The Civics Academy: The Basics with Dr. Ron Ferguson

This series includes presentations on public finance, city services, and other topics that are important to our community. The goal is to inform residents about their local government and community and, in turn, support positive change in the City of Beloit.

This session features Dr. Ron Ferguson. Dr. Ferguson is a leading expert on education, achievement gaps, and early childhood development. He earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both in economics. Dr. Ferguson taught at Harvard Kennedy School for over four decades, and held visiting appointments at MIT, Brown, and Brandeis Universities.

In addition to teaching and writing, Dr. Ferguson has consulted with school departments and agencies at all levels of government on efforts to raise achievement levels and close achievement gaps. He is the creator of the Tripod Project for School Improvement, including the widely used Tripod Student Survey Assessments. He also devoted 15 years as faculty co-chair and director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University and three as faculty co-chair of the Pathways to Prosperity Initiative on adolescent-to-adult transitions at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Dr. Ferguson formally launched the Boston Basics (later renamed The Basics) in September 2016. The project, initially a part of Harvard’s Achievement Gap Initiative, was established as a nonprofit organization, The Basics, Inc., in 2017. Today more than 60 communities in the U.S., Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, and Canada participate in The Basics Learning Network (BLN), which The Basics, Inc. leads. The Basics Rock County, Wisconsin is a BLN member, supported by the Stateline Community Foundation. Dr. Ferguson’s most recent book, coauthored with Tatsha Robertson and published in 2019, is The Formula: Unlocking the Secrets to Raising Highly Successful Children.

Bring your own lunch. We will have light refreshments.