Experts rank 30 ideas to fix U.S. schools

educationSep 28, 202618188

The New York Times asked 37 education experts to score 30 school interventions on a 1-to-7 scale for both effectiveness and cost and published the ranked results. Experts placed high-impact small-group tutoring and the science of reading among the most effective interventions, while math and reading scores in the U.S. have been in a decade-long slump that the survey aims to address. Panelists named high-quality curriculum as relatively effective and lower cost, though several experts flagged that effective implementation often requires additional supports such as coaching. One expert called high-impact tutoring “perhaps the most promising intervention” but warned that sourcing quality tutors could be costly. The survey also drew pushback on omissions and priorities: critics noted the piece did not address school integration, others questioned relying on test scores as the primary outcome, and some pointed to policies such as private school vouchers as both costly and low-performing. The ranking is already fueling debate among researchers, district leaders, and policymakers about where to allocate limited resources and how to improve on-the-ground implementation.

Dominique Baker

@bakerdphd.bsky.social

Shot: "We asked 37 top academics and researchers who study education to rate a range of ideas for both effectiveness and cost, on a scale of 1 to 7." Chaser: "The panel included: Dominique Baker..." LOL y'all I read so many papers to complete this survey on k12 www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

1063h ago

Ilana Horn9

🙋‍♀️ Fellow homework-doer and "panelist" here

This skeet will self destruct3

Fascinating! Some things (like high quality curriculum) are less straightforward than others, but overall a really good set of priorities. (Also wonder if something related to food ever made it into consideration)

Tobias Wilson-Bates2

So excited once I saw your name!

Quoting this

Elizabeth Wrigley-Field24

Fascinating Two things I'm (someone w zero expertise in ed research) surprised aren't more effective according to the panel: - improving HVAC (thus: air pollution & CO2, temperature control, *and* respiratory viruses leading to absences--3 mechanisms I'd expect to all matter) - teacher coaching

Alexander Manshel13

"Require full books" is ranked 25th out of 30 here, only a few above "Private school vouchers" and "Allow A.I. use." The explanation? "Some experts saw this as common sense, though there is little existing research."

Matthew A Kraft

@matthewakraft.com

New @nytimes.com piece ranks 30 education interventions on both effectiveness & costs. For me, the key takeaway is NOT about what academics (including myself) rated as most effective or least costly. It is about the decision making process districts use. 🧵 www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

344h ago

Quoting this

Jack Schneider21

I don't disagree. But, as I wrote back to these reporters, I am most optimistic about projects that respond to the expressed concerns of students and teachers. These are the people who spend 180 days inside schools each year, and they're the key actors in the process of teaching and learning. 1/n

Mearn (postseason)10

Vouchers aren't about effective education they're just another step in the long running effort to dismantle public education vote no on 3

Parkscope Joe5

School voucher haters stand up

Jeremy Singer

@jeremylsinger.bsky.social

How can we improve schools? "If there was one thing our expert panel agreed on, it was that how well ideas are carried out matters." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

105h ago

Quoting this

Derek Gottlieb4

I love being at a place in my life and career where I can look at this panel of experts and be like (a) if you're finding points of consensus with these folks, you're looking at something quite real, and also (b) I know exactly who ranked "firing ineffective teachers" as a high-impact intervention.

Cara Jackson

@carajackson.bsky.social

Perfect timing! High-quality curriculum is in the "more effective, lower cost" quadrant. I suspect that effectively implementing curriculum is higher cost than we think. E.g. coaching could be helpful, and that shows up in the "more effective, higher cost" quadrant. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

64h ago

The Upshot

@upshot.nytimes.com

Math and reading scores are in a decade-long slump. We asked three dozen experts: What could turn things around? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

64h ago

Quoting this

Chris Weiss3

On the ashes of a federal resource designed to help education decision makers find “what works” in education, the Times asks a set of people what they think about the evidence.

Tracy O’Connell Novick3

today's love/hate read on the education front

Asheesh Kapur Siddique

@asheeshks.org

“It’s really obvious, so why do we not do it!" www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

Screenshot of an idea for fixing U.S. Schools: "Require full books: Require students to read a minimum number of full books each year, which has become less common in many schools. Some experts saw this as common sense, though there is little existing research." Robert Maranto of the University of Arkansas comments, "It's really obvious, so why do we not do it!"

122h ago

Sarah Cohodes

@cohodes.bsky.social

Gift link to the article, where I was one of 37 "experts" www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

53h ago

Larry Ferlazzo

@larryferlazzo.bsky.social

30 Ideas for Fixing U.S. Schools, Ranked by Experts www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

33h ago

Dan Goldhaber

@cedr.bsky.social

Despite very different ideas about how to improve schools, it sounds like there was a lot of agreement that: 1) there's no single silver bullet; and 2) the quality of implementation really matters. On #2, that's about human capital. Gift article: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

34h ago

Kris-Stella Trump

@kstrump.bsky.social

NYT publishing Nikole Hannah-Jones' essay on the individually insurmountable difficulties of a segregated school system last week, only to now release this heavy-lift, consulted-many-experts, deep dive into what can improve schools that does not mention the word integration.

13h ago

Harry Anthony Patrinos

@hpatrinos.bsky.social

Pleased to be quoted in today’s @nytimes.com on what it would take to improve America’s schools — and how the leading ideas stack up A timely debate about evidence, reform, what improves student outcomes Also quoted are my colleagues Robert Maranto + @FlowTap1 www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

15h ago

Jamie

@itsthejam.myatproto.social

Saw a headline “30 ideas for fixing U.S schools ranked by experts” and I’m not going to read it because IDEAS are the problem. Just pay for staff. Please. Enough teachers and support staff for smaller classes and actual attention to children. That’s it.

16h ago

Matt Healy

@matthewdhealy.bsky.social

One expert told NYT: “High-impact tutoring is perhaps the most promising intervention we have based on the available evidence. The biggest issue is the supply of quality tutors, which could be costly to overcome.”

3h ago

Jamin Speer

@jaminspeer.bsky.social

I’m only education-adjacent, but two thoughts: 1. The outcome they’re using here is test scores. Are we sure that’s the right outcome? I’m not sure. 2. Reducing the amount of standardized testing is an intervention I would consider. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...

3h ago

Matt McCabe

@mmccabe.bsky.social

A worthwhile read! A shame current #edusky? #chied? doesn't have the breadth of engagement that 2010s twitter did but curious what other folks think here - of the underlying solutions presented, of the researchers' perspectives etc.

2h ago

1 source

nytimes.com30 Ideas for Fixing U.S. Schools, Ranked by Experts (Gift Article)

Experts rank 30 ideas to fix U.S. schoolseducation Teachers at Euan Blair‑backed Multiverse report 'horrendous stress' after AI monitoringeducation

Experts rank 30 ideas to fix U.S. schools

Related