The adolescent brain is malleable, which makes adolescents particularly vulnerable to the impact of trauma. Yet this malleability also presents an opportunity. Since the brain undergoes dramatic changes during adolescence, this period of development offers the chance to heal from trauma experienced early in life when young people receive targeted…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a near-total shutdown of the U.S. school system, forcing more than 55 million students to transition to home-based remote learning practically overnight. In most cases, that meant logging in to online classes and accessing lessons and assignments through a home internet connection. Sadly, that was not an option for…

The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) provides a critical opportunity to eliminate race- and income-based disparities in college preparation, enrollment, persistence, and completion. The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) believes that these disparities are caused, at least in part, by inequities at the high school level…

Research suggests that ninth grade is a critical year for setting the course to high school graduation. The transition to high school is a period of special threat to the academic achievement of many students. On average, students' grades, attendance, and attitudes toward school decline, while their behavioral troubles increase. Urban students and…

Of the nearly 100 different types of high school diplomas that are awarded across all fifty states and the District of Columbia, less than half prepare students for success in college and career. And while the national high school graduation rate is at an all-time high, the rate at which students earn these college- and career-ready (CCR) diplomas…

Early College High Schools (ECHSs) and dual-enrollment programs allow students to take college courses while still in high school. Research has shown that students participating in these programs are more likely to enroll in college, post higher college grade point averages, persist, and ultimately graduate from college. Too often, however, the…

Providing consistent, excellent teaching for each student in every classroom depends on whether states and districts commit to transforming teaching into a profession that reliably builds and grows teacher expertise over the career continuum. To address the problem of inequitable access to effective teachers, the U.S. Department of Education asked…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 includes several provisions that target the education needs of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students. This brief primer discusses how ESSA relates to the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), the state tribal education partnership, cooperative agreements, consultation with tribes,…

Linked Learning transforms student learning experiences by bringing meaning and motivation to the school day. It integrates college and career preparation by combining rigorous academic coursework, sequenced career and technical education, work-based learning experiences, and comprehensive support services. Today, Linked Learning is working in…

This report, released by Education Reform Now and the Alliance for Excellent Education, finds that the "12" in K-12 education may be unnecessary for nearly a quarter of high school students. The report introduces two accelerated pathways for college-ready juniors that would provide meaningful access to full-time, college-level…

In 2002, the Monroe County, Georgia, school system was, according to its then-superintendent Scott Cowart, "underperforming." Test scores were low, and several schools faced interventions under the new No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). One decade later, the 4,000-student school district in central Georgia is one of the highest-performing…

To strengthen the nation's education system, schools, districts, and states must actively engage parents and communities. The recently passed Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, which replaces the No Child Left Behind Act, includes specific requirements that parents and communities can use to make their voices heard. This brief primer…

Absent any federal requirement to monitor the performance of student subgroups, a significant number of states have implemented accountability systems that either ignore the performance of these students or provide only minimal oversight. As Congress moves forward with reauthorizing ESEA, it must codify the 2008 high school graduation rate…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 includes several provisions that support state and district efforts to prevent students from dropping out of high school and reengage out-of-school youth. Under ESSA, state plans must describe how the state will work with school districts to transition students from middle school to high school and…

This report examines how Xavier University of Louisiana's summer bridge program for middle and high school students prepares students of color to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This extensive report--interspersed with video highlights of the program--provides a lens into the kind of academic and social…