Research

Education news, analysis, and opinion about research about education

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The State of Teaching, 2026
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The Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 17, 2026.
The Department of Education headquarters in Washington on Friday, July 17, 2026. Federal funding for education research may be starting to flow, even as the overall spending picture remains unclear.
Eric Lee for Education Week
Federal After Months of Standstill, Ed. Dept. Announces New Federal Research Funding
The agency outlined its fiscal 2027 grantmaking amid questions about its sluggish spending.
Stephen Sawchuk & Mark Lieberman, August 11, 2026
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7 min read
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 . A new bill could change how literacy is taught in elementary schools by providing transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers with training and textbooks that stress what's known as science of reading, an approach to literacy that focuses heavily on phonics and foundational reading skills to combat California's literacy crisis. Though other states have shifted to this evidence-based reading, California's reading instruction has largely been left to the control of school districts, many of which have not made the switch. The school has begun their shift to a science of reading approach and are seen as an example for other California districts.
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Proponents of a "speech-to-print" phonics approach say it works more efficiently than other methods. But research evidence is inconclusive.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via TNS
Reading & Literacy What is 'Linguistic' Phonics and Why Are Some Schools Adopting It?
A new question is emerging in the "science of reading": Is one type of phonics instruction better than another?
Sarah Schwartz, August 7, 2026
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8 min read
Students, from left, Araiza Maldonado Basilio, Alexa Velasquez Mendoza and Leslie Sandoval Reyes, open letters in 2023 informing them which Minnesota colleges and universities they were pre-accepted to as part of the state's Direct Admissions program.
From left, students Araiza Maldonado Basilio, Alexa Velasquez Mendoza, and Leslie Sandoval Reyes open letters in 2023 informing them which Minnesota colleges and universities they were pre-accepted to as part of the state's Direct Admissions program. As families conduct college searches, AI is playing a growing role in helping families understand and discover college choices, a new survey found.
Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS
College & Workforce Readiness AI Gains Ground as a College-Search Tool for Parents
A survey of parents of high school students finds more are turning to AI for information about college choices.
Mark Walsh, August 6, 2026
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2 min read
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Education technology companies market their products and services at the ISTE Live 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in late June in Orlando, Fla. Some school districts are now insisting that payments to ed-tech companies be linked to evidence that their products and services improve student learning.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
School & District Management Should Districts Pay Vendors Based on Student Outcomes? What the Research Says
Tying vendor pay to outcomes can help boost student achievement, researchers find.
Alyson Klein, August 6, 2026
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4 min read
A collage-style illustration of pieces of paper with handwriting in multiple languages on them, including Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, English and Cyrillic. The characters shown are a mix of letters and numbers from each language.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion Is Your Classroom Welcoming to English Learners? Here Are 3 Places to Start
Teachers have the power to define knowing two languages as an asset not a complication.
Nancy Cruz Rodriguez, August 5, 2026
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5 min read
Mike Morath, the Texas Commissioner of Education, walks through a science class at Lucyle Collins Middle School in Lake Worth on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
Mike Morath, the Texas Commissioner of Education, walks through a science class at Lucyle Collins Middle School in Lake Worth on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. Morath has been a champion of the state's bonus-pay program for teachers, but it's not always helping equalize talent at the state's neediest schools.
Christopher Torres via TNS
Recruitment & Retention What Does it Cost to Convince Top Teachers to Switch to High-Need Schools?
New research underscores how hard it is to pull top educators to rural or high-poverty schools.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 5, 2026
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5 min read
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas' class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6, 2026, in Modesto, Calif.
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas' class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6, 2026, in Modesto, Calif. New research shows the nation's 6th graders' reading scores have flatlined, and the lowest-performing students are losing ground.
Annie Barker/AP
Reading & Literacy Middle Schoolers' Reading Scores Are Still Stuck at Post-Pandemic Lows
New data shows that the lowest-performing students are falling the furthest behind.
Sarah Schwartz, August 4, 2026
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4 min read
Michelle Ayala, 18, plays with building blocks with campers at LASOS summer camp at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on July 24, 2025.
An 18-year-old plays with building blocks with campers at LASOS summer camp at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on July 24, 2025. High costs prevent nearly half of children whose parents want them in summer programs from attending.
KT Kanazawich/AP
Curriculum High Costs Keep 12.6 Million Kids Out of Summer Programs, Report Finds
The Afterschool Alliance report recommends greater public and private funding of summer programs.
Mark Walsh, August 3, 2026
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3 min read
Image of a person on a unicycle juggling icons representing: computers, calendar, planning documents, financial documents, desk with lunch bag and coffee mug.
Robert Neubecker for Education Week
School & District Management From Our Research Center 75% of Educators Expect Student Behavior to Be a Challenge This Year. What Else?
Students themselves are top of mind, even as districts face financial headwinds and broader uncertainty.
Evie Blad, August 3, 2026
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6 min read
Dr. Stephanie Cross, a professor at Georgia State University, photographed in her home in Brookhaven, Georgia.
Stephanie Lee Behm Cross, a professor at Georgia State University, stands in her home in Brookhaven, Ga., on July 13, 2026. Cross ran a teacher-residency program funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant until the funding was abruptly terminated in February 2025.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week
Education Funding Trump Cut Their Education Grants. Here’s What Happened Next
Grantees whose work ground to a halt last year lament broken promises and abandoned projects.
Mark Lieberman, July 31, 2026
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15 min read
Students, including Isaac De Oliviera Matielo, center, listen as kindergarten teacher Christin Labriola, left, reads the book "Dumpling Soup" to her class, incorporating Asian American and Pacific Islander subjects in her class at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford, Conn., on Dec. 2, 2025.
Students listen as a kindergarten teacher reads the book "Dumpling Soup" to her class at Webster Hill Elementary School in West Hartford, Conn., on Dec. 2, 2025. When it comes to kindergarten readiness, boys generally score lower than girls—a gap that tends to widen over time.
Jessica Hill/AP Photo
Early Childhood Why Boys Start Kindergarten Behind Girls
Kindergarten readiness data tell us that gender gaps start as soon as school does.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 31, 2026
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4 min read
Benjimon Kelly, center, a 19-year-old industrial maintenance student at Texas State Technical College, speaks with WSP recruiters Jeff Caraway, right, senior VP project management, and Charles Schoubroek, left, department manager Texas region, during a spring job fair at the campus in Red Oak on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Teens share how they feel about AI impacting the job market, a new survey shows.
Benjimon Kelly, center, a 19-year-old industrial maintenance student at Texas State Technical College, speaks with recruiters during a spring job fair at the campus in Red Oak on March 24, 2026. High school and college students are increasingly concerned about the impact AI will likely have on their future job opportunities.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
College & Workforce Readiness How Well Are Schools Preparing Students for an AI-Driven World? Teens Weigh In
Most teens say they learn best when they can apply what they're learning to real-world situations.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 31, 2026
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2 min read
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they are studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. In Chicago Public Schools, the average reading score went up by the equivalent of 70% of a grade level from 2022 to 2023. Math gains were less dramatic, with students still behind almost half a grade level compared to 2019. Chicago officials credit the improvement to changes made possible with nearly $3 billion in federal relief.
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they're studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. Research supports children reading over the summer—but not specifically assigning reading lists or holding kids accountable for completing them.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo
Reading & Literacy Is Required Summer Reading a Good Idea? What the Research Says
Studies show benefits for summer reading in general. But little evidence supports assigning specific books.
Sarah Schwartz, July 30, 2026
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4 min read
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Seniors line up during their graduation rehearsal at the Capital City Public Charter School in Washington on June 11, 2026. A new analysis breaks down the number of students in each state who could qualify for financial awards under the new federal tax-credit scholarship program launching next year. The awards could cover private school tuition as well as certain expenses for traditional public and charter school students.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
School Choice & Charters Vast Majority of Students Could Qualify for Trump's School Choice Program
Although most students are expected to be eligible, four factors will shape its ultimate size.
Matthew Stone, July 30, 2026
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7 min read