Paola, a first-generation Guatemalan, was raised in a single-family household in Los Angeles. In middle school, Paola’s coursework was rigorous, but something was missing–she couldn’t see a connection between what she was learning in class and the real world.

According to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress, more students are engaging in deeper learning opportunities under the Common Core State Standards. Students are also increasingly engaging in learning activities that help to prepare them to succeed in college and the workplace.

Riverside, California, has a reputation for forward thinking and has received national recognition for its use of technology. So, it is not surprising that a community that calls itself “the city of arts and innovation” has adopted a pioneering approach to classroom instruction.

Today, the U.S. Senate voted 50-49 to repeal important accountability regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that were issued by the Obama administration. U.S. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio was the only Republican who voted against the measure, joining all 46 Democrats and two Independents in opposing it.

Civil Rights groups showed an outpouring of support last week for the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), a mandatory biennial survey of schools that measures key equity indicators, such as disproportionate discipline practices and inequitable access to rigorous coursework.

In a powerful post on Education Week’s Learning Deeply blog, Meg Riordan, the Director of External Research with EL Education, emphasizes the importance of deeper learning for all students, but especially for traditionally underserved students.

The following blog post was written by Ruth Schoenbach and Cynthia Greenleaf, co-directors of the WestEd Strategic Literacy Initiative. The opinions expressed in this blog post are theirs and should not be taken to represent the Alliance for Excellent Education.

The majority of our middle and high school students struggle to read and understand complex texts. This has consequences that reverberate far beyond the classroom. Poor literacy skills not only add to students dropping out of school or graduating from high school unprepared for the demands of college and work, they also diminish the ability of citizens to evaluate information critically, affecting many aspects of civic life including our very democracy.

In last night’s speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, President Donald Trump called on Congress to “pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of African American and Latino children.”