High School

Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools typically serving 9th to 12th grades and the students who attend them

Series

The High School Handoff
A new series examines how high school is evolving to reflect changing pathways to degrees, credentials, and the workforce.
Caps and gowns of many students were adorned with stickers that read, "WE STAND TOGETHER" or "ESTAMOS UNIDOS".A graduation ceremony proceeds at Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, CT. on June 10, 2025. A student who would have been walking in the ceremony and his father were detained by federal immigration officers just days before.
Caps and gowns at the June 10, 2025, graduation at Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, Conn., bore stickers reading “WE STAND TOGETHER” and “ESTAMOS UNIDOS” after a graduating student and his father were detained by federal immigration officers days before the ceremony. A new analysis reveals both progress and a persistent gap, presenting an opportunity for schools to close the gap of undocumented students not graduating.
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public via Getty Images
States 75,000 Undocumented Students Graduate High School Each Year. What Happens Next?
A new analysis estimates 90,000 undocumented students reach the end of high school each year.
Ileana Najarro, February 18, 2026
3 min read
Chase Christensen, superintendent of Sheridan County School District #3 in Wyoming, teamed up with other district leaders in the state to get rid of a barrier to work-based learning. Students can now meet an English course requirement while completing an internship. He presented on the strategy at a conference hosted by AASA, the School Superintendents Association, on Feb. 12, 2026.
Chase Christensen, superintendent of Sheridan County School District #3, presents a panel at the National Conference of Education in Nashville, on Feb. 12, 2026.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness In These Districts, Students Get an English Credit for On-the-Job Internships
Districts must get creative about addressing barriers to student internships, leaders said.
Evie Blad, February 12, 2026
5 min read
From left: Office of Candidate Services at University of Central Arkansas Director Gary Bunn; Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva; LISA Academy North Middle-High School Principal Bilal Uygur; recipient Jaime Garcia (AR '25); LISA Academy North Middle-High School CEO/Superintendent Dr. Fatih Bogrek; and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett.
Jaime Garcia, the dean of academics at LISA Academy North Middle-High School won a $25,000 award from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, in part for the work he's done to build community and academic by having students help their classmates.
Milken Family Foundation
School & District Management How Two Award-Winning Educators Created Schoolwide Systems for Academic Support
Boosting student achievement should be a building-wide mission, they say.
Sarah Schwartz, February 9, 2026
3 min read
Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, the English Learner Lead for Galax City Public Schools, meets with the Student Assistance Team for Galax High School on Monday morning.
Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, the English-learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, meets with colleagues at Galax High School in January 2026.
Kate Medley for Education Week
English Learners Q&A Mentors Can Prevent English Learners From Dropping Out. Here’s How
A mentorship program helps this rural district graduate more English learners and Hispanic students.
Lauraine Langreo, February 9, 2026
4 min read
Martha Salazar-Zamora, center left, the superintendent of Tomball Independent School District, walks with colleagues on January 13, 2026, in Tomball, Texas.
Tomball ISD Superintendent Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, center left, walks with colleagues on January 13, 2026, in Tomball, Texas.
Danielle Villasana for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Leader To Learn From A Superintendent’s Vision Turned an Oil Site Into a Career Launchpad
A Houston-area superintendent turned a bankrupt industrial site into a CTE powerhouse and revenue source for her district.
Arianna Prothero, February 9, 2026
11 min read
Tomball ISD Superintendent Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora poses for a portrait in a warehouse where aviation students can work on planes at the CTE center on January 13, 2026, in Tomball, Texas.
Martha Salazar-Zamora, the superintendent of Texas' Tomball Independent School District, purchased an abandoned industrial site that now houses her district's expansive career-and-technical education program.
Danielle Villasana for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A One Superintendent on How CTE Prepares Students for Tomorrow’s Jobs
A Texas superintendent shares how her district has tackled common problems in growing career and technical education programs.
Arianna Prothero, February 9, 2026
3 min read
Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English Learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, works a jigsaw puzzle with students at  Galax High School on Monday Jan. 12, 2026.
Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English-learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, works a jigsaw puzzle with students at Galax High School on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
Kate Medley for Education Week
English Learners Leader To Learn From How One Rural District Used College Students to Keep English Learners in School
This leader's mentorship program with a local university has helped rural English learners at risk of dropping out.
Lauraine Langreo, February 9, 2026
13 min read
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024.
The College Board, known for its suite of college-entrance exams and AP courses, will work to provide more work-based learning experiences for high school students. The organization's CEO, David Coleman, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024.
Ileana Najarro/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Rising Demand for Career Education Prompts College Board to Expand Its Footprint
The organization is investing in the teacher pipeline for career and technical education.
Lauraine Langreo, January 30, 2026
5 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Letter to the Editor I’m Pro-Technology, But AI’s Role in Education Worries Me
A parent shares his concerns with artificial intelligence in K-12.
January 30, 2026
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Assessment Letter to the Editor The Truth About Equity Grading in Practice
A high school student shares his perspective of equity grading policies in this letter.
January 30, 2026
1 min read
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Ninth grade teacher Tracy Byrd helps student Avi Veeramachaneni, 14, with his final essay on the last day of the semester at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN.
Tracy Byrd helps students with essays on Jan. 22 at Washburn High School in Minneapolis. As immigration raids and protests have played out across the city, he and fellow educators have sought to create a stable environment for students.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
Teaching In Their Own Words ‘Normal Looks Different’: Teaching Through Fear in Minneapolis
Tracy Byrd, a 9th grade English teacher, shares what teaching entails as federal agents patrol his city.
Ileana Najarro, January 22, 2026
8 min read
Reading & Literacy Webinar Supporting Older Struggling Readers: Tips From Research and Practice
Reading problems are widespread among adolescent learners. Find out how to help students with gaps in foundational reading skills.
January 8, 2026
Libby Rosemeier, a former George Stevens Academy student in the Twinkie experiment class, and Roger Bennatti, the now-retired chemistry teacher who initiated the experiment, hold the 50-year-old snack cake that has been housed in a homemade box since 2004.
Libby Rosemeier, a former George Stevens Academy student in the Twinkie experiment class, and Roger Bennatti, the now-retired chemistry teacher who initiated the experiment, hold the 50-year-old snack cake that has been housed in a homemade box since 2004.
Linda Coan O'Kresik/Bangor Daily News
Teaching The World's Oldest Known Twinkie Turns 50 at a Maine High School
How a classroom experiment turned into a half-century study.
Elizabeth Walztoni, Bangor Daily News, January 5, 2026
4 min read
Intern Alex Reed, an 18-year-old high school senior, assists Dana Miller in veterinary care at the Ark of the Dunes Animal Hospital in Chesterton, Ind., Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Intern Alex Reed, an 18-year-old high school senior, assists Dana Miller in veterinary care at the Ark of the Dunes Animal Hospital in Chesterton, Ind., on June 4, 2024. Chesterton High School works to place seniors in internship placements that align with their career interests.
Eric Davis for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Six Ways High Schools Are Connecting Classrooms to Careers
Two educators share tips on how to create meaningful real-world learning experiences for teenagers.
Elizabeth Heubeck, December 19, 2025
6 min read