School Improvement

Every Student Succeeds Act How Should School Interventions Work Under ESSA?
The requirement for evidence-based interventions under ESSA has the power to help schools make academic gains, but smart implementation will be key, according to two recent reports.
Alyson Klein, September 13, 2016
4 min read
Federal White House High School Summit Highlights Work of States, Districts
The second annual White House Summit on Next Generation High Schools showcased the plans and the ongoing work of states and districts trying to make high school more challenging and engaging.
Catherine Gewertz, September 12, 2016
4 min read
School & District Management Should Teenagers Start High School Later in the Morning? More Districts Consider It
Two big school districts in Colorado are the latest to consider moving high school start times later, in response to research that suggests teenagers do better in school if they can sleep in later.
Catherine Gewertz, August 16, 2016
2 min read
School & District Management 'What High School Taught Me' Picks up Speed on Twitter
#whathighschooltaught me trends on Twitter, with a variety of high school experiences that range from the joyful to the cynical.
Catherine Gewertz, August 12, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management School Choice Hasn't Fixed Graduation-Rate Inequity in N.Y.C., Study Says
Despite more than a decade of letting students choose where to attend high school, students who live in poor neighborhoods of New York City still graduate at far lower rates than their wealthier peers.
Catherine Gewertz, May 11, 2016
4 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Charter, Alternative, Virtual Schools Account for Most Low-Grad-Rate Schools, Study Finds
The seventh annual "Grad Nation" report finds that nontraditional high schools contribute disproportionately to the picture of low graduation rates, and calls for greater attention to these schools, especially since they serve large shares of vulnerable students.
Catherine Gewertz, May 9, 2016
5 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Report: Teachers in SIG Schools Worried About Sustaining Improvement
More often than not, teachers at the SIG schools that got extra support from their districts reported that these outside efforts weren't particularly helpful.
Alyson Klein, April 14, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management South Carolina Switches to 10-Point Grading Policy
It has been harder to get an A in South Carolina than in neighboring states. But that's about to change.
Catherine Gewertz, April 13, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management 'Deeper Learning' Approach Improves Graduation Rates, Study Finds
The graduation-rate advantage serves wealthier students better than those from low-income families, but it still has a beneficial effect on less-affluent students.
Catherine Gewertz, March 9, 2016
2 min read
College & Workforce Readiness No Child Left Behind Rewrite Wins Support of High School Advocates
A focus on fixing high schools with low graduation rates, and a warm embrace of career and technical education fuel the endorsement of the Every Student Succeeds Act by secondary-school and CTE groups.
Catherine Gewertz, December 2, 2015
3 min read
Federal No Child Left Behind Rewrite Proposal Targets High School 'Failure Factories'
A compromise measure allows states to make more decisions about testing and accountability, and to let districts choose their own high school tests.
Catherine Gewertz, November 19, 2015
2 min read
School & District Management Opinion Small Schools, Stone Soup, and School Improvement
Some of the reactions to MDRC's evaluations of New York City's "small high schools" remind me of the old fable of "stone soup."
Rick Hess, October 23, 2014
3 min read
School & District Management Early Progress Reported on High School Reform Experiment
A review of the Diplomas Now intervention model shows progress is easier in developing additional student interventions and supports than changing teaching within the classroom.
Caralee J. Adams, August 12, 2014
2 min read
School & District Management Eight States Explore Flexible Career-Education Pathways
Eight states in Jobs For the Future's Pathways to Prosperity network are working to find better ways for students to succeed academically while also being trained for high-need career fields.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 1, 2014
2 min read