Leadership Research

illustration of hiring.
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Career Advice Want to Be a Principal? How to Prove You're Right for the Job
What it takes to attract the attention of K-12 recruiters looking for their schools' next principals.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 26, 2021
5 min read
Carrie P. Meek/Westview K-8 Center principal Marchel Woods, center rear, greets parents dropping off their children for class on Oct. 5, 2020, at the Carrie P. Meek/Westview K-8 Center in Miami.
Principal Marchel Woods, center rear, greets parents dropping off children at the Carrie P. Meek/Westview K-8 Center in Miami. A new study quantifies the connection between principal effectiveness and students' academic achievement.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
School & District Management Top-Tier Principals Spark Big Gains in Student Learning. A New Study Shows How Much
Replacing a below-average principal with an effective leader means nearly three more months of math and reading gains.
Denisa R. Superville, February 16, 2021
7 min read
School & District Management Looking to Reduce Racial Bias in Grading? This Tool May Help
In an experiment, teachers were more likely to judge a black student's writing as being below grade level compared a white peer. The disparities disappeared when teachers were given a grading rubric to follow.
Christina A. Samuels, November 2, 2020
2 min read
School & District Management In Math, Teachers' Unconscious Biases May Be More Subtle Than You Think
Racial and gender stereotypes may color teachers' perceptions of students' math abilities, even when they rate students' performance equally, finds a new study in the journal Educational Researcher.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 13, 2019
3 min read
School & District Management Neighborhood Poverty Deepens in 10 States, and Children of Color Bear the Brunt
More than 1 in 4 black and Native American students live in deeply impoverished communities, finds a new analysis by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, adding stress to schools serving them.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 24, 2019
1 min read
Student Well-Being Flipped Classrooms May Exacerbate Student Achievement Gaps. Here's How
Flipped classrooms have been getting attention as a way for teachers to find more time for activities and individual support during the regular school day, but a new study cautions that the model could trade short-term gains for wider achievement gaps.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 23, 2019
4 min read
Student Well-Being Students Move Further Down School-to-Prison Pipeline With Every School Suspension
Being suspended from school can be a "turning point" for students, significantly increasing the odds that they will commit crimes as adults, according to a study in the journal Justice Quarterly.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 12, 2019
5 min read
School & District Management National Academies: Measuring Equity Can Inform School Accountability
When education leaders look for "other indicators" of school quality, a national panel argues tracking equity could provide a clearer picture for school improvement.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 18, 2019
1 min read
School & District Management How Does Summer Learning Really Affect Students' Academic Achievement?
A new analysis questions landmark studies on summer learning loss and its effects on school achievement gaps.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 10, 2019
3 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Persistent College-Going Gaps Probed in Latest 'Condition of Education' Report
Students from poor families are more likely than wealthier students to opt for a short-term degree, delay college, or leave without a diploma, federal statistics show.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 22, 2019
1 min read
Student Achievement Money Over Shakespeare: Study Shows How Childhood Socioeconomic Status Determines Wealth in Adulthood
Affluent children with low test scores have a 71 percent chance of becoming affluent adults, the study finds, while high-scoring poor children have just a 31 percent of chance of growing up to attain wealth.
Sasha Jones, May 15, 2019
4 min read
School & District Management The Splintering of Wealthy Areas From School Districts Is Speeding Up
The school funding group EdBuild finds neighborhood attempts to secede popping up in more school districts, with racial and economic isolation increasing in their wake.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 16, 2019
3 min read
School & District Management Achievement Gap Between Rich and Poor Is Unchanged After 50 Years, Study Says
A study finds that the achievement gap between the most and least wealthy students barely budged and scholars met last week to hash out some reasons why.
Sasha Jones, April 10, 2019
3 min read
School & District Management How Economist Alan Krueger Renewed the Does-Money-Matter Debate in Schooling
Alan Krueger, a groundbreaking Princeton University economist, died earlier this week at age 58. While perhaps best known for his study of minimum wages, Krueger also provided critical empirical research on fundamental and often hotly-debated questions about class sizes, school choice, educational attainment, and resources in schools.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 22, 2019
2 min read