Since the COVID-19 pandemic, tutoring has gained popularity as a strategy to improve the academic achievement of struggling students. Intensive, relationship-based tutoring is a highly effective academic support for many students. A range of tutoring approaches are available to accelerate young students' literacy. Sarah Novicoff and Susanna Loeb…

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global health issue that affects significant proportions of women and girls. Despite research showing that children understand and perform stereotypical gender norms from as young as 3 years, addressing gender with young children is controversial. Programs that aim to teach gender fairness and respectful…

School closures can occur not only during a pandemic, but also during disasters, which can impact students' social and emotional well-being and lead to detrimental behavioral outcomes and trauma-related symptomatology. Such negative impacts can potentially be alleviated by inclusion of effective virtual or blended SEL programming that supports…

This brief describes the findings of a study into the effects of a project-based learning (PBL) social studies curriculum, Project PLACE, on social studies and literacy achievement among second graders in low-income communities. The study by University of Michigan and Michigan State researchers found the PBL curriculum led to gains in social…

The Dyslexia Pilot Project provided funding to school districts to implement a multitiered system of support (MTSS) framework for the prevention, early identification, and early intervention of reading difficulties. This article describes the evaluation of the multiyear Dyslexia Pilot Project for students in kindergarten through Grade 2. The…

This is a review of the findings of a study investigating the impact of a project-based elementary science curriculum on academic achievement and aspects of social and emotional learning. The study by Michigan State and University of Michigan researchers found that use of the project-based learning (PBL) program, Multiple Literacies in…

Districts and states are targeting summer break -- the most substantial chunk of out-of-school time in the typical year -- as a prime opportunity to help students make progress with learning left unfinished due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal COVID relief funds will allow schools the freedom to offer programs as they never have before. But not…

The Competencies and sub-competencies of the Collaborative of Academic and Social Emotional Learning (CASEL) are very closely aligned to skills-based health education based on the National Health Education Standards and SHAPE America Grade Level Outcomes but miles apart when it comes to recognizability, perceived need, efficaciousness, and…

Recognizing the critical importance of early literacy, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) have both worked intensively with states on birth through third grade improvement strategies across literacy and other learning domains. Third grade reading laws are one strategy that…

This paper discusses the potential fiscal effects of education savings accounts for K-12 in New Jersey on the state and local taxpayers. Education savings accounts are a way to expand educational opportunity for all families, particularly those in need. For parents who voluntarily elect to customize their child's education, a specified amount is…

Patty Smith Hill (1868-1946) was a leader in the kindergarten movement and an advocate of the value of free play in the education of young children. She was a founding member of the International Kindergarten Union, which eventually became the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). She also served as ACEI President in 1909. She…

We describe here lessons learned in designing an early algebra curriculum to measure early algebra's impact on children's algebra readiness for middle grades. The curriculum was developed to supplement regular mathematics instruction in Grades K-5. Lessons learned centered around the importance of several key factors, including using conceptual…

Chicago Public Schools is working to improve early literacy outcomes through a multiyear professional development initiative for preK-2 teachers. This initiative--the P-2 Balanced Literacy Initiative--aims to improve literacy instruction by training teachers to balance systematic foundational skills instruction with reading and writing instruction…

A number of converging issues provided the impetus for 12 schools in the Western Bay of Plenty to form a support network to explore and develop play-based learning for the first years of school. This article discusses what has influenced our play-based learning approach and gains we have observed as a result. We acknowledge the challenges that…

This protocol guides the What Works Clearinghouse's (WWC) systematic reviews of evidence on interventions designed to improve the English language and literacy skills of students in kindergarten to grade 12. To conduct the systematic review, this protocol is used in conjunction with version 4.1 of the WWC Standards and Procedures Handbooks and the…