Holding back students deemed not ready for more challenging course content is a practice nearly as old as formal education in the United States. Yet this practice has evolved considerably over the pas...

Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

A study of a large Florida school district found that the effects of immigration enforcement on students’ academic performance was concentrated in high-poverty schools. The test score declines also oc...

Researchers studying a large urban district in Florida found modest improvements in test scores after schools banned cellphones. They also saw suspensions rise.

Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

Thirty states now limit or ban cellphone use in classrooms, and teachers are noticing children paying attention to their lessons again. But it’s not clear whether this policy — unpopular with students and a headache for teachers to enforce — makes an academic difference. If student achievement goes up after a cellphone ban, it’s tough to know if the ban was the reason. Some other change in math or reading instruction might have caused the improvement. Or maybe the state assessment became easier to pass. Imagine if politicians required all students to wear striped shirts and test scores rose.

Many school districts offer remediation courses to help students who are behind academically catch up. A study by Umut Özek of the RAND Corporation finds that while high school remediation improves…

Every year, millions of high school students take remedial courses. In Florida alone, nearly a quarter of high schoolers took a remedial English course during the 2022-23 school year. Remedial courses...

The proposal includes a plan to eliminate 18 existing grant programs and replace them with one funding stream.

AEFP at 50

When and how algebra is taught remains one of the most controversial issues in U.S. education policy. RAND researchers share new findings about who has access to algebra in 8th and 9th grade and the s...