A missing link to help students emotionally and academically

Fifty-six percent of students say they are more stressed about school than before the pandemic. Eighty-three percent report a physical symptom of stress—like difficulty sleeping, headaches, and weight gain or loss. That’s all according to a survey of more than 10,000 high school students conducted last fall by Challenge Success, a nonprofit that supports student […]
We must ensure communities can keep the innovations that kids need

For nearly a year, schools’ unpredictability has created stress and suffering for kids and families, especially in Black and brown communities where jobs and lives are also most at risk from the virus. We’ve seen record learning loss, disengagement, depression, and signs of great stress in families. But just as many schools struggle to serve […]
The Biden COVID stimulus: Big spending can bring big liabilities

K–12 public education has won the lottery in the current coronavirus stimulus bill, with a $123 billion bailout package—more than six times the size of annual Title I grants. It remains to be seen whether public districts and schools will be permanently better off or, like too many winners in state lotteries, end up in […]
Districts quiet on how they plan to help students recover from a year of continued disruption

As more large and urban school districts welcome students back to campus, few are providing public details about how they plan to academically support students after a year of disrupted teaching and learning.
What’s behind the racial divide on school reopening?

After more than six months of divisive debates about the reopening of American schools, the good news is that bipartisan consensus appears near. Recent survey data show growing support for in-person learning among Democrats, likely reflecting President Biden’s endorsement. More worrying, however, is that opinion remains deeply split along racial lines. These divisions are surprisingly […]
Community health, vaccination policies & local preference: How 100 districts are reopening after COVID-19 shutdowns

Urban districts across the country have taken a sharp turn toward in-person and hybrid learning in the start of 2021.
Announcing a new initiative to support district- and community-led innovation through learning hubs

We are honored to announce a set of grants to help school districts and their community partners launch learning hubs.
School Reopening Trends Offer Districts the Opportunity to Start Planning Beyond the Pandemic

Our latest analysis of school district learning models from March 1 to March 13 finds that a clear majority—57 percent—of the nation’s school districts report offering full-time in-person learning.
The kids are (really) not alright: A synthesis of COVID-19 student surveys

This brief from the Evidence Project synthesizes student surveys from the 2020–21 school year.
Is it Safe to Reopen Schools?
This report examines the collective findings of more than 120 studies and considers their implications for current decisions on reopening schools.