Welcome to Learning Policy Institute

The Learning Policy Institute conducts and communicates independent, high-quality research to improve education policy and practice. Working with policymakers, researchers, educators, community groups, and others, the Institute seeks to advance evidence-based policies that support empowering and equitable learning for each and every child. Read More

Blog

What Detroit and Chicago Can Teach Us About Student Growth and School Rating Systems

Historically, U.S. schools have been rated based largely on student performance on an annual summative test. With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state accountability systems now feature additional measures of student and school success, including academic growth. These factors are critical if we are to create accountability systems that recognize the contributions that schools make to student progress, while reducing bias against educators and schools serving students in diverse, high-poverty communities.
In the News

Op-ed: Trump “safety” commission proposals could undermine school safety

The Hill by Linda Darling-Hammond and Christopher Edley | The Trump administration's school safety commission released a report December 18, 2018, that recommends rescinding the Obama administration's guidance on school discipline, which has helped states substantially improve school safety. Previous to the release, Linda Darling-Hammond and Chris Edley warned that rescinding the guidance will make schools less safe, and that solid research on children’s safety should trump politics.
Blog

Arming Teachers And Expelling Students Is Not The Answer To School Shootings, And It's Dangerous

As the US looks for ways to reduce school shootings, research shows that initiatives that reduce suspension, expulsion, and intervention from law enforcement and that focus on inclusion and social emotional learning show promise that arming teachers and expelling students do not.
Blog

Four-Year Graduation Rates Leave Off Where the Real Work Begins

Under the Every School Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are able to use 5-, 6-, and even 7-year graduation rates in their accountability systems. This expanded measure of student success creates new opportunities for students who need extra time to earn a diploma, often the most vulnerable in our schools, including English Learners, students with special needs, and homeless and transitional youth.  
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Our Work

Early Childhood Learning
Early Childhood Learning
High-quality early learning provides young children, particularly those from low-income households, with the foundation that research shows improves academic success and provides long-term benefits.
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Deeper Learning
Deeper Learning
The Learning Policy Institute explores three key components of deeper learning strategies: * Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment * College, Career, and Civic Readiness * School Organization and Design
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Educator Quality
Educator Quality
We explore three key components of educator quality: * Evaluation and Career Development * Professional Learning * Recruitment and Retention
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Topic: Equitable Resources and Access
Equitable Access and Resources
Equitable distribution of financial and other critical resources, including access to high-quality educators, college-preparatory curriculum, and support services, creates the foundation necessary for every child to succeed.
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Topic: Accountability and Improvement
Accountability and Improvement
Effective accountability systems ensure adequate and equitable resources and enable ongoing improvement. They do this by providing the information, capacity building, and support needed to identify strengths and challenges, and make necessary improvements.
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In the News
In the News
Media outlets around the country turn to the Learning Policy Institute’s research and staff for evidenced-based insight into critical issues facing our schools and students.
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Publications
Publications
The Learning Policy Institute publishes and widely disseminates its research and analysis to contribute to public knowledge and policy decision making. All LPI publications are subject to rigorous research standards and external peer review.
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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Learning Policy Institute has produced an extensive collection of resources to inform and guide policymakers and stakeholders in the development of state ESSA plans.
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Focus on Deeper Learning

The Promise of Performance Assessments: Innovations in High School Learning and Higher Education Admissions
Report

The Promise of Performance Assessments: Innovations in High School Learning and Higher Education Admissions

Jan 18 2018
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A new study looks at the use of performance assessments for both K-12 learning and college admission, placement and advising. The study is the first research produced through Reimagining College Access, a national initiative of the Learning Policy Institute and EducationCounsel that for the first time brings together k-12 and higher education policy and practice leaders to recognize and foster high-quality k–12 performance assessment systems.
The Power of Performance Assessments: Oakland Unified’s Graduate Capstone Project
Video

The Power of Performance Assessments: Oakland Unified’s Graduate Capstone Project

Oct 26 2017
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In the Oakland Unified School District, a yearlong Graduate Capstone Project provides an opportunity for students to research, analyze, and become experts in a topic of their own choosing. LPI’s video shows how this complex project, which is used as a districtwide performance assessment, is building students’ ownership of their own learning and helping them develop and use critical thinking and communication skills.
Webinar: Increasing Opportunities for Deeper Learning
Webinar

Webinar: Increasing Opportunities for Deeper Learning

Feb 15 2018, 3:00 PM EST
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On February 15, LPI held the first webinar in a series that explores why deeper learning is crucial for students in today’s innovation economy and how we can achieve greater equity in access to deeper learning. This webinar addressed ways schools and school districts can improve academic achievement—particularly among students who are farthest from opportunity—through engaging students in learning that focuses on meaningful mastery of subjects, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and other skills necessary for college, career, and civic participation in the 21st Century.