Category: Achievement

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership Primary School Education Secondary School Education

The impact of student mobility on academic performance across school contexts

Student mobility, particularly within-year school transfers, is common in the United States and has been linked to declines in academic performance. In an EdWorkingPaper from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis analyzed nine years of student-level data across five large counties in Missouri to examine how school context influences the academic impact of mobility. Using random-effect panel regression models, the study explored how within-year transfers affected English Language Arts (ELA) and math test scores and whether outcomes varied based on the type of school to which students moved.

The findings showed that students who transferred within-year experienced significant declines in both math and ELA performance. Math scores dropped by 10.9% of a standard deviation, while ELA scores declined by 9.2% of a standard deviation in the year of the transfer. While some students improved over time, their scores remained below those of non-mobile peers. Students who moved to higher-performing schools initially struggled more than expected, likely due to adapting to a more rigorous academic environment. School context also played a role: students transferring within urban districts experienced smaller academic setbacks than those moving between suburban or rural schools, where declines were more persistent.

The study highlights that while some students adapt to new academic environments, within-year transfers generally disrupt learning, particularly for students moving into more challenging schools. The authors emphasized that policymakers should not only focus on reducing unnecessary transfers but also invest in targeted support for mobile students. Early academic interventions, curriculum alignment between schools, and efforts to support social integration may help mitigate the negative effects of mobility. The findings suggest that addressing school mobility requires a comprehensive approach that considers both student needs and schools’ capacity to support new arrivals.

 

Source (Open Access): Cohen, Peter, Jason Jabbari, Yung Chun, Takeshi Terada, Margaret K. Powers, and Somalis Chy. (2025). Does School Context Moderate the Relationship between Student Mobility and Academic Performance? Longitudinal Evidence from Missouri. (EdWorkingPaper: 25 -1157). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/wh5c-m634… Read the rest

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education

Broadband access and educational inequality: Lessons from Chicago Connected

In an EdWorkingPaper released by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, researchers examined the impact of broadband expansion on student engagement and achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzed the Chicago Connected initiative, which provided free high-speed internet access to thousands of K-12 students in Chicago Public Schools. Using a quasi-experimental design, the researchers investigated whether improved internet access helped bridge educational disparities or exacerbated existing inequalities. They found evidence that high-achieving students benefited academically from broadband access, while lower-achieving students experienced declines in engagement and performance.

The study revealed that students with high pre-pandemic GPAs experienced increased remote learning engagement and higher academic performance after gaining broadband access. However, students with lower pre-pandemic achievement exhibited decreased engagement and lower GPAs, suggesting that access to technology alone did not improve learning outcomes for all students. The researchers attribute this divergence to how students used technology. High-achieving students were more likely to use digital tools for academic purposes, while lower-achieving students faced greater distractions from non-educational content such as social media and gaming. The findings remained consistent even after schools resumed in-person instruction, indicating that broadband access had lasting effects on student performance.

These results highlight the complex relationship between technology access and educational equity. While initiatives like Chicago Connected are necessary to reduce digital divides, the study emphasizes that broadband expansion must be paired with targeted supports to ensure that lower-achieving students can benefit. The researchers recommend integrating structured digital literacy programs, academic coaching, and parental guidance to help students navigate online learning effectively. Without such interventions, increased access to technology could unintentionally widen educational disparities rather than closing them.

 

Source (Open Access): Schachner, Jared N., Marwell, Nicole P., Torre, Marisa de la, Gwynne, Julia A., & Allensworth, Elaine. (2025). Heterogeneous Effects of Closing the Digital Divide During COVID-19 on Student Engagement and Achievement. (EdWorkingPaper: 25 -115) Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/VCTS-8Q53… Read the rest

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership Primary School Education Programme Evaluation

School gardens and nutrition education in limited-income Alabama

As funding cuts loom over the education system, from the federal level down to local classrooms, it is useful to remember the impact education and schools can have on all aspects of students’ lives. In addition to math and reading, schools have the capacity to change students’ health behaviors and their nutrition practices. A recent study in Alabama, conducted by Sofia Sanchez and colleagues, examined the impact of school gardens and nutrition education on students’ fruit and vegetable consumption. Other studies have highlighted the positive benefits that healthy diets have on academic achievement and social and emotional well-being. However, as Sanchez and her team noted, disparities in diet and nutrition knowledge persist along race and economic lines in Alabama and beyond.

In their study, the researchers conducted a randomized trial of over 4,000 third-grade students from 99 Alabama schools, some with on-site school gardens and others without. After surveying students on their nutrition, treatment students participated in the Body Quest school-based health promotion curriculum, which focused on healthy foods, beverages, and physical activity. Researchers were particularly interested in whether the presence of gardens and BQ provided an additive impact.

Before the intervention, students at schools with gardens already reported higher fruit and vegetable consumption. Using multi-level modeling, the researchers found that BQ nutrition education increased third grade students’ fruit and vegetable intake. Surprisingly, students who participated in BQ but did not have access to a school garden demonstrated the greatest vegetable consumption increases. While not feasible for all schools to maintain gardens, the study suggests that both school and community gardens, along with nutrition education alone, can positively influence student dietary practices.

 

Source (Open Access): Sanchez, S. O., Funderburk, K., Reznicek, E., Parmer, S. M., & Hinnant, J. B. (2025). Impact of school gardens on nutrition education among limited-income communities in Alabama. Journal of School Health, 95(2), 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13513… Read the rest

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership Secondary School Education

Restorative practices and student outcomes in Chicago Public Schools

School discipline policies have long relied on suspensions to manage student behavior but concerns over their disproportionate impact and long-term consequences have led to the rise of alternative approaches. In a study published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, researchers examined the rollout of Restorative Practices (RP) across 73 high schools in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) from the 2013-14 to 2018-2019 school years. RP focuses on fostering accountability and repairing harm through structured conversations and community-building rather than punitive discipline. Using a difference-in-differences research design, the study analyzed student suspensions, school climate, and juvenile arrest rates to assess the impact of RP implementation.

The study found that the introduction of RP led to an 18% reduction in out-of-school suspensions, with the greatest declines observed among Black students, who historically faced the highest suspension rates. Arrests also decreased significantly, with a 19% overall reduction, including a 35% drop in school-related arrests and a 15% decline in out-of-school arrests—suggesting changes in student behavior beyond the school setting. While concerns exist that reducing punitive discipline could increase classroom disruptions, the study found no evidence of negative effects on school climate or academic achievement. In fact, student survey responses indicated improvements in perceptions of school safety, peer behavior, and student-teacher trust.

Despite these positive outcomes, the study also highlighted key limitations. RP had little to no effect on standardized test scores, and its success varied based on school implementation. While the findings suggest that RP can improve behavioral outcomes without harming academic performance, its effectiveness depends on sustained school-wide commitment, adequate training for educators, and integration into broader school culture. The researchers emphasize that RP alone may not be a universal solution, but when implemented thoughtfully, it has the potential to create more supportive and inclusive learning environments.

 

Source (Open Access): Adukia, A., Feigenberg, B.,  Momeni, F. (2025) : From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice in Schools. (EdWorkingPaper: 23 -854). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/k310-w337… Read the rest

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Achievement Educational Administration and Leadership Primary School Education

E-reader libraries as intervention: Positive outcomes for low-income students

As reading achievement gaps persist among students of different socioeconomic backgrounds, a research team from the University of Potsdam suggests that children’s home literacy environments are prime for intervention. Targeting 11 to 12 year-old students from low-income households across Germany (n=1,000), Anger and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial that put e-readers directly into students’ hands. The electronic reading tablets were preloaded with a vast, age-appropriate digital library where students could self-select books and were configured to prevent non-study related use. To replicate the literacy support that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds may receive at home, the team also partnered with a non-profit to conduct a postcard campaign, recommending books and reading materials to treatment group households.

Findings indicated that access to free and self-selected reading materials paired with reading recommendations was associated with an increase in overall reading engagement and improved socio-emotional and academic outcomes (reading behavior, ES = +0.39; socio-emotional well-being, ES = +0.15; academic achievement, ES = +0.15). The researchers also performed a cost-benefit analysis that placed this intervention favorably compared to other educational interventions, demonstrating its scalability. These results underscore the importance of supporting families in creating home literacy environments that could not only close reading achievement gaps but positively impact children’s long-term outcomes.

 

Source (Open Access): Anger, S., Christoph, B., Galkiewicz, A., Margaryan, S., Peter, F., Sandner, M., & Siedler, T. (2024). A Library in the Palm of Your Hand? A Randomized Reading Intervention with Low-Income Children. IZA Discussion Paper No. 17322, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4970159 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4970159… Read the rest

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Achievement Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education

The effects of CGI professional development on student achievement in grades 3-5

A cluster-randomized trial examined the Year 1 effects of a three-year professional development program for math teachers, the Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) 3-5 Program, on third through fifth graders’ achievement in fractions learning.

The study involved 149 teachers in grades 3-5 from 31 schools in 9 districts in Florida who were assigned randomly to the CGI condition or to a wait-list control group. Teachers in the CGI group participated in workshops on number operations, and algebraic thinking, with a focus on fractions. These workshops took place over 5 days in the summer, 2 in the fall, and 2 in the winter. The training focused on math problem types and student strategies and included teacher-student interactions where teachers applied what they learned, with later reflection and sharing with colleagues. Teachers in the control group continued with business-as-usual instruction.

Students were pre- and posttested using the Elementary Mathematics Student Assessment. Results showed that students of teachers in the CGI program outperformed the control group at post-test (ES=+0.19), which authors cited as a medium effect size equivalent to 1/5 of a school year in grade 3, and 1/3 of a school year in grades 4 and 5. A cost analysis, using Kraft’s schema to relate effect size to program cost, yielded a low per-student cost of $137.25. While CGI 3-5 is designed to be a 3-year program, this study provides important evidence of its one-year effects.

 

Source: Schoen, R. C., LaVenia, M., Tazaz, A. M., Gersten, R., & Smolkowski, K. (2024). Effects of a mathematics teacher professional development program on grades 3–5 student achievement: A multisite cluster-randomized trial. The Elementary School Journal, 125(2), 322–346. https://doi.org/10.1086/732783… Read the rest