Our September 2026 newsletter features: 

Starting five years ago, the School District of Philadelphia introduced a central lottery system that changed how students were admitted into criteria-based schools, including West Philly’s SLA Beeber. Previously, SLA was able to take students who might not meet all the district’s eligibility requirements, but whom school leaders thought would be a good fit for the school. That, Johnson says, allowed SLA to maintain a healthy enrollment. 

Katrina Adams wants her daughters to have more opportunities to explore technology, music and the arts before they reach high school. 

Adams, 44, lives in Marynook in Chicago’s Avalon Park community area and is executive director of Starr Community Services International. Her two younger daughters attend Burnside Scholastic Academy. Adams said she isn’t aware of significant teacher vacancies at Burnside, but she wants to see more specialized educators and enrichment opportunities for younger students...

Overview

Research shows that students’ experiences of classroom learning conditions predict students’ beliefs about themselves as learners, which then predict their students’ learning & well-being.

Educators can use student feedback to create strong learning environments that benefit students.

Resumen

Las investigaciones muestran que las experiencias de los estudiantes con las condiciones de aprendizaje en sus salones, predice las creencias de los estudiantes sobre ellos mismos como aprendices, lo cual predice el aprendizaje y bienestar de los estudiantes.

Los educadores pueden utilizar la retroalimentación de los estudiantes para crear entornos de aprendizaje más fuertes que beneficien a todos los alumnos.

Principals have a big impact—but they can’t do it alone. 

Families are essential partners in school success. Our newest Family Playbook helps parent and community leaders better understand what great principals do—and how to work together to build strong, supportive school communities. 

Los directores de la escuela tienen un gran impacto—pero no pueden hacerlo solos. 

The 5Essentials Survey captures students' and teachers' reports about their experiences in school, to help leadership teams identify strengths and areas for improvement. 

Strong scores and strong growth in measure scores on a school’s 5Essentials Survey are both predictive of many student success measures, including GPA, attendance, test scores, and college enrollment.