High School

Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools typically serving 9th to 12th grades and the students who attend them
High school student Aaron Bartsch, 17, helps unload tools from a work van before working in a customer’s home as part of an internship with Barkley Heating and Air in Smyrna, Del., on October 15, 2024.
High schooler Aaron Bartsch, 17, helps unload tools from a work van before working in a customer’s home as part of an internship with Barkley Heating and Air in Smyrna, Del., on Oct. 15, 2024. His high school offers career pathways so students can get a taste of real-world, experiential learning.
Michelle Gustafson for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Boys Think School Is a Waste of Time. Career Pathways Prove Them Wrong
Real-world, experiential learning appeals to how boys learn best, educators say.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 27, 2025
7 min read
Glitch stylized photo of a white woman with a hood over her head.
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Student Well-Being From Our Research Center What's Behind the Falloff in Social-Emotional Learning for Teens
Surveys from the EdWeek Research Center find that districts' focus on SEL is back down to pre-pandemic levels.
Arianna Prothero, January 16, 2025
5 min read
A teachers' s hand opens a student's independence.
Anna Godeassi for Education Week
Student Well-Being Are Today's Students Really Less Independent Than Previous Generations?
Experts say social-emotional learning strategies are available for teachers to help students become more independent.
Arianna Prothero, January 13, 2025
9 min read
High school student using touchpad on a modern class.
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College & Workforce Readiness What Parents Say They Want Their Kids to Get Out of High School
A new poll finds that parents strongly support more options for their kids that might reshape the high school experience.
Ileana Najarro, January 7, 2025
4 min read
Words on wooden cubes on a blue background. 3D render. Vector image of a male figure with magnifying glass searching a web window of links.
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Social Studies How History Class Can Foster Lifelong Literacy Skills
Parsing historical documents can train students to be critical consumers of information in their own lives, experts say.
Sarah Schwartz, December 26, 2024
3 min read
Karen language students work on a presentation highlighting historical figures during a Karen for Karen speakers class at Washington Tech Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn., on May 22, 2024.
Karen language students work on a presentation highlighting historical figures during a Karen for Karen-speakers class at Washington Tech Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn., on May 22, 2024. The St. Paul district has boosted seal of biliteracy participation by creating courses and assessments for less commonly spoken languages.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
English Learners Which Students Are Earning the Seal of Biliteracy, in Charts
A growing number of students are graduating high school with a seal of biliteracy recognizing their multilingualism.
Ileana Najarro, December 18, 2024
2 min read
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College & Workforce Readiness Q&A Graduation Rates Might Get Worse Before They Get Better
Schools must make a convincing case for why students should show up, Robert Balfanz says.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 2, 2024
5 min read
Close up of student holding a pencil and filling in answer sheet on a bubble test.
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Assessment Why the Pioneers of High School Exit Exams Are Rolling Them Back
Massachusetts is doing away with a decades-old graduation requirement. What will take its place?
Sarah Schwartz, November 11, 2024
7 min read
Noah Lipman's AP US Government and Politics students watch election results during a class election watch party at Big Lou's Pizza in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2024.
Students in Noah Lipman's AP U.S. Government and Politics class watch election results during a watch party at Big Lou's Pizza in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2024.
Lauren Santucci/Education Week
Social Studies Watching the Election Results Live With Mr. Lipman's AP Government Class
Students from Highlands High School in Texas came together as scholars and first-time voters to witness election results together.
Ileana Najarro, November 6, 2024
6 min read
Tight cropped photograph of a bubble sheet test with  a pencil.
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Assessment Massachusetts Voters Poised to Ditch High School Exit Exam
The support for nixing the testing requirement could foreshadow public opinion on state standardized testing in general.
Alyson Klein, November 6, 2024
3 min read
An illustration of a high school student looking in to an open book with black, gray, and red letters circling about around him.
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Reading & Literacy Reading Interventions for Older Students May Be Missing a Key Component
Many older elementary and middle school students still struggle with foundational reading skills.
Sarah Schwartz, October 30, 2024
6 min read
EdTech Megan Leddy holds up her laptop to show an Electoral College map to students Sabrina Conary and Asher Clark during a discussion in the Election Year course at Mount Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2024.
Teaching assistant Megan Leddy holds up her laptop to show an Electoral College map to students Sabrina Conary and Asher Clark during a discussion in the Election Year course at Mount Desert Island High School in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2024.
Linda Coan O'Kresik for Education Week
Social Studies Inside the Class Where Students Talk About Abortion, Trump v. Harris, and More
A Maine high school has piloted a new class called Election Year, where students dive deep into campaign politics.
Olina Banerji, October 29, 2024
8 min read
Tracie Anderson Swilley, principal of Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, SC, is named the 2025 NASSP National Principal of the Year.
Tracie Anderson Swilley, the principal of Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, S.C., is named the 2025 NASSP National Principal of the Year.
Courtesy of NASSP
School & District Management Inside the No-Limits Mindset of the New National Principal of the Year
Tracie Anderson Swilley, a high school principal in South Carolina, was awarded the title for the 2024-25 academic year.
Olina Banerji, October 21, 2024
6 min read
A series of diverse student profiles over an Algebra background. Representing Algebra tracking.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Mathematics What Happened When A District Put Struggling Students in Regular Algebra?
In de-tracked classes with specially trained teachers, some struggling students saw their performance accelerate.
Sarah Schwartz, October 17, 2024
6 min read