Academic Achievement
Read more about how students are performing academically
Science
Aligned Science Curriculum, Better Scores? Research Finds a Connection
A WestEd evaluation of the Amplify Science curriculum found it raised student performance on NGSS-aligned assessment questions.
School Climate & Safety
What the Research Says
Digital Distractions in Class Linked to Lower Academic Performance
The 2022 Program for International Student Assessment found that two-thirds of U.S. students get distracted by digital devices in class.
Mathematics
What the Research Says
How Schools Can Diversify Math Course-Taking
Low-income students and students of color take fewer advanced-math courses—or start taking them later—than their white peers.
Student Achievement
What the Research Says
How Absenteeism, Math Anxiety, and Other Factors Shaped the Troubling Results From PISA
Dire results on the Program for International Student Assessment should start conversations. Here's how.
Student Achievement
What the Research Says
U.S. Teenagers Decline in Global Test of Math, But Hold Steady in Reading, Science
The Program for International Student Assessment shows U.S. students lost less ground than their global peers during the pandemic.
Reading & Literacy
'Science of Reading' Reforms Show Student Gains in California, Study Finds
The research provides some of the first evidence that efforts to bring reading teaching in line with research have raised achievement.
Student Achievement
Quiz
QUIZ: How Are Students Doing Academically? Test Your Knowledge
Answer these seven questions about American students' academic performance in recent years.
Families & the Community
Parents Don’t Know When Their Kids Have Fallen Behind. Report Cards Could Be the Problem
Parents rely on report cards to gauge whether their kids are on track academically. But they might be misleading, a survey shows.
Student Achievement
What the Research Says
The State of After-School and Summer Programs, in Charts
New federal data show most schools offer extended-time academic programs, but small percentages of students use them.
Student Achievement
What the Research Says
Keeping Younger Students Back a Grade Shows Benefits Over Time, Study Finds
New longitudinal research shows reading and math benefits for retaining younger students who need more time.
Teaching
Q&A
How Gamifying Instruction Improved Student Test Scores in This Teacher's Classroom
A middle school math teacher says gamification of instruction has given her students more of a growth mindset.
School & District Management
These School Building Improvements Are Most Likely to Boost Test Scores
Some facility upgrades can effectively close 10 percent of the achievement gap between high- and low-wealth districts, new research shows.
Student Achievement
What the Latest Student Test Results Reveal: 5 Things to Know
Academic achievement is improving more quickly in math. But the data are hard to interpret.
Student Achievement
Quiz
Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Strategies for Improved Student Outcomes?
Answer 7 questions about student learning outcomes.