Running fast but not getting far: Five years of studying the pandemic’s impact on education

COMING SOON: This publication will be live on March 19, 2025.
Unfinished Business: What Must Come Next for Public Education, Five Years After Pandemic Shutdowns

The Current Crisis Five years after the pandemic disrupted education, public schools are still struggling to recover. Achievement gaps have widened, student performance is in decline, and many schools have reverted to an outdated, ineffective system that fails to meet today’s challenges. The pandemic exposed longstanding weaknesses in the education system—rigid structures, inequities, resistance to […]
In Search of Opportunity: Can Families Use Education Choice to Secure More of What They Want?

As education choice programs expand, the promise of securing better educational opportunities remains unevenly realized for many families. This report examines the challenges families face and offers practical solutions to help education choice programs deliver on their potential. The report reveals that while some families benefit from education choice, many—particularly those in rural areas, low-income communities, and […]
Promising progress, fragile foundations: A five-year analysis of school innovation, 2019-2024

Over the past five years, the Canopy Project has documented innovations in K-12 education, uncovering how schools are addressing systemic challenges and envisioning the future of learning. This report highlights the progress and persistence of these trailblazing schools and offers actionable recommendations for sustaining and spreading innovation. Read the Report Report Quick Guide Key Findings […]
AI is Evolving, but Teacher Prep is Lagging: A First Look at Teacher Preparation Program Responses to AI

AI has transformed the education landscape, but are teacher preparation programs keeping pace? In CRPE’s latest report, we surveyed leaders from schools of education to understand how their faculty and preservice teachers are engaging with AI, their views on its long-term impact, and how institutions are embedding AI into their curricula. Key Findings: Schools of education […]
State Secrets: How Transparent Are State School Report Cards About the Effects of COVID?

How easy would it be for a parent or advocate to compare student performance pre- and post-COVID? The short answer: in most states, it’s not easy at all. Our researchers graded all 50 states’ and Washington, DC’s school report card websites on an A-F scale, based on how easy it would be for a parent […]
Wicked Opportunities: Leveraging AI to Transform Education

While the United States leads the world in AI innovation, our schools lag in preparing teachers and students for the impact of this unprecedented technological shift. In April 2024, CRPE convened over 60 state and federal policymakers, edtech innovators, school system leaders, and advocates to discuss how AI can drive meaningful and positive change in […]
When challenges never let up: School district leaders steer through hazards in Baltimore and Chicago

In the face of financial, political, and capacity constraints, leaders within the Baltimore City Public School System and Chicago Public Schools are making progress toward closing post-pandemic gaps in student learning. They’ve had to choose among imperfect strategies and navigate significant, growing challenges. At times, this has meant taking risks, following strategies they might not […]
Early evidence of improved educator outcomes in Next Education Workforce models

Concerns about the teacher workforce are rising, with fewer teachers recommending the profession and decreasing interest among students. In response, school systems are redesigning teacher roles to make the job more appealing and sustainable. This brief examines early outcomes from the Next Education Workforce™ (NEW) team-based models in Mesa, Arizona, which shift from the traditional […]
“So hard, but so rewarding:” How school system leaders are scaling up strategic school staffing models

Innovative staffing models are promising, but challenging to scale up. What does the work of leading strategic staffing involve, and what could make scaling up easier? This report digs deep into the many challenges system leaders face when scaling up innovative staffing solutions. These leaders are trying to address longstanding teacher shortages and retention challenges […]