Category: Educational Administration and Leadership

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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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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education Programme Evaluation

Cross-age tutoring: Are adult tutors better than student tutors?

A meta-analysis published in Educational Psychology Review by Chang and colleagues provides comprehensive evidence on the effectiveness of cross-age tutoring in educational settings. Cross-age tutoring involves pairing an older tutor with a younger tutee at different developmental stages, with the expectation that both participants benefit. This meta-analysis analyzed 31 experimental studies (RCT or quasi experimental design) involving147 effect sizes of academic outcomes. Of these, 28 studies (117 effect sizes) involved tutees, while 14 studies (30 effect sizes) examined the impact on tutors. The tutors ranged from older students in grades 5 through 12 to adult tutors, including university students and community volunteers.

The researchers found that cross-age tutoring generated positive academic outcomes for both tutors and tutees, with an overall effect size of 0.34. Specifically, tutees showed significant academic improvement (ES=0.33), while tutors also demonstrated considerable learning gains (ES=0.39). Importantly, the analysis revealed that student tutors (ES = 0.37) were as effective as adult tutors (ES = 0.25) on tutees, and the intervention proved beneficial for both typically developing students and those with learning difficulties. The positive effects were consistent across both reading and mathematics subjects.

The findings have some implications for educational practice and policy decisions. For instance, the schools can effectively utilize older students as tutors, which offers both economic advantages and feasibility. However, the researchers note several areas requiring further investigation, including cost-effectiveness analysis comparing peer tutoring with adult tutoring, optimal tutoring duration and frequency.

 

Source (Open Access): Chang, A., Mauer, E., Wanzek, J., Kim, S., Scammacca, N., & Swanson, E. (2025). Examining the academic effects of cross-age tutoring: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 37(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-09997-z… 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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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education

How generalizable is the What Works Clearinghouse evidence?

Recent cuts in educational research funding have underscored the importance of reliable evidence on what works in education. Since 2002, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has provided a resource on what works in education by reviewing causal research on educational interventions and assessing its quality. However, the WWC has prioritized internal validity (whether changes in outcomes are due to the intervention) over external validity (whether findings can be generalized to other contexts, populations, or outcomes). While this approach strengthens causal claims, it may also limit the applicability of findings beyond the studied settings. To better understand how generalizable WWC evidence is across different contexts, a 2023 study by Betsy Wolf examined the student populations and settings represented in WWC-reviewed research.

To explore this, Wolf created an evidence gap map (EGM), a tool that visualizes the distribution of existing research and identifies areas needing further study. The EGM highlights areas with abundant research and those needing more high-quality studies. An EGM typically organizes study data into a grid, where point size reflects the number of studies and color indicates study quality, offering insights to guide future research and policy decisions. The EGM results revealed disparities in the representation of school types, grade levels, and student demographics in the WWC evidence base. Specifically, WWC-reviewed studies underrepresent private schools and early childhood grades, while public schools in coastal and urban areas are overrepresented. Although student samples generally align with U.S. demographics, some groups are over- or underrepresented.

The WWC evidence base is strongest in mathematics and literacy, with less coverage of other subjects such as science, social-emotional learning, and educator outcomes. Wolf also noted that missing data on student and setting characteristics limits the generalizability of findings. The WWC’s method of assigning evidence tiers favors narrow domains with researcher-created measures over broader ones with standardized measures, raising doubts about replication. That being said, the WWC has been one of the most widely-recognized resources for educational evidence. This article highlights critical gaps in the research landscape and emphasizes the need for broader, more representative studies.

 

Source: Wolf, B. (2025). What works for whom: Exploring the students, settings, and outcomes in What Works Clearinghouse study data. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 0(0), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2024.2427762… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education

A 50-years review of policies on educating students with disabilities

The debate over where and how to educate students with disabilities continues in school districts across the United States. In a recent article, Fuchs, Gilmour, and Wanzek, three well-established special education researchers, reviewed 50 years of history, policy, and research on special education placements and student academic outcomes. They specifically assessed claims that general education placements alone produce the best outcomes, compared to arguments supporting a continuum of placements based on student needs. Their analysis found that while this debate is ongoing, research on placement remains methodologically weak or inconclusive. In contrast, stronger evidence supports how to educate students with disabilities, particularly through intensive instructional methods such as small-group and one-on-one interventions.

The authors acknowledged that their review focused on academic and instructional outcomes rather than social ones. They explicitly stated that their conclusions apply to students with significant learning challenges for whom academic achievement is a priority, rather than those whose primary goals for inclusion involve social engagement or a sense of belonging. They also noted that most rigorous evidence supporting instructional approaches comes from studies of early elementary grades, particularly in reading and math interventions.

They concluded that while general education approaches such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are widely promoted, there is limited empirical evidence proving their effectiveness for students with disabilities. Therefore, IDEA protections remain essential to ensuring that all students with disabilities receive an education that meets their needs, including access to specialized learning environments when appropriate.

 

Source: Fuchs, D., Gilmour, A. F., & Wanzek, J. (2025). Reframing the most important special education policy debate in 50 years: How versus where to educate students with disabilities in America’s schools. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 00222194251315196. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194251315196… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Kindergarten Programme Evaluation

Can a video-based parent-child program improve preschooler’s executive function?

Growing evidence indicates that executive function (EF) plays a vital role in enhancing children’s learning, and EFs are responsive to intervention. A recent study by Lau and colleagues investigated the effects of the Parent-Child Brain Camp (The Camp), a video-based intervention program designed to enhance EF skills in children aged 5 to 6. The Camp incorporates play-based and age-appropriate interactive activities to three targeted core EF components: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, the program was conducted online in the home environment in spring 2022. It consisted of 12 video Zoom sessions, each lasting about 20 minutes, with parental involvement to support children’s motivation and engagement.

Participants were Chinese middle-class families from Hong Kong, recruited from 6 kindergartens and social media. Eligible families were randomly assigned to either the treatment group or control group. The treatment group received 3 video interventions weekly for 4 weeks. The analytic sample comprised 79 children in the treatment group and 74 in the control group, with a mean age of 68.9 months. Pre-test and post-test scores were collected via Zoom for four EF assessment tasks. Results revealed that the treatment group showed significantly higher improvement in composite EF scores. Specifically, they had significantly higher increment on the Mr. Cucumber task compared to control group.

The study demonstrated a brief period of video-based intervention program could enhance young children’s EFs. While parents’ engagement may be an important factor in these improvement, its specific effect could not be isolated. Moreover, the long-term effects require further investigation, as does the reliability and validity of online EF assessments.

 

Source (Open Access): Lau, E. Y. H., Wu, X., Siu, C. T. S., Williams, K. E., & Bautista, A. (2025). Examining the effectiveness of a video-based parent–child program on executive functions for children 5 to 6 years old: A randomized controlled trial. Child Development, 96(2), 781–796. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14208… Read the rest