At their best, state boards of education use data to drive policymaking, but achievement results related to civics are not fueling the change needed. Just 22 percent of eighth grade students across the country are working at the Proficient level in civics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. Last administered in 2022, the…

The significant decrease in student achievement levels following the pandemic has become a pressing national problem, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts showed some of the sharpest academic achievement declines in the country. To assist schools in recovering from the pandemic, the federal government allocated three waves of funding through its…

By most measures, students with disabilities (SWDs) are not receiving the education they need and deserve in California schools and districts. In 2019, 187 of 333 (56 percent) districts were identified for differentiated assistance because SWDs did not meet standards for two or more priority areas on the California School Dashboard. California…

The public education system in Massachusetts enjoys a reputation of being "first" in the nation. This ranking is owed, in full or in part, to the performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments. NAEP is also called "The Nation's Report Card," as it is designed to discern trends in state…

"Commitment and Common Sense" tells the inside story of how Massachusetts became a national model for education. Twelve years after the passage of the state's comprehensive education reform law in 1993, Bay State student scores rose to the top of "the nation's report card" (the National Assessment of Educational Progress) in…

Test-score data show that both low-income and racial-minority children score lower, on average, on states' elementary-school accountability tests compared with higher-income children or white children. This report explores the relationship between racial and socioeconomic test-score gaps in New England metropolitan areas and two factors associated…

In many ways standards-based school reform is at a crossroads. On one side, the movement has made tremendous strides. The Common Core State Standards Initiative, known simply as Common Core, is now strongly established in more than 40 states. Many teachers believe that the new, higher academic standards have helped them improve instruction. And,…

This fact sheet provides demographic information for the young Dual Language Learner (DLL) population in Massachusetts, based on Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) data pooled over the 2011-15 period. DLLs, defined as children ages 8 and under with at least one parent who speaks a…

2010 was a pioneering year for Massachusetts public schools. State leaders recognized that while the Commonwealth leads the nation in student achievement on national measures such as NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), more needed to be done to close the persistent achievement gaps between our wealthy and poor students. Combining a…