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.
Matching First Generation Students’ Ambitions With Their Preparation
by Brooke HaycockKids from the Bronx neighborhood where Julia grew up, in a one-bedroom apartment along with three siblings and her deaf mother, aren’t expected to make it off …
Transforming Financial Aid, Marty McFly-Style
by Michael Dannenberg and Joseph YeadoLast week, members of Congress heard testimony on our antiquated, inadequate, and inequitable financial aid system. But rather than a call for bold action and …
Gainful Employment, Take Two
The U.S. Department of Education’s latest proposal for regulating career education programs shows that officials mean business when they bring higher education…
Searching for Details on Obama’s College Ratings Plan
by Ed TrustThis week’s public forum on the Obama administration’s proposed college ratings system drew some big concerns about the types of outcomes officials want to use…
Fast Fact: Who’s Outpacing The Nation in Academic Improvement?
by Ed TrustProduced by Ed Trust staff.
The Most Troubling Part of the Fed’s Decision to Back Away from Waiver Renewal Criteria
by Sarah AlmyAt Ed Trust, we worry constantly about whether our most vulnerable students are getting their fair share of effective teachers. So we were heartened in August …
A Commitment to Excellence Bleeds Through Everything They Do at Pass Christian High
by Karin ChenowethEach year, Ed Trust highlights a handful of schools that are closing achievement gaps, setting high standards for all students, and supporting teachers with th…
First Lady Touted Value of College; Here’s How to Find the Best One
by Kate TrombleYesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to a group of D.C. high school students about the importance of going to college. She told them that by 2020,nearly …
Looking for Big Gains in NAEP? Watch These States
by Allison HorowitzMuch of the immediate attention after last week’s data release from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has focused on the big gains that Wa…
Preparing Effective Teachers and Leaders
by Kate TrombleEffective teaching matters. It’s what determines whether students learn how to add fractions or analyze the coherence of an argument in a text. It’s what keeps…
Want to Get High-Performing Teachers in Front of the Students Who Need Them Most?
by Marni BrombergThen there are some lessons to glean from an evaluation of the Teacher Transfer Initiative (TTI), a 10-district program offering $20,000 bonuses to high-perfor…
Having the Conversations That Matter in Ed Reform
by Blair MannThe ed reform world is fierce, as described in today’s POLITICO story, and too often, meddling in name-calling and Beltway politics takes priority over the rea…
‘Biometric Data’ Myths Linger In MI’s Common Core Debate
Michigan is (finally) moving forward with implementation of the Common Core State Standards after its state legislature gave the go-ahead to do so last week. T…
NAEP Shows Meaningful Gap-Closing, But Progress Is Slow
by Mandy ZatynskiToday's data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show some meaningful progress toward improving academic performance and closing achiev…
Policy Should Learn From Practice
by Sarah AlmyLike most before it, a new book from Teach Plus explores how to solve the most intractable problems in education. But unlike most before it, the book looks to …
Ohio State Shows Why Demographics Don’t Determine College Outcomes
by Joseph YeadoBarely 3 in 10 black men, who are first-time, full-time students at public four-year colleges and universities, earn a bachelor’s degree within six years of in…
What Do You Think About Obama’s College Ratings Proposal?
by Blair MannPresident Obama’s plan to rate colleges is big on hopes and short on details, but the Department of Education hopes to fill in some of those gaps during a seri…
An Issue Both Sides Can Agree On? Fair Access to Quality Teaching
by Kati HaycockThe other day, I had what felt like an out-of-body experience. At a conference in Boston, I heard former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson — a man who had previ…
Introducing ‘The Equity Line’
by Kati HaycockWelcome to Ed Trust’s blog, The Equity Line. This is a blog for — and by — people just like you: those committed to closing the gaps in opportunity and achieve…
Fast Fact: For-Profit Colleges: A Risky Investment
by Ed TrustMany for-profit colleges are leaving students with massive debt and no degree. They represent just 11% of college enrollments, but receive 25% of federal stude…