The George W. Bush Institute began the Middle School Matters (MSM) initiative in 2010 with the goal of increasing the number of students who are prepared for high school and postsecondary success. The initiative accomplishes this by drawing upon evidence-based research to develop practical tools and engaging support opportunities for middle grade…

In 2014-15, the high school graduation rate reached a record high of 83 percent (U.S. Department of Education 2016). Despite the gains, over half a million students still drop out of high school each year (U.S. Department of Education 2015). High schools have adopted various strategies designed to keep students who are at risk of not graduating in…

This report is an evaluation of the Investing in Innovation (i3) program, a tiered-evidence grantmaking initiative at the U.S. Department of Education. The program's primary purpose is to support the development, testing, and scaling of field-initiated programs for high-need students in K-12 education. This report reviews the program's early…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of supplemental instruction (SI) as a high-impact intervention for Organic Chemistry at a newly designated Hispanic Serving Institute. Results indicated a significant correlation between SI and academic outcomes, measured by the American Chemical Society (ACS) standardized assessment.…

Central Piedmont Community College is exploring ways to help at-risk students achieve academic success by utilizing an early-alert system called Success Through Academic Reporting (STAR). All First-Time, Full-time Degree-seeking students (FFD) receive an opportunity for follow-up services that support a centralized strategy, which has the…

Annually, states are required to monitor whether school districts disproportionately refer certain student groups into special education services. However, these monitoring methods do not account for student factors theorized to be associated with the presence of a learning disability. I explore whether conclusions drawn from current measures of…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced America's public schools to close in the latter half of the 2019-20 school year. Schools' reopening plans vary for 2020-21. We reviewed the reopening plans for all 50 states, as well as the largest 120 school districts in the United States with a particular focus on reopening modalities, mask-wearing guidance, the…

Nested within a 5-year examination of Teach for America (TFA) corps members' experiences with learning to teach, this article focuses on the salient theme of "Reform Models" found in data collected when a highly publicized testing cheating scandal was breaking in this urban district. Using constructivist grounded theory, researchers…

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Seoul Agenda for Arts Education (2010) calls for ensuring equitable access to arts education for all, strengthening the quality of arts education and harnessing its potential to contribute to resolving social and cultural challenges. In both South Africa and Denmark, a…

According to Every Student Succeeds Act, schools are accountable for the improvement of all children; including those with disabilities or difficulties, recently arrived English language learners (ELs) as well as long-term ELs, and all students for whom English is not their native language. To meet the accountability requirements, it is essential…

School closures because of natural phenomena, such as COVID-19, underscore the importance of effective distance learning strategies when there are no in-school alternatives. Our study describes the implementation of a multimedia science program before and after school closure due to COVID-19 in a variety of ways depending on schools'…

Over the last 25 years, the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) has invested nearly $5.3 billion into the charter school sector, directing funds to schools in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Approximately 60% of students in CSP grantee schools are from low-income backgrounds and 64% are Black or Hispanic. The CSP has played a critical role in…

The primary source of federal aid for elementary and secondary education is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)--particularly its Title I-A program, which authorizes federal aid for the education of disadvantaged students. This report provides an overview of major provisions of the ESEA. It also includes a table showing annual…

The next President of the United States has an enormous responsibility--and opportunity--to provide an equitable foundation for a new generation of learners. The magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the importance of schools as community anchors that children and families rely on for much more than an education. This document…

State and school district leaders in Wisconsin are interested in improving education outcomes among Black students across the state. To achieve this goal, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction encourages schools to implement culturally responsive practices, which prior research suggests are related to improvements in outcomes among…