N ational and state-level high school Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rates (ACGR) for the 2017–18 school year were released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The national ACGR for all students was 85.3 percent, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from 2016–17. The 2017–18 ACGR for all racial and ethnic subgroups and for economically disadvantaged students increased from t
As researchers continue to examine the growing number of charter schools in the U.S., they have focused attention on the significant heterogeneity of charter effects on student achievement. This paper contributes to this agenda by examining the achievement effects of virtual charter schools vis-à-vis brick-and-mortar charters and traditional public schools and whether characteristics of teachers
Roughly one in four American adolescents experience mental health challenges, yet new survey data show that rural students and students of color have more difficulty accessing help when compared to suburban and white students. According to “ Supporting the Mental Health Well-Being of High School Students ,” a new report from ACT focusing on the results of a 2019 survey of ACT test-takers, student
This year’s college admissions scandal was shocking. But in a briefing report released by the Council on Contemporary Families today, Indiana University’s Associate Professor Jessica McCrory Calarco shows that the roots of such excesses can be traced back to parent-teacher dynamics that are evident as early as elementary school. While not focusing on such extremes, Calarco’s report, When “Helicop
shares insights from educator-preparation programs — and over 1,000 future teachers — that are transforming preparation through the lens of learning science. The study is based on results from a first-of-its-kind formative assessment given to over 1,000 future teachers – and teacher-educators – across the network. What do future teachers know about learning science and its translation to rigorou
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) recently reviewed eligible research on Balanced Leadership® and its impacts on school leaders, teachers, and students. The results are summarized in an intervention report released by IES on March 11, 2020. Balanced Leadership® is a professional development program that supports school principals and other current and aspiring school leaders to understand and im
In December of 2019, The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM offered teachers the ability to take an online, anonymous survey reflecting their current state of teaching. This is the second year this has been offered to teachers, so they now have comparative data based on the 2018 results. Complete report Key Findings Just like last year, teachers are overwhelmed. From taking work home to pay
For the first time ever, early childhood educators (ECEs) have collectively and clearly defined the standards, qualifications, roles, supports, and compensation for members of their profession working with children birth through age 8. They simultaneously call for significant increases in federal and state investments to ensure young children, families, businesses, and the economy are well-served
A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) claims a chain of benefits will purportedly follow if the current cap on voucher enrollment for the state of Wisconsin is increased. It describes a “ripple effect of economic benefits that will reverberate throughout the state.” William J. Mathis, Managing Director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of
Every year, Education Commission of the States scans state policies for changes to arts education standards — everything from course requirements for students in elementary, middle and high schools to licensure requirements for educators who teach in the arts. The result is this one-page synopsis of 14 state policies pertaining to arts education, and it is now updated for 2020.
The national median of total revenues per pupil and expenditures per pupil increased across all public school districts between budget years 2016 and 2017. A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) provides information about revenues and expenditures in the nation’s public school districts for school year 2016-17. The report uses data from the provisional School Distri
Fraction Face-Off! This What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention report summarizes research on Fraction Face-Off! , a supplemental math program designed to assist fourth-grade students with solving fraction problems. The WWC reviewed eligible research on Fraction Face-Off! and found that this program may increase fourth-grade student achievement in geometric and measurement, numbers and operat
Students from different backgrounds in the United States enter college with equal interest in STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But that equal interest does not result in equal outcomes. Six years after starting an undergraduate STEM degree, roughly twice as many white students finished it compared to African American students. A new study by researchers at the Univ
Selective college admissions are fundamentally a question of tradeoffs: Given capacity, admitting one student means rejecting another. Research to date has generally estimated average effects of college selectivity, and has been unable to distinguish between the effects on students gaining access and on those losing access under alternative admissions policies. This study uses the introduction of
Although women earn approximately 50 percent of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) bachelor’s degrees, more than 70 percent of scientists and engineers are men. This study explores a potential determinant of this STEM gender gap using newly collected data on the career trajectories of United States Air Force Academy students. Among high-ability female students, being assigned a fema
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder among U.S. children. ADHD diagnoses have risen among children with both severe and mild behavioral problems, partly in response to mounting academic pressure. This study examines the consequences of ADHD diagnosis. Diagnosis can bring beneficial pharmacological treatment and social supports, but it can also tri
The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) aim to engage students in complex mathematical practices, including modeling, reasoning, and argumentation. Currently, little is known about how teachers’ daily instruction supports these practices. This study draws upon data from daily logs completed by third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade mathematics teachers from 39 states to learn about stu
Student-teacher relationships that improve over time may help slow or prevent declines in student motivation. In a diverse sample of 1,274 middle and high school students from three schools, this mixed-methods study found that those
