Research

Education news, analysis, and opinion about research about education

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June 18, 2026
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Federal Opinion How the Institute of Education Sciences Could Better Serve Schools
“It’s been all over the place,” explains the scholar tasked with reimagining IES.
Rick Hess, May 21, 2026
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4 min read
Edenton, N.C. - September 5th, 2025: Sonya Rinehart, principal at John A. Holmes High School, coordinates with other faculty members on a walkie talkie during in the hallway during class change.
A principal at a high school in Edenton, N.C., coordinates with other faculty members on a walkie talkie during in the hallway during class change on Sept. 5, 2025. School leaders in the state say they are happy with their districts but need more support and learning opportunities.
Cornell Watson for Education Week
School & District Management A New Survey Shows What a State Gets Right and Wrong for Its School Leaders
The group behind it hopes statewide results help district leaders do their jobs better.
Olina Banerji, May 20, 2026
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5 min read
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), are seen monitoring a football game between Bell Multicultural and Archbishop Carroll on Sept. 12, 2025, at Cardozo High School in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations monitor a high school football game Sept. 12, 2025, at Cardozo High School in Washington. Heightened immigration enforcement activity has raised concerns about its impact on students’ attendance and well-being.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Student Absenteeism Immigrant Students Fear Enforcement and Stay Out of School
An April working paper found that immigration enforcement increased absence rates.
Ileana Najarro, May 20, 2026
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4 min read
Teens are getting less sleep than ever, but schools can help counteract it by establishing a "culture of sleep," experts say. A Mansfield Senior High School student rests during his health class on sleep, in Mansfield, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2024.
A Mansfield Senior High School student rests during his health class on sleep, in Mansfield, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2024.
Phil Long/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Teen Sleep Problems Are Hurting Academics and Wellness
A new study says teens are sleeping at a record low rate, affecting cognitive ability and health.
Jennifer Vilcarino, May 19, 2026
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5 min read
4 Principals need PD too DEF
Edmon de Haro for Education Week
Professional Development Lessons Learned About Effective Professional Development for Principals
The best professional development for principals has a lot in common with the best PD for teachers.
Olina Banerji, May 18, 2026
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7 min read
2 State of PD on AI DEF
Edmon de Haro for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence From Our Research Center More Schools Are Providing AI Training for Teachers. Is It Any Good?
As more schools offer teacher training on AI, they need to move beyond basics, experts advise.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 18, 2026
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4 min read
Event Education Week Early Release 5 13 5
Professional Development When Should Schools Make Time for PD? What Educators—and Families—Think
Educators see in-service and early-release days as practical times for PD. Families don't always agree.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 18, 2026
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4 min read
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
What's to blame for huge decreases in student achievement over the past decade? Some say a less intensive federal role in school accountability after the No Child Left Behind law was replaced. Anjanette McNeely remembers the pressure of making sure her school met "adequate yearly progress" during the NCLB era. The teacher leads a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Standards & Accountability The U.S. Is in a 'Learning Recession.' Is NCLB's End to Blame?
“Our challenge didn’t start or end with the pandemic,” said one of the authors of a new report.
Sarah Schwartz, May 15, 2026
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6 min read
A look at the state of teaching with English learner students in Antioch, Tenn.
A five-year-old English learner works on a rug with other kindergarten students as they talk about the seasons at an elementary school in Antioch, Tenn., on Dec. 3, 2025. A new study found students are more likely to exit out of English-learner status if states partially automate the reclassification process.
William DeShazer for Education Week
English Learners This Simple Procedural Change Can Improve Outcomes for English Learners
A Michigan study found more students exiting out of English-learner status with one policy change.
Ileana Najarro, May 13, 2026
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3 min read
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025. Districts have emphasized structured literacy, though research suggests that how teachers use that time can significantly affect student outcomes.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy What Might Matter More Than Phonics in Early Literacy
A district invested in evidence-based literacy instruction but reaped uneven results. Here's why.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 11, 2026
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4 min read
Laura Patranella, a 5th grade teacher at Vogel Elementary School in Seguin, Texas, distributes copies of “Bud, Not Buddy” to her students to read in class on Nov. 3, 2025.
Students in Laura Patranella's 5th grade class at Vogel Elementary School in Seguin, Texas, read copies of <i>Bud, Not Buddy</i> on Nov. 3, 2025. On average, middle and high school teachers assign four full-length books a year, a new survey shows.
Brenda Bazán for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Yes, Teachers Do Still Assign Full-Length Books. But Numbers Vary
Most middle and high school teachers have students read books—but often just one or two a year.
Sarah Schwartz, May 8, 2026
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4 min read
Mathematics Reports Student Achievement in Math: 5 Trends in K-12 Education
Based on a 2026 survey, this report highlights challenges that students have in math as they move from early grades to secondary schools.
May 5, 2026
Students at Washington Junior High School use the unlocking mechanism to open the bags their cell phone were sealed in during the school day as they leave school for the day on Oct. 27, 2022, in Washington, Pa. Citing mental health, behavior and engagement as the impetus, many educators are updating cellphone policies, with a number turning to magnetically sealing pouches.
Students at Washington Junior High School use the unlocking mechanism to open the bags their cellphones were sealed in during the school day as they leave school on Oct. 27, 2022, in Washington, Pa. A new study suggests that cellphone restrictions in school don't seem to boost student achievement or attendance.
Keith Srakocic/AP
Classroom Technology Do Student Cellphone Bans Improve Academic Achievement?
Researchers recommend continued examination of cellphone policies, which are still relatively new.
Alyson Klein, May 4, 2026
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4 min read