Research

Education news, analysis, and opinion about research about education

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The State of Teaching, 2026
New national data on the teaching profession, vivid reporting from classrooms, and resources to help support this essential profession.
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Thu., September 17, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. ET
Early Childhood K-12 Essentials Forum Early Childhood Education: Building Essential Skills for Success
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September 17, 2026
MONTEREY PARK, CA - August 21, 2026: Transitional kindergarten students engage in a clay activity at a dual language Head Start program at Hillcrest Elementary School in Monterey Park on Friday, August 21, 2026.
Transitional kindergarten students engage in a clay activity at a dual-language Head Start program at Hillcrest Elementary School in Monterey Park, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. A new poll sheds light on early childhood educators' stance toward industry regulations.
Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Early Childhood Deregulate Early Childhood Education? Here's What Educators Think
A new report from a national early education organization breaks down workforce concerns.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 16, 2026
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4 min read
Natalia Gutierrez, age 10 (5th grade), Garrett Christian, age 10 (5th grade), William Robinson, age 8 (3rd grade), wait to begin reading time in the afternoon at Creative Minds School in Wichita, Kansas on September 15, 2026.
Fifth graders Natalia Gutierrez, 10, and Garrett Christian, 10, and 3rd grader William Robinson, 8, wait to begin reading time in the afternoon at Creative Minds School in Wichita, Kan., on Sept. 15, 2026. Applying reading research to the classroom can be challenging, and engineering principles could help, some researchers say.
Melissa Lukenbaugh for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Q&A The Science of Reading Has an Implementation Problem. Could Engineering Help?
Researchers suggest that an "engineering of reading" could better translate evidence into practice.
Sarah Schwartz, September 16, 2026
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11 min read
Collage of a high school student with words in background and a white hand drawn line image of graduation cap.
Liz Yap for Education Week + Getty
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A Why 'Portrait of a Graduate' Initiatives Struggle to Transform Instruction
Researchers examined how 15 districts are working to build "portrait of a graduate" expectations.
Lauraine Langreo, September 16, 2026
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6 min read
Business and entrepreneurship students Charlotte Smith, 15, left, Leslie Hernandes, 14, center, and Leah Vazquez, 15, all of Port Richey , collaborate with their teacher Jamie Hickey while using BaxterBot—an AI model designed for teachers and students—to organize business plans for a project on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025 , at Dayspring Academy Early College in Port Richey .
Business and entrepreneurship students Charlotte Smith, 15, left, Leslie Hernandes, 14, center, and Leah Vazquez, 15, all of Port Richey, Fla., collaborate with their teacher Jamie Hickey while using an AI model designed for teachers and students to organize business plans for a project on Jan. 24, 2025 at Dayspring Academy in New Port Richey. Little research has been done on which AI tools have instructional utility in classrooms; a new portal aims to shine a light on their varied promises and pitfalls.
Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via TNS
Artificial Intelligence New Project Identifies Strengths and Weaknesses of a Collection of AI Learning Tools
The effort finds some bright spots, but also warns that other products could hurt student achievement.
Sarah Schwartz, September 14, 2026
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7 min read
HERNDON, VA - MAY 11: Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter, Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., Thursday, May 11, 2023. The program is called Book Bounce, one of many designed by Coates Family Academy for parents to be more involved in their students' education. It's focused on immigrant and English-learning families.
Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., on May 11, 2023. New research shows a decline in parent-child shared book reading experiences since the pandemic.
Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Early Childhood Parents Are Reading Less to Preschool-Age Kids at Home. What’s to Blame?
A new study uncovers factors tied to shared reading habits at home.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 11, 2026
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4 min read
Lansingburgh High School math teacher Regina Felio, right, helps a student prepare for their upcoming Algebra 1 Regents exam on May 15, 2026, in Troy, N.Y. New research suggests students who are ready to be successful in the course in middle school do better if they take it then, rather than waiting until high school.
Lansingburgh High School math teacher Regina Felio, right, helps a student prepare for their upcoming Algebra 1 Regents exam on May 15, 2026, in Troy, N.Y. New research suggests students who are ready to be successful in the course in middle school do better if they take it then, rather than waiting until high school.
Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images
Mathematics When Should Students Take Algebra? New Research Offers Clues
Delays aren't enough to help students who aren't ready to take Algebra 1 in 8th grade, a new analysis suggests.
Evie Blad, September 10, 2026
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4 min read
Teacher Adam Gravenor hands out lesson sheets he created with the help of AI technology to accompany the class textbook at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025.
Teacher Adam Gravenor hands out lesson sheets he created with the help of AI technology to accompany the class textbook at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025. More teachers are using AI to generate decodable texts and other tailored reading, and not much research points to best practices.
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Artificial Intelligence Using AI-Generated Text in Reading Class? Watch for These Pitfalls
Not all AI tools are equally skilled at crafting texts for teaching, studies have shown.
Sarah Schwartz, September 9, 2026
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4 min read
Dr. Jennifer Watters, center, elementary teacher with 18 years of experience, speak to other teachers during an exercise at the first training session of the National Academy for AI Instruction on March 18, 2026, at UFT headquarters in New York City, NY. The partnership between the American Federation of Teachers and major AI developers aims to train 400,000 teachers to use artificial intelligence in the classroom.
Jennifer Watters, center, an elementary school teacher, speaks to other teachers during an exercise at the first training session of the National Academy for AI Instruction on March 18, 2026, at UFT headquarters in New York City. A new survey shows how teachers and parents feel about AI education.
Salwan Georges for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Educators Feel Confident They Can Teach About AI. What Do Parents Think?
A new study shows the resources educators are using to learn how to teach about AI.
Jennifer Vilcarino, September 9, 2026
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3 min read
raised hands, student engagement
DigitalVision Vectors
School Climate & Safety Many Students Are Disengaged From Learning. What Can Schools Do?
A new poll examines Gen Z students' levels of school engagement and feelings of belonging.
Lauraine Langreo, September 8, 2026
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6 min read
Undated file photo of students during a class. Teenagers in the UK are still lagging behind their peers from high-performing countries in maths, reading and science, but some progress has been made in the international rankings. The UK remains outside the top 10 in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which is based on tests taken by 15-year-olds from around the world, behind countries like Singapore, Japan and Estonia. Issue date: Tuesday December 5, 2023.
U.K. students participate in a class on Dec. 5, 2023. Most industrialized countries' 15-year-old students, including those in the United States, performed worse in reading in 2025 than three years previously on an international exam. One bright spot: Students in the United Kingdom performed as well in reading as they did before.
Press Association via AP
Student Achievement Reading Ability Craters on PISA International Exam, Both in the United States and Abroad
The U.S. outperformed most countries in reading and science, but the results show a global phenomenon of poorer readers.
Stephen Sawchuk, September 8, 2026
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7 min read
092026 BIG IDEAS Building bridges
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
School & District Management From Our Research Center Misinformation Drives Communities Apart. Here’s How School Boards Are Responding
Both national and local issues can force leaders to confront challenges within their districts.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Vanessa Solis, September 8, 2026
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4 min read
BigIdeas0926 Bushweller
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Reported Essay It's Not About Being Nice. Fearless Leadership Requires Curiosity and Candor
Just ask the leader mediating an ugly school mascot fight or restructuring a once-segregated school.
Kevin Bushweller, September 8, 2026
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14 min read
Image of one teacher at a desk working, and the silhouette of another heading toward an exit door.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says Where Do Teachers Who Leave Their Job Go? See the Charts
District administrators may have more ability to guide teacher turnover than they think, new data suggest.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 3, 2026
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4 min read