In partnership with the Walton Family Foundation, Education First developed a comprehensive “State of State Assessments: Part Two” report summarizing the challenges and opportunities for developing and implementing innovative summative assessment systems. The report builds on a 2018 “State of...
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Rigorous and transparent open Request for Proposals (RFP) processes are one strategy grantmakers can use to source, vet and select high-potential grantees. Done well, RFPs can introduce funders to new ideas and grantees while fostering more equitable and effective grantmaking....
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Opportunities exist in Title II-A, now more than ever before, to design and fund strategies uniquely tailored to support school and teacher leaders. States are preparing to submit their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans in April, and after reviewing...
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Similar to many other states, California’s efforts to boost college completion rates, while commendable, require new innovations to strengthen results. We developed this brief alongside the College Futures Foundation to elevate proven practices and strategies that are resulting in more...
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In this publication, we highlight social-emotional learning (SEL) successes in three leading school districts—Anchorage School District (AK), Bridgeport Public Schools (CT) and Sacramento City Unified School District (CA). The publication is divided into two main parts. In the first part,...
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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives all states the chance to dramatically change the way they approach and think about public education. “Making the Most of ESSA” is a reference guide designed to help policymakers and other stakeholders leverage...
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Our formative assessment study, conducted in collaboration with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, is a two-part series. Formative Assessment in the Classroom, the study itself, looks at how teachers use formative assessment every day in their classrooms to answer...
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Recognizing the complexity of challenges facing public education, funders regularly collaborate to pool knowledge, align strategies and attract more resources. Over the past five years, Education First has provided strategy-setting, facilitation and management support to several funder collaboratives aiming to...
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In Districts Rising, we tell the stories of ten school districts and their efforts to raise student achievement and prepare students for college and career. Each brief in the series focuses on one school district: Aldine Independent School District (Texas);...
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In the mid-1990s, Aldine Independent School District embarked on a remarkable journey to transform teaching and learning in all corners of the district. Today, many accolades later (including the Broad Prize for Urban Education in 2009), Aldine continues to refine...
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