Education Reform
Learn more about efforts to improve schools, especially through policy changes
Federal
Opinion
Federal Education Reform Has Largely Failed. Unfortunately, We Still Need It
Neither NCLB nor ESSA have lived up to their promise, but the problems calling for national action persist.
Policy & Politics
Opinion
Where Do Democrats Stand on Education?
The politics of education reform have shifted drastically since the Obama era. How has one Democratic education group responded?
School & District Management
Opinion
When It Comes to Schooling, Everyone Thinks They Have the Answer
If you realize they think you're wrong, you've got a shot at understanding and persuading them.
Assessment
Opinion
The 4 Common Myths About Grading Reform, Debunked
Grading reformers and their critics all have the same goal: grades that truly reflect student learning. Here’s how we move forward.
Policy & Politics
Opinion
I Spoke to Arne Duncan About School Reform. Here Are 5 Takeaways
The future of school reform may look quite different from the past of school reform.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Teacher Power Can Be the Force for Education. What Would That Look Like?
Teachers working in new and different ways with each other and their students could be the solution to learning that has evaded us.
States
The Steps Some States Are Taking to Redefine Student Success
"We can’t go back to the way it’s always been done," says the head of the group that represents state education chiefs.
Standards
Explainer
What’s the Purpose of Standards in Education? An Explainer
What are standards? Why are they important? What's the Common Core? Do standards improve student achievement? Our explainer has the answers.
Policy & Politics
Opinion
The Education Community's Views on School Improvement Have Fundamentally Changed
Since the publication of a seminal report on education, reform measures are more controversial and disruptive.
School & District Management
Opinion
5 Habits of a School 'Rethinker'
As education leaders make post-pandemic reforms, they would do well to pause and reflect before enacting haphazard changes.
School & District Management
Opinion
Why Do Schools Cling to 'Stupid' Ideas?
Educators and policymakers often go along with ineffectual policies, not knowing what else to do.
School & District Management
A Fading School Reform? Mayoral Control Is Ending in Another City
Chicago will phase out mayoral control of its schools by 2027, becoming the latest city to drop the model.
International
Opinion
School Reform Is Tough All Over, Not Just in the U.S.
Even though some reforms produce evidence of student success, that often isn't enough to overcome political hurdles.
School & District Management
Opinion
'Innovation' Is a Four-Letter Word
Many in education thrill to the promise of ‘innovation,’ but rightly understood, it is a means, not an end.