The Equity Line contains original analyses, commentary, and “on the ground” stories of students, parents, educators, and activists all over the nation striving to improve education. It chronicles our efforts, as well as those of partners and friends who are working toward the shared goal of closing gaps.
How Well Are Colleges and Universities Preparing Students to Thrive?
by Denzel Evans-BellOur College Results Online web tool has been updated with new data and a few new, important variables that can help students and families weigh the investment …
Between the Echoes: Still They Rose. In Caps and Gowns.
by Brooke HaycockAn offshoot of Ed Trust’s Echoes From the Gap series, drawing stories of students from behind the statistics, this blog series shares shorter narratives — brie…
When These Educators Realized What They Were Doing Wasn’t Working, They Changed It
by Karin ChenowethWhen our children were in high school, my husband and I dutifully attended each of the schools’ open houses. We traipsed through our children’s schedules, spen…
Write the Check: Pell Dollars for Pell Students
by Robyn HiestandCongress is faced with a unique opportunity — an opportunity to make college more affordable for millions of college students by re-investing in Pell Grants.Ho…
New Initiative Helps Principal Supervisors Provide Much-Needed Support
by Emily PickrenToo often, principal supervisors — those working in central offices to manage principals across a district — are limited to managing crises and ensuring compli…
How One School District Is Addressing Teacher Retention
by Keith DysarzThis post looks at the underlying causes that contribute to inequitable access to high-quality teachers in one school district. “Identifying Root Causes” is on…
Putting Student Success Into Practice in Higher Ed
by Gail ZuagarToday, we're releasing a new guide for college and university leaders that shows how four leading institutions are using data to improve outcomes among low-inc…
Embedding a Hyper-Focus on Student Success Into Everyday Work
by Bonita BrownInstitutional leaders have a responsibility to improve success for all students, especially those who are from underrepresented groups. While some leaders cont…
The Window of Assignments
by Sonja Brookins Santelises and Kati HaycockReprinted with permission from the May 2016 issue of School Administrator magazine, published by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.In discussing wha…
Between the Echoes: The Poet of the Gulf — And the Teacher Who Saw His Gift
by Brooke HaycockAn offshoot of Ed Trust’s Echoes From the Gap series, drawing stories of students from behind the statistics, this blog series shares shorter narratives — brie…
To Have Strong Teachers, We Need Strong Principals
by Rachel MetzWe’ve written before about how school culture influences teacher satisfaction more than student demographics do. More than any other factor, satisfaction with …
Teacher Appreciation: Honor in the Classroom
by Brooke HaycockIt was the summer of 1971 when Ms. Barbara, a recent college graduate, entered the gates of the juvenile detention facility as a teacher, a youthful spring in …
Eleven Higher Education Institutions Unite to Improve Graduation Rates
by José CabralesOur new OASIS (Optimizing Academic Success & Institutional Strategy) network is a group of 11 institutions that have committed to implementing high-impact …
The Road to Readiness: Meeting Students’ Aspirations With Real Preparation
by Brooke Haycock and Marni BrombergA high school junior in a small Southwestern border town, George dreams of the big city. “I don’t know how I’m gonna get there,” he says, but he’s confident th…
Elmont Memorial High School Provides Students with Opportunities, Expectations, and Expert Instruction
by Karin ChenowethWhen news broke that Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna was admitted to all eight Ivy League schools, I’m guessing more than one person had the same reaction as someone on F…
Assignments Matter
by Keith DysarzStudents can rise no higher than the assignments and instruction they are given.Makes sense, right? We all want young people to be challenged in the classroom …
The Road to Readiness: Running in Neutral
by Brooke Haycock and Marni Bromberg“If I fail it, my teacher said I can just take it again next year.” His words came out with all the calm of someone who’d just missed their bus and would catch…
The Road to Readiness: Rhetoric vs. Reality
by Brooke Haycock and Marni Bromberg"The dental program, huh?” the community college admissions counselor asked as she looked over Tre’s high school transcript. “Then why didn’t you take more sci…
Capstone Projects Are Only as Successful as the Work That Precedes Them
by Carlton JordanA capstone is a multifaceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic experience for a student, particularly high school seniors. It’s a major event be…