Our 2022-23 Fordham Sponsorship Annual Report shares our work during the last school year, overseeing thirteen schools that served approximately 6,000 students in Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati and Portsmouth, Ohio. We value this opportunity to keep stakeholders and the public informed about our efforts, provide information on each of the schools we…

Student success in post-secondary education is an ongoing concern, however, research has focused on relatively homogeneous university samples. Moreover, Canadian research on predictors of student success is limited. Following recent trends, we examined non-cognitive, personal qualities, rather than cognitive predictors (e.g., IQ), of student…

This article summarizes the divergent perspectives found across the 14 articles written by individuals from three types of policy research organizations--think tanks, regional collaborative organizations, and university-based institutes and centers--for this special issue of the "Community College Journal of Research and Practice." It…

There has been extensive research and commentary blaming schools for the achievement disparity that exists among its students. Attempts to solve this issue have focused primarily on instruction and school tasks. Anthony Bryk and Barbara Schneider (2002) found social trust as a major attribute to school effectiveness. Their 1997 study of Chicago's…

Recent reports based on PISA data have shown a generally positive relationship between the amount of time spent on homework and achievement, and a negative relationship between a measure of socioeconomic status and homework time for secondary students. These findings suggest that homework practices are either reflecting or contributing to…

The challenges associated with educating students with disabilities in charter schools in Connecticut are symptoms of two broader issues--the state's inequitable public education funding system and problematic ambiguity in the state charter law. Connecticut is a state of haves and have nots, and effectively advocating for more equitable funding…

This report describes some surprising shifts in regional achievement patterns in Illinois public schools under NCLB. These shifts show worrisome declines in many communities that were not the original focus of NCLB, and promising growth in some communities where evidence presented shows changes in school effectiveness. What schools and districts…

Executive leadership of the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) initiated a flexibility offering from No Child Left Behind. Our work explores specific design decisions made in these state-specific accountability systems as associated with state political environments, resources, and demographic characteristics. Our analysis, focused on 42 states…

This article gives the demographic characteristics of the U.S. homeschooling population and the reasons that parents choose to homeschool, summarizes the findings of studies on the homeschool learner outcomes of academic achievement, social development, and success in adulthood, and proposes future research on parent-led home-based education. The…

In order to provide equitable opportunities and equal access to an effective, personalized education, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) offers Apex Learning, a district-funded virtual platform with online instructional course options, to all students in grades 7-12. The purpose of this report is to provide district leaders with data…

To support the nation's college completion goals, early college high school (ECHS) reform creates opportunities for interested students to earn up to two years of free college credit during high school. ECHSs also have an equity objective: to target and enroll students who are historically underrepresented and/or might not otherwise go to college.…

In the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, researchers estimate that the teachers of roughly 50 million K-12 public school students have had to transition to remote instruction. Emerging research about the impact of the pandemic on schooling consistently reveals that school closures have presented significant hurdles to…

Charter schools are public schools governed by an independent board of directors that come into existence through a contract with an authorized public chartering agency. This report, known as the "Illinois Charter School Biennial Report," provides law and policymakers, educators, and the general public with information regarding the…

With support from the Self Family Foundation and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee, the Riley Institute has completed a multi-year study of Montessori education in South Carolina's public schools, the most comprehensive evaluation of public Montessori ever conducted in the United States. Between 2011 and 2016, this mixed-method…

This study provides a census of full-time virtual schools and blended schools from 35 states. Specifically, it utilizes data visualization and exploratory data analysis to examine student demographics and school performance measures of virtual schools and blended schools operating in the 2014-15 school year. The school achievement measures for…