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A classroom in Geneva Elementary School in Geneva County Schools, Geneva, Alabama on August04, 2026
A classroom in Geneva Elementary School in Geneva, Ala., is pictured in August 2026. Alabama still offers pay incentives for teachers in shortage areas, but many states do not, a new report finds.
Trisha Crain/Al.com via TNS
Teaching Profession What the Research Says States Roll Back Pay Incentives for Teachers in High-Need Areas
A new national study finds less differentiated pay for science fields, high-risk student groups.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 29, 2026
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3 min read
Many Philadelphia schools lack adequate electrical service to support effective whole-school air conditioning on Sept. 8, 2023. Bayard Taylor, in Hunting Park , has window units but they do not cool the whole building.
Window air conditioning units at Bayard Taylor School in Philadelpia, pictured here on Sept. 8, 2023, do not cool the whole building. High classroom temperatures can make it harder for students to learn and perform well on tests, a new report outlines.
Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer via TNS
School Climate & Safety How Extreme Weather Threatens Student Learning and Academic Progress
Too-hot classrooms put the brain in "survival management mode," one expert said.
Sarah Schwartz, September 28, 2026
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5 min read
Algebra I is a graduation requirement in Trinity, Fla. high school on Sept. 9, 2025.
A student completes an algebra assignment at a Trinity, Fla., high school on Sept. 9, 2025. States and districts have stepped up efforts to enroll more students in Algebra 1 by 8th grade—and address academic hurdles earlier so they are ready for the class.
Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via TNS
Mathematics Algebra in 8th Grade: 4 Things to Know About Access and Achievement
Student access to the critical math course varies by demographic group and size of district.
Evie Blad & Laura Baker, September 25, 2026
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4 min read
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 8: HISD Superintendent Mike Miles and Cullen Middle School Principal Erica Brame-Manuel tour Cullen Middle School, which now hosts Cullen Military Academy-the only school of its kind in Houston ISD, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 in Houston.
Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles and Principal Erica Brame-Manuel tour Cullen Middle School in Houston on Oct. 8, 2024. New research shows that repeated superintendent transitions often trigger ripple effects on district performance and student achievement.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
School & District Management The High Cost of Turnover: How Superintendent Churn Affects Classrooms
New research argues that chronic leadership stability erodes institutional knowledge and disrupts long-term initiatives.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 24, 2026
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5 min read
Illustration of the back of a male student against a back drop of a hand-drawn laptop with a spring like curly line coming from the laptop to another pop out screen that shows the words "Advance"
Illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Getty
Student Achievement Can Schools Nudge Students to Take More Advanced Courses?
Researchers found promising results when schools "nudged" students to take more challenging courses.
Evie Blad, September 22, 2026
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5 min read
Nash Tilman, a participant in the Teacher Academy Pathway, reads The Rose That Grew From Concrete, a poem by Tupac Shakur, to 6th grade students at (Room 14) Robinson Elementary on November 7, 2025 in Fresno. California.
Nash Tilman, a participant in Fresno Unified school district's Teacher Academy Pathway, reads The Rose That Grew From Concrete, a poem by Tupac Shakur, to 6th grade students at Robinson Elementary on Nov. 7, 2025 in Fresno, Calif. A new study examines the extent to which high school education courses help more people become teachers.
Andri Tambunan for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says High School Teacher Academies Work. But There's a Break in the Pipeline
Aspiring teachers of color often hit a wall before making it to the classroom, a new study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 21, 2026
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5 min read
Student sitting criss cross pondering.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Teen Mental Health Is Improving, CDC Finds. Then Why Are Experts Still Concerned?
Student mental health remains a big challenge for schools to address.
Lauraine Langreo, September 21, 2026
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5 min read
HOUSTON, TEXASA - MARCH 18: Students play in the playground of Iman Academy Southwest is photographed on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 in Houston.
Students play in the playground of Iman Academy Southwest on March 18, 2025 in Houston. Across the country, many schools prioritize instructional time over recess—despite research that shows opportunities for play can improve academic performance.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Student Well-Being & Movement Skimping on Recess Won't Fix Test Scores, Experts Say
Parent advocates are spreading the research-backed message: Kids need to move during the school day.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 21, 2026
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5 min read
September 15, 2026 Browne Middle School 102
Eighth graders work on math problems in a dual language class taught primarily in English at Joseph A. Browne Middle School in Chelsea, Mass. on Sept. 15, 2026. About a third of the students at the middle school are classified as English learners.
Sophie Park for Education Week
English Learners How Schools Can Better Support Older English Learners
Strategies exist to help students who carry the English-learner label beyond elementary school.
Ileana Najarro, September 21, 2026
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8 min read
Illustration by Nicole Xu showing a female high school English learner looking confused in a regular general education classroom. The student has a swirly, white circle of confusion around her head.
Nicole Xu for Education Week
English Learners From Our Research Center Where English Learners Spend the School Day, in Charts
Though dual-language classrooms offer the most benefits, English learners are least likely there.
Ileana Najarro, September 21, 2026
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6 min read
Mitchell High math teacher James Dye leads a Florida Advanced Course and Test (FACT) College Algebra course in September. The State Board of Education is set to update its rules so students can earn in-state college credit for successfully completing FACT courses in Trinity, Florida on September 09, 2025.
Math teacher James Dye leads a Florida Advanced Course and Test (FACT) college-level algebra course on Sept. 9, 2025, at Mitchell high school in Trinity, Fla. Some researchers suggest it is better to introduce students to academically rigorous courses far earlier than 11th or 12th grade.
Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via TNS
College & Workforce Readiness The Case for Expanding Access to Advanced Courses Before High School
Academic acceleration for 11th and 12th graders had little effect on college course choices.
Evie Blad, September 17, 2026
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3 min read