"Assessing the Nation's Report Card" examines the history of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and outlines plans for improving and modernizing the organization. Educational policy analyst Chester E. Finn, Jr. imparts a rare inside analysis of the evolution of the NAEP program at key moments in its history, and…

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic upended the US K-12 education system, exacerbated pre-existing challenges around student achievement, and created new obstacles to delivering high-quality learning for all students. Concerns for the US education system were increasing prior to the pandemic as academic achievement and school reforms struggled…

This 22nd edition of "Quality Counts" offers a fresh take on the annual top-to-bottom ranking of the nation's school systems on a state-by-state basis published by "Education Week". The first of three "Quality Counts" reports being rolled out over the course of the year, "Grading the States" aims to…

The COVID-19 pandemic has redoubled attention to the challenges families face in making sure their children are fully prepared and supported in their journey through school. This first of three Quality Counts 2021 installments provides grades and scores for the nation and each state on a range of factors setting students up for success in school…

For more than 25 years, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has used the data-based advocacy of KIDS COUNT to raise the visibility of children's issues and to inform decision making at the state and local levels. Building on this work and the efforts of other groups nationwide that are using indicator analysis to contribute to positive change for…

There is evidence demonstrating that when young children are part of a learning environment that is based on high standards/expectations, administrative and teacher leadership and continuity in learning opportunities across these grades, the better their developmental outcomes will be through grade three and in future years. By experiencing an…