Public schools are mandated to provide educational opportunities to all students and generally work very hard to support learners with profound deficits or differences. But what about learners who require enrichment rather than accommodations? Amy and Mike invited Kenneth Shores to examine the question of what public education owes to advanced students.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. In theory, what is the purpose of public education?

2. Why has public education struggled to support advanced students?

3. Does harm occur when enrichment is withheld from thriving students?

4. Why shouldn't families be responsible for providing enrichment?

5. How does supporting advanced students align with the purpose of public education?

MEET OUR GUEST

Dr. Kenneth A. Shores is an associate professor specializing in education policy in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, and he is affiliated with the UD Center for Research in Education and Social Policy. His research is focused on educational inequality and encompasses both descriptive and causal inference. To this end, his work addresses racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in test scores, school disciplinary policy, classification systems, and school resources. In addition, he has examined how improvements to school finance systems can reduce educational inequality and how vulnerabilities in school finance systems can contribute to it.

Dr. Shores was a National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellow, a Philanthropy and Civic Society Fellow, a Stanford Graduate Fellow, and an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Predoctoral Fellow. In 2018, he was the co-recipient of the National Council on Measurement in Education's Annual Award for exceptional achievement in educational measurement.

He received his Ph.D. in education policy analysis from Stanford University. Prior to graduate school, he was a middle school teacher on the Navajo Nation.

Kenneth can be reached at https://kennethshores.com or kshores@udel.edu.

LINKS

Rethinking What Public Education Owes to Flourishing Children

High-achieving students deserve to be challenged in school

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ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: December 2025

The Tests and the Rest podcast has always been relentlessly focused on exploring important topics in testing, admissions, education, and learning with amazing expert guests. Sometimes, though, we enjoy an unstructured opportunity to discuss our own takes on major issues, upcoming events, and our endeavors at the intersection of business and education. Catch up with us in the latest episode of EXTEMP with Amy & Mike.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How was the NTPA Winter Workshop?

2. What are Amy and Mike's plans for finishing the year strong?

3. What are Amy and Mike's favorite Christmas carols?

4. What are Amy and Mike's goals for 2026?

5. What's coming up in the next month for Amy and Mike?

We definitely want to respond to listener questions in our next EXTEMP episode, so reach out to us on social media or get in touch through our contact page. Let's get this Tests and the Rest mailbag rolling!

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ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.

Every dollar saved for college is a dollar you won't have to borrow. But even if you can save, what's the best way to put money aside for higher education? Amy and Mike invited financial expert Joanne Dashiell to explore new ways to use your 529 plan.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What exactly is a 529 plan, and how does it work?

2. Can you talk about the two different types of 529 plans, savings and prepaid?

3. What are some of the tax advantages associated with using a 529 plan?

4. How have 2025 policy changes expanded 529 plan flexibility?

5. What is the one message you hope families take away about saving for college?

MEET OUR GUEST

Joanne Dashiell serves as Chief Marketing Officer at CollegeWell and Private College 529 Plan. In her current role, Joanne is responsible for leading all marketing efforts across multiple audiences and channels for CollegeWell. She brings over 20 years of higher education experience and a passion for helping families and students make their college dreams an affordable reality. Through her varied roles, Joanne has helped tens of thousands of families prepare for college by developing education and outreach programs for audiences of all ages.

As an industry expert, Joanne has delivered presentations throughout the country at national, regional, and state conferences. She serves as a resource for secondary and post-secondary professionals, providing guidance on financial aid regulations and trends in college enrollment and financing. Joanne's higher education career began in 2001, during which she spent several years working in financial aid at both public and private institutions, as well as in various roles at MEFA, ASA, and the Higher Education Assistance Group.

Joanne can be reached at education@pc529.com.

LINKS

Can 529 Funds Be Used to Pay for Test Prep?

Private College 529 Plan | What is a 529 Plan?

Education Savings Vehicles: Know Your Options

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