Academic Achievement

Summer Learning
commentary
Commit Now to Get Summer Programming Right
Heather L. Schwartz, Catherine H. Augustine, Jennifer Sloan McCombs
Apr 15, 2021
The RAND Blog
When summer programs are targeted to needs, intentionally designed, and well attended, they produce positive outcomes in math and reading. But these programs need federal support, and they require early planning.
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Education Facilities
commentary
Engaging Learning Spaces Are Important, Even During a Pandemic
Elizabeth D. Steiner @ED_Steiner
Aug 18, 2020
The RAND Blog
While considering new uses for and formations of school space, planners might also consider whether these spaces will be conducive to learning. Research links the physical condition of learning spaces to improved student physical health and academic performance.
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Educational Equity
essay
The COVID Slide: How to Help Students Recover Learning Losses
Jul 9, 2020
Research shows that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for youth. How can we use what we know about summer learning to help kids in the age of COVID-19?
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College-Bound Students
commentary
Is It Time to Rethink the Separation Between the High School and Postsecondary Systems?
Julie Edmunds, Fatih Unlu @fatih_unlu_R, Elizabeth J. Glennie, Brian Phillips, Nina Arshavsky
Apr 16, 2020
Brookings Institution's Brown Center Chalkboard
We do not yet know how long or deep this economic downturn will be, or how the pandemic will affect the way we work and learn. But just as the post-coronavirus workplace is surely being re-envisioned, this crisis should motivate us to reconsider the structure of our educational system. Early college is a model that can help inform these discussions.
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Education Reform
commentary
What LAUSD Can Learn from the New York City Community Schools Initiative
William R. Johnston
Jan 28, 2020
Los Angeles Times
A study of New York City's community schools found improved academic performance, higher attendance, and other positive outcomes for disadvantaged students. This model could benefit similar efforts underway in Los Angeles, where 80 percent of students live in poverty.
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Principals
essay
Investing in Principals Helps Students Succeed
Jul 5, 2019
Hiring good principals is one of the most important things a district can do for its students, second only to hiring good teachers. Students whose schools participated in a principal pipeline initiative outperformed their peers by six percentage points on reading tests and nearly three points in math.
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Principals
commentary
For Teachers, a Good Boss Makes All the Difference
Susan M. Gates, Laura S. Hamilton
Apr 4, 2019
The 74 Million
Districts that try to place an effective leader in every school could reap educational benefits in the classroom. Giving a teacher a good boss also could be a powerful element in a broader strategy to recruit and retain highly effective educators.
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Social and Emotional Learning
commentary
Measuring Social-Emotional Skills, Carefully
Laura S. Hamilton, Brian M. Stecher
Feb 28, 2019
FutureEd
In the often-fraught debate over education policy, there is growing agreement that educators should pay close attention to the development of the social and emotional skills that allow students to persevere when working on difficult tasks, regulate emotions, and work effectively in teams. But measuring such skills remains a significant challenge.
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Academic Achievement Gap
commentary
The Potential for Early Years Programmes to Close the Disadvantage Gap Is Under-Examined
Megan Sim, Julie Belanger
Oct 12, 2018
Schools Week
Many schools are looking to close the disadvantage gap in their communities, but they need more evidence about what actually works. Research that helps policymakers and practitioners understand how early years interventions can promote equity and close the disadvantage gap is needed.
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Personalized Learning
commentary
What Emerging Research Says About the Promise of Personalized Learning
John F. Pane @JohnFPane
Aug 16, 2017
Brookings Institution's Brown Center Chalkboard
Personalized learning could lead to improved student outcomes. But those implementing this approach should temper their expectations for how big these benefits will be—and be patient while the benefits emerge. It's also important to consider the challenges of implementation.
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Education Reform
commentary
Going Forward, Looking Back: Lessons from School Improvement Grants
Rebecca Herman
May 10, 2017
The Hill
The Every Student Succeeds Act takes effect this fall, returning significant power to states and local districts to set goals and prescribe strategies to lift achievement. As schools finalize their plans under the new law, they can learn from the shortcomings of School Improvement Grants.
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Teacher Effectiveness
blog
The Challenges of Measuring Effective Teaching
Nov 16, 2016
While educators, policymakers, and parents may agree on the need for more effective teachers, they often use different criteria to judge whether schools are doing their job. Parents have varied priorities for what they want in teachers and in schools.
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Secondary Education
commentary
What's Behind Record High School Graduation Rates? It's Complicated
Laura S. Hamilton
Oct 21, 2016
United Press International
Graduation rates among U.S. high schoolers have risen for the fourth straight year. Which reforms are making a difference? And who, or what, should get credit?
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Academic Achievement
essay
Personalized Learning: The Latest Buzz in Classroom Instruction
Aug 22, 2016
Students in personalized learning classrooms made greater gains in math and reading than their peers in other schools. But there are barriers to fully personalized learning, including rigid state standards and time demands on teachers.
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Principals
commentary
Principals in Small Districts Receive Far Less 'Instructional Leadership' Support, Survey Shows
Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman
Aug 16, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Until recently, little was known about how much support principals in the United States receive to be effective “instructional leaders.” A national survey shows that mentors and supervisors do provide feedback focused on principals' role in teaching and learning, but the amount varies.
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Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
Pittsburgh Schools Are Making Progress
John Engberg
Jul 11, 2016
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Public Schools can reach new levels of excellence if its leadership boldly and wisely chooses initiatives that will serve all children and if it uses data to decide which initiatives should continue.
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Developing Strategies for Summer Learning

Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

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Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Academic Achievement

Commit Now to Get Summer Programming Right

Engaging Learning Spaces Are Important, Even During a Pandemic

The COVID Slide: How to Help Students Recover Learning Losses

Is It Time to Rethink the Separation Between the High School and Postsecondary Systems?

What LAUSD Can Learn from the New York City Community Schools Initiative

Investing in Principals Helps Students Succeed

For Teachers, a Good Boss Makes All the Difference

Measuring Social-Emotional Skills, Carefully

The Potential for Early Years Programmes to Close the Disadvantage Gap Is Under-Examined

What Emerging Research Says About the Promise of Personalized Learning

Going Forward, Looking Back: Lessons from School Improvement Grants

The Challenges of Measuring Effective Teaching

What's Behind Record High School Graduation Rates? It's Complicated

Personalized Learning: The Latest Buzz in Classroom Instruction

Principals in Small Districts Receive Far Less 'Instructional Leadership' Support, Survey Shows

Pittsburgh Schools Are Making Progress

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