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Public school districts are facing an existential threat. Demographic shifts and school choice policies are exacerbating declining enrollment. A diminishing role for the federal Department of Education alongside broad economic uncertainty could further erode state and local revenues. These trends threaten student outcomes and teacher jobs, as well as district solvency.
Must-Reads
- Research Reports
In 2024–25, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) launched a districtwide pilot of virtual, high-dosage, 1:1 literacy tutoring in partnership with three providers: Hoot, Ignite Reading, and OpenLiteracy.
- The Lens
In American education, the scars of the “accountability wars” still run deep. More than two decades after the federal No Child Left Behind Act established punitive, high-profile accountability requirements for America’s K–12 schools, states and districts remain wary of debates over testing, student performance, and school improvement.
Latest Research Publications
- Research Reports
Virtual 1:1 Literacy Tutoring in Oakland Unified School District: Implementation and Effectiveness of a Pilot at Scale
In 2024–25, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) launched a districtwide pilot of virtual, high-dosage, 1:1 literacy tutoring in partnership with three providers: Hoot, Ignite Reading, and OpenLiteracy.
- Briefs
- Research Reports
Districts and AI: Early Adopters Focus More on Students in 2025-26
Introduction More Early Adopters are piloting systemwide AI strategies Early Adopters focus more on students, mostly with new tools Reimaginers keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI Districts must advance more coherent AI strategies for teaching and learning Across the country, the approach schools take towards Generative AI has changed: it’s moved from usage bans to pockets of experimentation to a broader conversation about how schools can and should use AI to enhance teaching, learning, and operations.
- Research Reports
Outmatched: Special Education Can’t Solve Problems Rooted in the Education Delivery System
In early 2025, the National Center for Education Statistics quietly announced a new record: 7.9 million public school students were identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
- Research Reports
Making Room for What Matters: Innovative School Leaders Want Accountability, but With a Lighter Footprint
Across the country, school leaders are reimagining how students learn—designing models that are more engaging, effective, and connected to the world students are entering.
- Briefs
- Research Reports
Access to Qualified Math Teachers for All Students
Concerns about student math performance in the U.S. have grown in recent years, driven by persistent disparities, pandemic-related disruptions, and stagnating or declining national achievement scores.