Student Success

Requiring high schools to offer at least one AP course would help increase rural student access to rigorous pre-college work, according to a recent report. Although the AP participation rate in rural communities has steadily increased over the past 15 years, it still lags behind participation in suburban and urban districts, according to the report, […]

Students who graduate from Skyline High School’s Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics Academy in Colorado’s St. Vrain Valley School District receive a special certificate—a STEM seal—along with a diploma. Providing seals are part of a growing trend. At least five states, including Ohio, Nevada, New York and Texas, offer special endorsements for high school graduates […]

One month before the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, Turlock USD was still short five speech-language pathologists. The salary offered by the Central California district was high by area standards, but even so, the positions remained unfilled. In fact, no one had even applied. Alice Solis, Turlock’s director of special education, struggled to hire […]

Educators in a school district that conducts well-designed formative assessments should be able to accurately predict how students will perform on midterms, finals and high-stakes exams. A growing number of experts and administrators insist that if a district excels at formative assessment, its students shouldn’t have to sit through so many high-stakes tests. “We don’t […]

Three chronically underperforming Baltimore City Public Schools are now getting intensive, hands-on guidance from educators at a fourth district school, Commodore John Rodgers, that has achieved a dramatic turnaround. Educators at the struggling elementary and middle schools—Harford Heights, James McHenry and Mary E. Rodman—won’t just follow a set of guidelines. Rodgers’ principal, Marc Martin, has […]

Joseph V. Erardi Jr. served as superintendent of Newtown Public Schools in Connecticut from 2014 until his retirement in August. During his tenure, the district implemented NaviGate Prepared as a component of a broad safety and security initiative undertaken in the aftermath of the 2012 tragedy there. Talk about preparation versus prevention when it comes […]