Glossary of Education Reform

The Glossary of Education Reform (edglossary.org) is a public, online resource that defines and describes major terms, concepts, and strategies in public-education reform. The website was created by the Great Schools Partnership in collaboration with the Education Writers Association and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

The Glossary of Education Reform was created to help journalists, parents, and community members—anyone with an interest or investment in our public schools—understand some of the major reform concepts being discussed by educators, researchers, and policy makers. In a word, we believe that strong schools, great journalism, and an informed electorate are essential to any well-functioning democracy. For this reason, educators are encouraged to use the glossary to help build a stronger understanding of school-improvement strategies in their communities.

The glossary currently features more than 470 terms and 130 in-depth entries on K–12 public education and education reform in the United States. Each entry includes a general definition of the term, a discussion about how the concept or strategy intersects with efforts to improve school performance or student achievement, and an overview of related debates, including the major arguments for or against particular reforms. The glossary is designed to be a neutral observer, and the writers and editors worked to create entries that are factual, objective, and impartial.

A detailed overview of the resource can be found on the website: edglossary.org/about.

SAMPLE ENTRY

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