High School

Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools typically serving 9th to 12th grades and the students who attend them

Series

The High School Handoff
An ongoing series examines how high school is evolving to reflect changing pathways to degrees, credentials, and the workforce.
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Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Middle and High School Math: How to Get Struggling Learners on Track
Join this free virtual event to uncover the nature of students’ weaknesses in secondary-level math and find a path forward.
May 21, 2026
ESOL teacher Anna Kyle assisting tenth grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra one class at Annandale High School on April 08, 2026 in Annandale, Virginia. Various approaches include group work, community building, and academic literacy. Materials are created collaboratively, including digital activities (e.g. Kahoot) with writing and speaking assessments. The team tracks progress using standards-based grading and a running spreadsheet. Teachers emphasize vocabulary skills, interactive notebooks, and scaffolds to support language learners. The success of multilingual learners is monitored through test data and reassessments, ensuring students understand their mastery of standards.
English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher Anna Kyle assists 10th grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra at Annandale High School on April 8, 2026 in Annandale, Va. More schools are devising ways to help students who struggle in math catch up without taking them out of grade-level classes.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Mathematics Supporting Struggling Math Students Means Building Their Number Sense—and Confidence
Two models schools use to help students learn new material—and shore up gaps at the same time.
Sarah Schwartz, May 6, 2026
4 min read
Mathematics Reports Student Achievement in Math: 5 Trends in K-12 Education
Based on a 2026 survey, this report highlights challenges that students have in math as they move from early grades to secondary schools.
May 5, 2026
Special Report Middle and High School Math: How to Get Struggling Learners on Track
School districts are rolling out myriad strategies to support secondary students in math as they attempt to move from core skills to more complex topics.
May 4, 2026
041726 Older Math Learner South Bend 8
A student learns to plot a matrix in an introductory algebra class at John Adams High School in South Bend, Ind., on April 17, 2026. Nationally, teachers say many students reach middle and high school with gaps in their foundational math skills.
Arthur Maiorella for Education Week
Mathematics What Schools Should Do to Pump Up the Deflated Math Skills of Older Students
Research offers guidance on supporting teenagers who struggle with foundational skills.
Sarah Schwartz, May 4, 2026
9 min read
McNeal Stewart, one of the math teachers at Algebra Lab at Adams High School, was teaching an Algebra class on Friday, April 17, 2026 at South Bend, IN.
McNeal Stewart, one of the math teachers at Algebra Lab at Adams High School, teaches an Algebra class on April 17, 2026 at South Bend, Ind.
Arthur Maiorella for Education Week
Mathematics From Our Research Center Elementary Math Has Been in Focus. But Middle and High School Students' Struggles Are Daunting
An EdWeek Research Center survey finds that educators see older students' lack of progress in the subject as an acute problem.
Evie Blad, May 4, 2026
4 min read
Tenth grader Thinh Vuong Phung works on a math problem at Annandale (Va.) High School on April 8, 2026. The class reflects the school’s approach of combining group work, language supports, and progress monitoring to help multilingual learners build confidence and mastery in math.
Tenth grader Thinh Vuong Phung works on a math problem at Annandale (Va.) High School on April 8, 2026. The class reflects the school’s approach of combining group work, language supports, and progress monitoring to help multilingual learners build confidence and mastery in math.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Mathematics How Two Schools Are Rethinking Math for English Learners
Schools in Oregon and Virginia are trying to build students' vocabulary in the subject—and their confidence.
Jennifer Vilcarino, May 4, 2026
5 min read
Michigan celebrates after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. The tournament is the center of an enormous amount of gambling activity each year.
Michigan celebrates winning the national championship game at the Final Four on April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. High school students are engaging in sports betting more often, which falls under gambling, resulting in advocacy organizations creating courses on how this behavior can be harmful.
Michael Conroy/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Student Gambling Is on the Rise. That Puts Schools on Alert
A prominent high school athletic association has launched a course to help schools identify and combat the risks of sports betting.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 29, 2026
4 min read
The Plumbing department, located in the school's well-equipped shop facility, alongside other trades including masonry and carpentry.
The plumbing department in a New Jersey technology high school. As the Trump administration invites states to request waivers from federal school accountability requirements, two have proposed changes that would emphasize career-oriented tests as opposed to more traditional academic knowledge tests.
Oliver Farshi for Education Week
Every Student Succeeds Act These States Want to Move Away From a 'College for All' Approach to Testing
Two states have pitched changes to their high school assessments to emphasize workforce preparation.
Alyson Klein, April 28, 2026
7 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Video Female Athletes' Physical and Mental Struggle to Recover From Torn ACLs
For many female athletes who tear their anterior cruciate ligaments, the arduous hours spent recovering through physical therapy are only part of the battle.
Kaylee Domzalski & Yi-Jo Shen, April 28, 2026
1 min read
Plano East varsity soccer player Aliya Jacob's knee brace, left, is visible as she attacks Rock Hill's Adalina Flores during a soccer game, Jan. 30, 2026, in Murphy, Texas.
Plano East varsity soccer player Aliya Jacob's knee brace, left, is visible as she attacks Rock Hill's Adalina Flores during a soccer game, on Jan. 30, 2026, in Murphy, Texas. Experts explain why female student-athletes are more prone to injuring their ACLs and the consequences.
Julio Cortez/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement For Young Female Athletes, the Damage From ACL Tears Goes Well Beyond the Physical
Teenage girls are more prone to ACL tears, and the injuries can upend their mental health and academic achievement.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 28, 2026
7 min read
Surreal open book ready to be read in a wild meadow
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Do Book Bans Protect Students, or Silence Needed Conversations?
When schools ban books that contain sensitive topics, is it the right move?
Elizabeth Heubeck, March 23, 2026
5 min read
Image of a school hallway with students moving.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management How Assistant Principals Build Stronger School Communities
From middle to high school, assistant principals share what they've done to increase engagement and better student behavior.
Jennifer Vilcarino, March 11, 2026
7 min read