Explainers

Go deeper on the latest education issues with these explainers from Education Week
Education Issues, Explained
Browse research-based background explainers on the most important education issues.
Social Security benefits identification card with 100 dollar bills
JJ Gouin/iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness Explainer Students With Undocumented Parents Have Hit a FAFSA Road Block. Here Are 3 Options
A FAFSA expert provides advice for a particularly vulnerable group of families.
Elizabeth Heubeck, March 5, 2024
4 min read
Science teacher assists elementary school student in the classroom
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Curriculum Explainer Social Studies and Science Get Short Shrift in Elementary Schools. Why That Matters
Learn why the subjects play a key role in elementary classrooms—and how new policy debates may shift the status quo.
Sarah Schwartz, February 27, 2024
10 min read
Conceptual image in blues: female student with diabetes wears glucose monitoring patch
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being Explainer More Students Are Getting Diabetes. Here's What That Means for the Classroom
More than a half million people under 20 could have the chronic health disorder by 2060, and they'll need support from schools.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 22, 2024
8 min read
School of Education teacher candidates at Dalton State College take part in an exercise in their ESOL class culture and education class in Dalton, Ga., on May 24, 2018.
Teacher-candidates at Dalton State College take part in an exercise in their English for Speakers of Other Languages culture and education class in Dalton, Ga., on May 24, 2018.
Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
Teacher Preparation Explainer Teacher Preparation, Explained: Alternative Routes, Enrollment Trends, and More
Learn about teacher preparation in the United States, including how new apprenticeships work and how the pipeline has recently narrowed.
Madeline Will, January 10, 2024
7 min read
schoolboy sitting on a chair isolated in a hallway
DigitalVision/Getty
School Climate & Safety Explainer What Is Restraint and Seclusion? An Explainer
Restraint and seclusion are dangerous practices that are used to control students with disabilities, experts say.
Eesha Pendharkar, November 14, 2023
8 min read
Collage illustration of a leader thinking about something surrounded by images and iconography representing emotional intelligence
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
School & District Management Video Video: Emotional Intelligence, Explained
A look at what emotional intelligence is and why it matters for educational leaders.
Kaylee Domzalski, November 6, 2023
4:56
Striking teachers hold a rally outside City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on May 4, 2023. More than 3,000 teachers and other workers in the Oakland Unified School District went on strike, saying the district failed to bargain in good faith on a new contract that asks for more resources for students and higher pay for employees.
Striking teachers hold a rally outside City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on May 4, 2023. More than 3,000 teachers and other workers in the Oakland Unified School District went on strike, saying the district failed to bargain in good faith on a new contract that asks for more resources for students and higher pay for employees.
Terry Chea/AP
Teaching Profession Explainer Teacher Strikes, Explained: Recent Strikes, Where They're Illegal, and More
Here's what to know about educator labor actions and how they've evolved since the 20th century.
Madeline Will, October 30, 2023
8 min read
Illustration of people climbing stacks of books. There are 3 stacks of books at different heights with people helping people climb up.
iStock/Getty
Special Education Explainer MTSS: What Is a Multi-Tiered System of Supports?
MTSS, or multi-tiered system of supports, is a widely used framework meant to offer students personalized education that meets their needs.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 13, 2023
7 min read
Image of staffing.
Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Explainer What Does a School Principal Do? An Explainer
Learn about the principal workforce, what makes principals effective, and how schools can retain the best leaders.
Sarah Schwartz & Maya Riser-Kositsky, September 22, 2023
6 min read
Illustration of a dollar sign falling over a cliff.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Education Funding Explainer 3 Steps to Keep Tutoring Going When ESSER Money Runs Out
Schools may lose more than $1,200 per student as enrollment falls and federal COVID relief funds expire next year.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 28, 2023
4 min read
Photo of students taking test.
F. Sheehan for EdWeek / Getty
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.
Sarah Schwartz, July 31, 2023
11 min read
Special Education teacher Amy Kenyon goes over a reading assignment with her students at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, on March 8, 2018. All special education students follow individualized education programs, which are tailored to their special needs.
Special Education teacher Amy Kenyon goes over a reading assignment with her students at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, on March 8, 2018. All special education students follow individualized education programs, which are tailored to their special needs.
Pat Sutphin/The Times-News via AP
Special Education Explainer What Is an IEP? Individualized Education Programs, Explained
What IEPs are, what their purpose is, and which students are eligible.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 27, 2023
1 min read
Image shows a silhouette of a person learning, and the components to make that work is represented by gears.
iStock/Getty
Professional Development Explainer Teacher Professional Development, Explained
What counts as PD? And is it effective? EdWeek breaks down current trends—and new research—in this explainer.
Sarah Schwartz, July 26, 2023
9 min read
Conceptual illustration of people and voice bubbles.
Getty
English-Language Learners Explainer What Is Translanguaging and How Is It Used in the Classroom?
Research into the best instructional approaches for students classified as English learners has pointed to the concept of translanguaging.
Ileana Najarro, July 13, 2023
1 min read