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Dear friends, It may be early October, but it still feels like back-to-school season here at States Leading States! After a summer of planning research, signing data sharing agreements, and moving analysis forward, we’re all excited to make significant...

Pilot, test, assess. It's not the obvious answer to the question: How do we help students succeed? But as far as Professor Tom Kane is concerned, it’s one of the best answers. When asked why, he says, “Because student behavior and teacher behavior are...

As John Adams observed, “facts are stubborn things.” The facts, as education policy writer Chad Aldeman recently observed, are that No Child Left Behind coincided with some of the fastest achievement gains on record for Black, Hispanic and low-income...

Dear friends, It’s been a busy season for States Leading States as the weather has warmed up! Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the 2026 Strategic Data Project (SDP) Convening in Cambridge, and it reminded me how hard so many people are working...

William Brangham: As the school year is coming to a close, a new analysis shines yet another harsh spotlight on what's being called a learning recession for America's students. And it's a problem that started long before the pandemic. That's according to...

Just about everyone in education is trying to figure out why student achievement has been declining and how to raise it back up. If anyone would know the answer it might be Tom Kane, a Harvard University professor who has been poring over data on student...

The United States entered a “learning recession” in 2013 that it has struggled mightily — and thus far ineffectively — to escape, according to a report unveiled Wednesday by a group of respected social scientists. A steep drop in student performance was...

MODESTO, Calif. – Before every important test, teacher Nancy Barajas dims the lights, turns on a disco ball and blasts music from her playlist. Her sixth graders dance together as a “pre-celebration” to boost their confidence, then take their exam. Lately...