What the Research Says

From the pages of Education Week: a roundup of recent education studies
A young Black girl with her head down on a stack of books at her desk in a classroom
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says One Way to Set Students Up for Success: Let Them Sleep
New federal research suggests students' poor sleep hurts their academic and mental well-being.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 20, 2023
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2 min read
Illustration of child holding missing adult hand.
F.Sheehan/Education Week and Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says National Panel: Kids Who Lost a Caregiver to COVID Need More Support
More than 265,000 children lost a parent or caregiver in the pandemic, the National Academies finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 17, 2023
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2 min read
Technology assistive device for persons with visual impairment
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Special Education What the Research Says Braille and Language Development: What Teachers Should Know
A more nuanced understanding of Braille among educators could lead to better literacy instruction for students with impaired vision.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 14, 2023
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4 min read
Second graders Drayden Ayers, left, and Breeanna Runde work with Megan Johannsen, a teacher of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 25, 2015.
Second-graders Drayden Ayers, left, and Breeanna Runde work with Megan Johannsen, a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing with the Dubuque Community School District, at Carver Elementary School in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 25, 2015.
Jessica Reilly/Telegraph Herald via AP
Special Education What the Research Says How Do You Sign 'Pi'? New Sign-Language Terms Could Boost Scientific Literacy
Scientists are developing a sign-language lexicon of scientific terms for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 9, 2023
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3 min read
Joseph Cynor, who teaches 8th grade science at Winona Middle School, counsels a group of students on which combination of vinegar and baking soda might create the biggest explosion on Feb. 22, 2019.
Joseph Cynor, who teaches 8th grade science at Winona Middle School, counsels a group of students on which combination of vinegar and baking soda might create the biggest explosion on Feb. 22, 2019.
Madeline Heim/The Daily News via AP
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says How to Keep Science Teachers in the Schools That Need Them Most
Professional connections can be key to retaining educators for STEM courses.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 7, 2023
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4 min read
Students from Melissa Millerd’s first-grade class participate in an exercise through the InPACT program during class at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
First graders in Melissa Millerd’s class participate in an exercise at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2.
Emily Elconin for Education Week
Student Well-Being What the Research Says 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Class Activity Breaks
Here's how teachers can use physical activity breaks to ramp up students' fitness and attention, with minimal disruption.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 6, 2023
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4 min read
Students in Brooke Smith’s class dance as they participate in an exercise through the InPACT program during the school day at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
Students in Brooke Smith’s class dance as they participate in an exercise through the InPACT program during the school day at North Elementary School in Birch Run, Mich., on March 2, 2023.
Emily Elconin for Education Week
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Students Need More Exercise. Here's How to Add Activity Without Disrupting Learning
Classroom activity breaks have the potential to boost students' attention and fitness, researchers and teachers say.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 3, 2023
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6 min read
Latasha Johnson teaches reading skills to a kindergarten classroom at Walnut Creek Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C. on May 25, 2022.
Latasha Johnson teaches reading skills to a kindergarten classroom at Walnut Creek Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C., last May.
Kate Medley for Education Week
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says Students' Early Literacy Skills Are Rebounding. See What the Data Show
Students haven't yet reached pre-pandemic reading levels, but a new analysis suggests they're getting there.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 27, 2023
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3 min read
Illustration of calendar on teacher's desk with days falling off.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty images
School & District Management What the Research Says 4 Studies to Know on 4-Day School Weeks
Recent studies raise questions about the usefulness of shortened school weeks.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 14, 2023
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6 min read
Carrying crosses emblazoned with photos and names of the city’s victims of gun violence, high school senior D’Angelo McDade, front right, leads a march in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood during a nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence, on March 14, 2020.
Carrying crosses emblazoned with photos and names of the city’s victims of gun violence, high school senior D’Angelo McDade, front right, leads a march in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood during a nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence, on March 14, 2020.
Martha Irvine/AP
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Can School Violence Desensitize Students? An Explainer
As children witness more violence on social media and in places where they study, worship, and play, questions grow about effects on them.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 13, 2023
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4 min read
teacher tutor student librarian 1137620335
SDI Productions/E+
Student Achievement What the Research Says The State of School Tutoring, in Charts
Only 1 in 10 students is receiving intensive tutoring supports.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 9, 2023
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2 min read
Image of a child wearing a backpack and adult holding hands as they walk.
iStock/Getty
Families & the Community What the Research Says Parents Today: Less 'Helicoptering,' More Concern About Kids' Mental Health
A new survey shows how parents' priorities for their children could be shifting.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 7, 2023
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4 min read
Earth turning into pixels.
DigitalVision Vectors
Student Achievement What the Research Says Accelerate Learning: Takeaways From Other Countries
Amid a persistent global lag in student achievement, here's what some countries are doing to help students catch up.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 31, 2023
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3 min read
Young children lined up, some are faded into the background
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and GlobalStock/E+
Student Achievement What the Research Says Global Academic Loss Persists Nearly Three Years Into the Pandemic
An analysis of data from 15 countries finds students are still behind by more than a third of a year of schooling.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 30, 2023
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5 min read
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