By Kristen C. Wilcox and Jim Wager Since the early 2000’s New York State has seen changes evident across the nation, and these changes have affected schools and the children and adults who step in their doors every day. Some …
by Amanda J. Lester The unique characteristics of rural school districts and their surrounding communities present both challenges and opportunities for rural school educators. Some of the challenges faced by educators in rural school communities are similar to those faced …
by Fang (Lisa) Yu and Aaron Leo The Culture and Climate Connection Many educators and policymakers have realized that student achievement is highly affected by school culture and climate. Malverne Senior High School in the NYKids Phase I College and …
By Aaron Leo A major goal of qualitative research is to glean a rich and deep understanding of participants’ experiences and perspectives. Unlike quantitative studies that often seek to confirm a hypothesis or identify a particular trend or pattern through …
By Brian Rhode and Amanda Lester Organizational models and leadership practices can play a significant role in affecting student outcomes. As noted in recent school leadership research, “Leaders in schools matter, and their importance is illuminated when they make a …
By Kristen C. Wilcox and Fang (Lisa) Yu Finding out what kids think about their educational experiences is key to improving what educators do. At the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a core principle of improvement rests on …
By Kristen C. Wilcox School and system leaders need innovations that help them to produce improvements that address disparities of opportunities and outcomes experienced by too many marginalized youth in K-12 schools. Innovative practices that re-center leaders’ attention on the …
By Lisa Yu Self-Selecting Comparison Schools A not uncommon question for many parents is: “How well does my child’s school perform compared to other schools?” Likewise, educators, community members and other stakeholders may seek answers to questions like “How do …
By Aaron Leo Student engagement falls dramatically from 74% in fifth grade to only 34% by the senior year according to a 2016 Gallup Student Poll that surveyed nearly 1 million students throughout the United States. These findings should give …
By Kristen C. Wilcox A recent Learning Policy Institute brief on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) points out that ESSA “… provides states with significant policymaking opportunity and responsibility and creates new levers for advancing equity and excellence throughout …