Our Research

This research report examines the dramatic turnaround of the Mildred Avenue School in Mattapan, which won EdVestors' 2017 School on the Move Prize. We teamed up with EdVestors to investigate the role of teacher leadership and labor-management collaboration in driving rapid school improvement.

The winners of the 2017 Pozen Prize for Innovative Schools—the Winter Hill Community Innovation School in Somerville, MA and the Paul Revere Innovation School in Revere, MA—excel in attending to the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of all students in the richly diverse communities they serve. This case study looks at the key practices these schools used to meet student learning needs and the influence school-based decision-making can have on accelerating school improvement.

Students who cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade struggle to learn through text as they progress through school and life. The cascading effects of third grade reading, including widening academic achievement gaps and social-emotional challenges, extend into adulthood. We teamed up with Stand for Children on this policy brief, which examines the influence of literacy on individual, societal, and economic well-being.

This annual status report looks at 25 state-level indicators of school performance to illuminate areas of success and areas for continued improvement across the education pipeline. This year’s report also features a guide for continuous improvement in classroom, schools, and districts.

This report examines the way in which the Bay State Reading Institute, a small group literacy model, improved teacher capacity to differentiate instruction for diverse learners in Everett, MA.

This brief explores policies to improve college graduation rates for opportunity youth and first-generation college students, looking at how colleges, community-based organizations, and the Commonwealth can systemize supports for these students.

This annual status report looks at 25 state-level indicators of school performance to illuminate areas of success and areas for continued improvement across the education pipeline. This year’s report also features a guide urging a shift toward a student-centered approach to education.

This report looks at the impact, implementation, and cost of using Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) to prepare students for life after graduation. It highlights lessons learned from four Massachusetts districts utilizing ILPs and provides considerations for state policymakers on supporting the expansion of this work.

This case study takes a look at school turnaround efforts at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School, which won EdVestors' 2015 School on the Move Prize, examining the school's remarkable turnaround centered on addressing the needs of the whole child.