New state test scores for North Carolina’s public school kids are significantly lower than previous years. State education officials say the drop in scores is due to more rigorous tests. But the John Locke Foundation’s Terry Stoops, director of research and education studies, explains that there are very troubling numbers the deeper you dig into the data. He also discusses testing and where North Carolina kids stand in relation to kids in other states. Then we turn to tax law. After passing a major tax reform plan earlier this year, North Carolina legislators still have decisions to make about changes in tax policy. You’ll hear highlights from a recent debate about the best way to proceed with sales taxes for ticketed entertainment events across the state. Then we turn to research on policies that do and don’t impact economic growth. John Locke Foundation President John Hood has spent recent months examining hundreds of academic journal studies assessing the impact of government policies on states’ economic growth. He discussed key findings during a recent public presentation.
That’s followed by comments from the man best known for his work as an independent counsel for the federal government in the late 1990s. Baylor University president Kenneth Starr is also making news now by speaking out in favor of higher education reform. Starr shares some of his ideas for improving American colleges and universities. And finally, we discuss Medicaid reform and the need for reform in North Carolina. John Locke Foundation Health and Human Services Analyst Katherine Restrepo discusses a new report that shines the light on flaws in North Carolina’s current Medicaid delivery system, and why the governor is on the right track with his reform ideas.