Explainers

Go deeper on the latest education issues with these explainers from Education Week
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Education Issues, Explained
Browse research-based background explainers on the most important education issues.
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Silas McLellan, a kindergartener in a play-based learning class, plays with toy blocks during “Choice Time,” at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024.
Silas McLellan, a kindergartner in a play-based learning class, plays with toy blocks during Choice Time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 7, 2024. After years of early grades becoming increasingly academic, play-based learning is making a comeback.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Early Childhood Explainer Play-Based Learning in Kindergarten Is Making a Comeback. Here's What It Means
Amid rigorous academic expectations in the early grades, some advocates push for a return to play.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 21, 2025
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7 min read
A selection from the basal reader, Reading Street, pictured on Oct. 8, 2025.
A selection from the basal reader Reading Street, published in 2013, pictured on Oct. 8, 2025.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Reading & Literacy Explainer What Is a Basal Reader, And Why Are They Controversial?
From the Civil War to the new millennium, one reading tool has held a secure spot in American classrooms.
Sarah Schwartz, October 15, 2025
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8 min read
Students Taking Exam in Classroom Setting. Students are seated in a classroom, writing answers during an exam, highlighting focus and academic testing.
iStock/Getty
Assessment Explainer What Is the Classic Learning Test, and Why Is It Popular With Conservatives?
A relative newcomer has started to gain traction in the college-entrance-exam landscape—especially in red states.
Sarah Schwartz, September 22, 2025
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9 min read
United States refugee question and immigration government policy as extreme vetting for banned newcomers in America as the cast shadow of international migrants on a wall with a US flag with 3D illustration elements.
iStock/Getty
English Learners Explainer Common Questions Educators Have About Immigration, Answered
While K-12 educators aren't meant to be immigration experts, researchers say some basic knowledge can help them serve immigrant students.
Ileana Najarro, June 26, 2025
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4 min read
Academic boost sleep circadian start time 1705611814 01
Yutthana Gaetgeaw/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Explainer School Start Times and Student Sleep, Explained
Pediatricians want school to start later so older students can get more sleep. Districts say that's easier said than done.
Evie Blad, June 23, 2025
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5 min read
Illustration of English and Spanish textbooks.
Chris Whetzel for Education Week<br/>
English Learners Explainer Does Speaking Two Languages Hurt Students? Experts Say No
Experts share insights on what research says about the effect of learning more than one language at once.
Ileana Najarro, May 30, 2025
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4 min read
Illustration of cutting dollar sign with scissors. Concept on the topic of devaluation of money.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Explainer Trump’s Push to Slash Federal K-12 School Funds, Explained
A rundown of the biggest threats to federal funds for schools, what's allowed and what's not, and how Congress might intervene—or not.
Mark Lieberman, April 24, 2025
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12 min read
Illustration concept of chalkboard with a money symbol drawn and in the background are a people that represent teachers and administrators.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Explainer Teacher Pay, Explained: Salary, Benefits, and Pensions
Learn how teachers are compensated, and the role that states and districts play in setting pay.
Madeline Will, Stephen Sawchuk & Maya Riser-Kositsky, April 17, 2025
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8 min read
Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. McMahon is now the nation's 13th secretary of education.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal Explainer Linda McMahon, U.S. Secretary of Education: Background and Achievements
Background and highlights of Linda McMahon's tenure as the 13th U.S. Secretary of Education.
Education Week Library Staff, March 4, 2025
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2 min read
Image of flags of the world.
tzahiV/iStock/Getty
Federal Explainer How Many Students May Be Affected by Trump's Immigration Policies?
Schools don't track student's immigration status due to federal law that grants undocumented students the right to a free, public education.
Ileana Najarro, February 24, 2025
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4 min read
Illustration of a middle school or high school age male sitting at the bottom of a staircase reading with hand drawn math formulas an the walls leading up the stairs to a brightly lit lightbulb.
iStock/Getty
Mathematics Explainer Why So Many Students Struggle With Math Anxiety—and How to Help
Math anxiety holds students back from reaching their potential. Experts share insights on the problem and strategies to combat it.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 21, 2025
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6 min read
Students at Valencia Newcomer School wait to change classes Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Phoenix. Children from around the world are learning the English skills and American classroom customs they need to succeed at so-called newcomer schools. Valencia Newcomer School in Phoenix is among a handful of such public schools in the United States dedicated exclusively to helping some of the thousands of children who arrive in the country annually.
Students at Valencia Newcomer School wait to change classes Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Phoenix. Children from around the world are learning the English skills and American classroom customs they need to succeed at so-called newcomer schools. Under a 1982 Supreme Court precedent, public schools can't charge tuition to children who are new arrivals in the United States.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
Law & Courts Explainer Undocumented Students Have the Right to a Free Education. This Is Why
A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling protected undocumented students' access to free public education. Some lawmakers seek to overturn it.
Ileana Najarro, November 15, 2024
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8 min read
Linear Style iconic illustration of mentoring and training in an abstract pattern.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty + Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Explainer 4 Things to Know About the Messy Landscape of Grow-Your-Own Teacher Prep
From residencies and apprenticeships to disparate grow-your-own programs, locally focused teacher preparation is in flux.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 28, 2024
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7 min read
The U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, D.C., pictured on February 21, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, D.C., pictured on February 21, 2021.
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via AP Images
Federal Explainer The U.S. Department of Education, Explained
There's a lot of talk—again—about eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. Here's what it does and how it works.
Libby Stanford, October 14, 2024
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11 min read
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