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.
‘You Can Change Their Whole Life’
by Karin ChenowethI first became aware of efforts to close achievement gaps in Lexington, Massachusetts, in 2008, when I met the relatively new superintendent, Paul Ash, at an a…
Schools That Leave Some Students Behind “Virtually Nonexistent”? Not So Fast
Over the past six months, we have worked with a large coalition of national civil rights, disabilities, and business organizations to convince Congress to stre…
Between the Echoes: ‘We Are Still Here’ — Native Students and Postsecondary Dreams
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…
Developing Great Teaching
by Karin ChenowethI have recently been exposed to discussions teachers are having in the United Kingdom, and it turns out — drum roll, please — they talk about the same things a…
Lies, Lies, Damn Lies: Enough With NEA’s Lies About “Test and Punish”
by Kati HaycockUPDATEDIf there has been unanimous agreement on anything during the process for renewing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act it is this: School ratings …
Class of 2015: Here We Come, America
by Karin ChenowethNot long ago, I wrote about the disbelief African American students at Elmont Memorial High School confront about their high achievement.Ashley Simon, the vale…
Finding Success in Whatever Way Possible
by Karin ChenowethIn two new papers, scholar John Hattie identifies the most important — and the least important — things we can do to improve education, based on syntheses of a…
Sugarcoating American History
by Karin ChenowethOn a visit to Berlin last year, my husband and I found ourselves sitting on a streetcar next to another American, identified by his University of Memphis T-shi…
An Open Letter to College Dropout Factories
by Andrew Howard NicholsVisit this page for a complete list and an interactive map of the 113 college dropout factories.Dear College Dropout Factories,As part of our quest to increase…
Doing What Some Said Was Impossible
by Karin ChenowethI came to Ed Trust in 2004 to help find high-performing schools with significant numbers of students of color and students from low-income families and then fi…
The Real Courageous Conversations
by Brooke Haycock“At some point we have to be honest about some of these kids.” The veteran educator spoke in italics, words slanting off her tongue eager to reveal their hidde…
Improvement — At Scale
by Karin ChenowethIn Huffington Post this week, I write about a book that I found really exciting — Learning to Improve: How America’s Schools Can Get Better at Getting Better.I…
Teachers: Accountability Buttresses Education for All Students
by Rachel MetzLast week, several Teach Plus teachers spoke on Capitol Hill about how federal accountability policy has impacted their teaching. Speaking passionately about t…
Calling the Nation’s Civil Rights Leaders Ignorant on Testing: Really?
by Kati HaycockLast week, Marc Tucker, president of the National Center on Education and the Economy, took to the pages of Education Week to call leaders of the Urban League,…
More Teachers Are Sticking Around, But in Which Schools?
by Rachel MetzA new study shows that new teachers are more likely to stay in the profession (83 percent) than most previous studies have suggested (as low as 50 percent). Th…
Higher Ed’s Pivotal Role in Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
by Kati HaycockToday, I testified before the United States Commission on Civil Rights as it convenes a hearing on the effect of college access and success on the socioeconomi…
When Tests Get Real
by Brooke HaycockTo the young leaders, the organizers, the rage against the machiners: I was you. Spelled America with three Ks. Wrote angry poetry on notepaper in the ba…
‘The Only Route for Poor Children Out of Poverty Is Us’
by Karin ChenowethCraig Gfeller, principal of a small, high-poverty elementary school in exurban Washington, is adamant that his school provides opportunities for his students b…
An Updated College Results Online = More Data for You
by Meredith WelchCollege Results Online has been updated with the most recent data from the federal government (2012-13), giving you even more information to compare in this on…
Evaluating an Evaluation System: Lessons From a <i>New York Times</i> Graphic
by Marni BrombergTeacher evaluation systems are complex. There are a number of measures available — such as classroom observations, student achievement growth, and survey resul…