State legislatures and education agencies have increasingly been turning to high-quality instructional materials (HQIMs) as a key lever for systemic improvement of student learning. Louisiana's accomplishments in this area have been particularly noteworthy, evidenced by modest improvements in student outcomes, "large and intriguing…

In 2023, 2.5 million high school students participated in dual enrollment -- programs that allow them to take and earn credit for college-level courses. Research shows that dual enrollment leads to better student outcomes, such as higher graduation rates, college enrollment, and credit accumulation. However, access to these programs is…

At their best, K-12 public school systems can be engines of social and economic mobility. Unfortunately, schools in lower-income districts -- whose students have the greatest academic needs -- often receive less funding than their counterparts in more affluent districts. Discussions about closing these funding gaps usually zoom all the way out to…

In 2022, Tennessee overhauled its education funding formula to improve outcomes for the 1 million students in the state. The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA) was designed to simplify the existing funding formula and more equitably allocate resources to schools. Bellwether's case study, "After the Policy Win: First-Year…

Over the past decade, many states have embraced the "science of reading," an interdisciplinary body of research about what works and matters most in teaching students to read. In 2021, North Carolina passed the Excellent Public Schools Act to advance teachers' understanding and use of science of reading practices, and the state's…