Our Research

Our independent research explores a variety of cutting-edge issues facing public education to guide discussion and decision-making around education policy and practice.

Building a Culture of Joyful Learning: A Case Study of Improvement at the Harvard-Kent Elementary School

October 2020

This case study explores how the Harvard-Kent Elementary School in Charlestown, winner of EdVestors' 2019 School on the Move Prize, made impressive academic gains by engaging teachers to create a school culture where students feel valued and where learning is experiential and engaging.

Back-to-School Blueprint

August 2020

Our Back-to-School Blueprint is an interactive series of research-based, online action guides to help schools prepare to support students as they return to learning (whether in-person, virtually, or a mix of both) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bridging the Gap: How Wentworth provides a personalized & local approach to college and career readiness

August 2020

The transition from high school to college is challenging under normal circumstances. But this year—with students ending high school remotely and potentially starting college virtually—this transition may seem nearly impossible for too many students. This report looks at how Wentworth Institute of Technology is addressing these challenges through their summer bridge program.

2020 Condition of Education in the Commonwealth

January 2020

This annual status report looks at a range of state-level indicators of school performance to illuminate areas of success and areas for continued improvement across the education pipeline. This year's report examines the need for new ways of measuring student success.

Elevating Real-World Learning: Two Cities' Efforts to Credential Real World Skills through Digital Badges

January 2020

In Boston and Providence, after-school program leaders have been working to formally recognize students’ real-world skills through an innovative credential called a digital badge. This report shares successes and lessons learned from this effort, providing guidance for organizations exploring opportunities to support and acknowledge students’ non-academic skills.

Building a Culture of Deeper Learning at the Donald McKay K-8 School

November 2019

This case study documents the transformation of the Donald McKay K-8 School in East Boston, winner of EdVestors' 2018 School on the Move Prize, into a school community where students and teachers have the freedom to be creative, to learn by doing, and to experiment with new methods of learning that are relevant to students’ daily lives.

Early College Blueprint: A Guide to Getting Started with Early College in Massachusetts

September 2019

This hands-on guide is meant to help high school and college partners design and implement effective Early College programs. It explores research-based best practices and lessons learned from Early College programs across the state and nation.

Building Local: Lessons from Massachusetts Communities on Reengaging Opportunity Youth

July 2019

In the United States, one in nine young people is neither in school nor working. That’s 4.5 million Americans between the ages of 16 and 24. This population, known as Opportunity Youth (OY), is disconnected in a way that can lead to lower lifetime earnings and a higher likelihood of social isolation.

Empowering Young Professionals: How real-world learning at a Boston high school bridges the transition to college and the workforce

June 2019

The winner of the 2018 Pozen Prize for Innovative Schools— the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK) in Boston— seeks to empower underrepresented students to succeed in college and high-wage careers. This case study highlights the key practices that have facilitated the EMK’s success,

Building the Next Generation of Latino Leaders

June 2019

In honor of Sociedad Latina’s 50th Anniversary, we teamed up with the organization to put together a research brief that looks at how they support positive development for Boston’s Latino youth.

Rethinking Grading

March 28, 2024

Schools have assessed student learning and growth with essentially the same grading system for more than a century. Since this system was created, the field has learned so much more about the way students learn, the systemic inequities embedded in the design of traditional grading and assessment, and what type of learning leads to success in life. Grading should be aligned with what we know about the learning process, child and adolescent development, and the demands of career, college, and community life. But traditional grading is so deeply ingrained in our culture, that making changes to this system can seem like an insurmountable task. That’s why we partnered with DESE and reDesign to support five unique high schools as they interrogate their traditional grading practices and make shifts toward new systems that better measure student learning and growth.