistant to turning over public records, ignoring deadlines and fighting to keep documents private.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Public Universities Don’t Want to Discuss the Compact
Institutions have been slow to respond to records requests related to the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” and UT Austin is fighting to withhold records.
www.insidehighered.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I wanted to write a story about how public universities discussed the proposed federal compact in private. But public universities are resistant to turning over public records, ignoring deadlines and fighting to keep documents private.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Reposted by James S. Murphy
“As a result, the data coming out of highly selective colleges will be impossible to interpret accurately, since legacy and donor preferences and athletics have a very significant impact on who is admitted to a college.”
On Dec 4, @innovateedunyc.bsky.social and I are hosting a webinar unpacking the new ACTS reporting requirements and what happens next. Sign up below.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
November 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
“As a result, the data coming out of highly selective colleges will be impossible to interpret accurately, since legacy and donor preferences and athletics have a very significant impact on who is admitted to a college.”
Reposted by James S. Murphy
Despite temporary test score gains, Jiee finds that “third grade retention significantly reduces annual earnings at age 26 by $3,477 (19%)” — driven by increased absenteeism, violent behavior, and juvenile crime, and reduced likelihood of H.S. graduation.
Super important findings for policymakers!
Super important findings for policymakers!
November 21, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Despite temporary test score gains, Jiee finds that “third grade retention significantly reduces annual earnings at age 26 by $3,477 (19%)” — driven by increased absenteeism, violent behavior, and juvenile crime, and reduced likelihood of H.S. graduation.
Super important findings for policymakers!
Super important findings for policymakers!
Reposted by James S. Murphy
Forthcoming in AEJ: Applied Economics: "Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings" by Jiee Zhong. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings
(Forthcoming Article) - This paper provides new causal evidence on the effects of grade retention on educational
attainment, behavioral outcomes, and labor market performance by analyzing Texas’s read...
www.aeaweb.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Forthcoming in AEJ: Applied Economics: "Early Grade Retention Harms Adult Earnings" by Jiee Zhong. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
On Dec 4, @innovateedunyc.bsky.social and I are hosting a webinar unpacking the new ACTS reporting requirements and what happens next. Sign up below.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
November 21, 2025 at 3:23 AM
On Dec 4, @innovateedunyc.bsky.social and I are hosting a webinar unpacking the new ACTS reporting requirements and what happens next. Sign up below.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
The problems that will be created by shifting some functions to other agencies are going to much worse than originally expected.
And they were originally expected to be very bad.
Also ED knows this. www.govexec.com/management/2...
And they were originally expected to be very bad.
Also ED knows this. www.govexec.com/management/2...
Trump admin acknowledges difficulties in transferring Education programs to other agencies, internal documents show
The work Education has done so far is "minuscule" compared to what's to come, department says.
www.govexec.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:11 AM
The problems that will be created by shifting some functions to other agencies are going to much worse than originally expected.
And they were originally expected to be very bad.
Also ED knows this. www.govexec.com/management/2...
And they were originally expected to be very bad.
Also ED knows this. www.govexec.com/management/2...
UT board of Regents didn't say anything public about the Compact in their meetings this week. But they got up to other stuff. www.statesman.com/news/educati...
UT Regents will have 'ultimate' power over college hiring, curriculum
Moving forward, UT Regents will have greater authority over what degrees are offered and who fills key leadership roles at the system's Texas public institutions.
www.statesman.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:26 PM
UT board of Regents didn't say anything public about the Compact in their meetings this week. But they got up to other stuff. www.statesman.com/news/educati...