Our Research

This 2009 report highlights schools making progress in educating students with special needs. It examines the status of special education in the Commonwealth including legislation surrounding special education, the incidence of students receiving special education services, and the distribution of students by disability type in different types of districts.

Much of the policy discussion in education revolves around the relationship between teacher quality and student achievement: questions such as how to identify effective teachers, how to retain and develop these teachers, and how to ensure that effective teachers teach in the schools where they are most needed. This 2009 policy proposal provides an analysis of the research on teacher quality and school turnaround, case examples from our own teaching experiences, our theory of change, and the key features of our proposed staffing model.

This 2008 report is second part of a study on Massachusetts students' opportunity to learn science. Results of national assessments show that while Massachusetts students score better in science than their peers in other states, there are disturbing gaps in the performance of certain sub-groups of students -- black and Hispanic students, students from low-income homes, English language learners -- who fail to meet proficiency standards at satisfactory rates.

This 2008 report analyzes whether students in high- and low-performing schools receive equitable opportunities to learn in science and, importantly, profiles the promising practices of schools that are beating the odds and succeeding at educating students to high levels in science. This report is the first in a two-part study that the Rennie Center is producing on Massachusetts students' opportunity to learn science.

In 2007, the Massachusetts legislature phased out the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA). This 2008 policy brief informs policy discussions focused on exploring options for establishing the creation of a new accountability function in Massachusetts, including the examination of case examples of accountability models from four other states -- New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and three countries -- England, New Zealand and Singapore.

This 2007 study by the Rennie Center finds that English language learners (ELLs), a rapidly growing percentage of the Commonwealth's student population, are qualifying for transition into mainstream classrooms at a much slower pace than originally expected.

This 2007 policy brief examines models of education governance in other states and draws out lessons to help inform policy discussions in Massachusetts. The report presents case studies of four states that have engaged in the process of designing education governance systems that stretch from pre-school through graduate school and draws implications for consideration by Massachusetts policymakers.

The 2006 report examines gender differences on a number of indicators including performance on the MCAS in math and English language arts (ELA), dropout rates, and placement in special education. Girls matched or surpassed boys' achievement at all grade levels in both math and ELA. A further analysis of high school enrollment patterns showed that boys, specifically Black and Hispanic boys, are most in danger of falling through the cracks in the education system.

Drawing on research with legislators, leaders at the Massachusetts Department of Education, heads of the major education associations, and charter school experts, this 2006 policy analysis seeks to identify reasons for the lack of interest in Horace Mann charter schools.

This 2006 policy brief focuses on district-based data analysis programs for educators and highlights the policy and practice challenges associated with their use. It provides educators and policymakers with guiding questions to assist in the selection of data analysis programs.