Well before the Next Generation Science Standards became final last month, teachers in pockets around the country were already exploring the vision for science education espoused by the document and bringing elements of that approach to the classroom. The new standards call for bringing greater depth to K-12 students' understanding of the subject…

A report from a progressive think tank measuring the "educational productivity" of more than 9,000 school districts around the country says that districts getting the most for their money tend to spend more on teachers and less on administration, partner with their communities to save money, and have school boards willing to make…

When 16 finalists come to Washington next week to make their final pitches in the $4 billion Race to the Top competition, most can expect to go home empty-handed. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, in announcing the finalists last week, said that no more than $2 billion will be divided among "very few winners" when the awards are…

Kentucky has become the first state to adopt common academic standards that were drafted as part of a nationwide initiative to establish a widely shared and ambitious vision of student learning. With a unanimous vote this month, the Kentucky board of education approved the substitution of the common standards in mathematics and English/language…

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision sharply limiting the use of race in assigning students to schools has led many educators to recommit themselves to strive for racial diversity in K-12 education, but has left them speculating about which tactics will withstand legal challenges. The court ruled 5-4 on June 28 that assignment plans in the Seattle…

Kentucky schools are poised to get their biggest state spending boost in more than a decade, but educators say it won't be enough to counter a lawsuit arguing the state inadequately finances its K-12 schools. In the legisltative session that concluded earlier this month, Kentucky lawmakers passed a two-year budget with $7.9 billion for K-12…

School leaders attest to educational and social benefits from diversity. They argue that local housing patterns historically tend to separate families of different races and may lead to schools that are racially homogeneous if the districts do not counter them with assignment policies that consider race. This article discusses race in education…

This article reports on the U.S. Supreme Court's hearing of arguments on the constitutionality of using race as a tool in assigning students to public schools, in two cases in which advocates on both sides claim to be defending the legacy of "Brown v. Board of Education" and the nation's commitment to equality. The court's conservative…

By accepting two appeals on the voluntary use of race in assigning students to public schools, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely decide the constitutionality of widespread practices that school districts use to promote diversity. And the decision could affect schools in unforeseen ways. In both cases, parents of white children have challenged…

This article describes how the litigation over whether states are adequately financing their K-12 schools has tipped in favor of those who say they are not. Of the six major judicial decisions in the past 18 months, advocates of increased school funding have won each time, dramatically changing the finance landscape in those states. Advocates for…

States should toughen their high school graduation requirements and test to reflect the English and math skills that students actually need to succeeds in college. To identify what those skills are, the American Diploma Project analyzed employment data and conducted research with more than 300 higher education official, front-line manager, and…