The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama in December of 2015 and reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) first signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. Like its predecessors, ESSA provides federal funding for elementary and secondary school students, emphasizes equal opportunity to learning, and sets high standards for achievement and accountability.

This primer is drawn from and summarizes the key findings and recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. The report, issued 30 October 2015, represents more than a year of work by the 21 members of the Commission. Members and staff of the Commission are noted in Appendix B.

The Urgency of Excellence: Considerations for the School Committee and New Superintendent of Schools in Worcester is a report of the Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC) and Worcester Regional Research Bureau (WRRB).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age of Worcester residents is 33.6 years old. The median age of Massachusetts is 39.2 and the median age of the United States is 37.3.

The current debate about educational standards and assessments has forced government officials, educators, parents, and students to take a serious look at the American education system and evaluate what students should know in order to be prepared for college and careers in the global economy.

The Research Bureau is pleased to release its latest Bureau Brief – a short overview of the Common Core state educational standards.

This report, the fourth in our series Worcester by the Numbers, provides important data on the Worcester Public Schools and Charter Schools, including demographics, teacher salaries, test scores, graduation rates, and expenditures.

This report analyzes the pros and cons of academically selective high schools to determine whether the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) should establish one.

In order to clarify what's at stake in the stalemated contract negotiations between the Worcester School Committee and the Education Association of Worcester, this report analyzes the total compensation package for teachers under the current contract, as well as the financial condition of the Worcester Public Schools and the City.

This report examines student, school, and district performance in relation to the standards implemented under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 and the Federal No Child Left Behind legislation signed into law in 2002 in an effort to close the achievement gap between subgroups of students.