Last spring, third graders in Wilcox County, Alabama—which has the highest rate of economic disadvantage in the state—beat the odds. According to the Public Affairs Research Council for Alabama (PARCA), 96% cleared the state’s reading benchmark, and by the end of summer literacy camp, every single student had passed.

Meanwhile, 900 miles away in the Rust Belt district of Steubenville, Ohio, third graders are rising to the same occasion. Despite serving large concentrations of low-income students, Steubenville consistently gets 95-99% of kids to read proficiently.

Neither Wilcox nor Steubenville fits the stereotype of a “top performing” school system. But in both places, children are learning to read—and doing so at rates that rival (or exceed) the wealthiest communities in America.

That’s not supposed to happen. Poverty has long been one of the most stubborn predictors of educational outcomes. And yet, a handful of school districts are showing us what it looks like to disrupt that narrative.

The gains in these districts didn’t happen in a vacuum, though. They reflect the potential combination of proven policy changes and interventions paired with the not-so-common political stamina that it takes to stay the course. 

As Alabama’s Finance Director, Bill Poole, told me: “You can have the best policy ideas in the world, but if you don’t have the implementation to go with it, the outcomes may not follow.” Poole knows a thing or two about what it takes to ensure continuity. Before taking the helm as the state’s “CFO,” he spent eight years as the State’s chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, which  oversees the state’s Education Trust Fund (ETF).

In the years since, the state has been steadfast in implementation under the leadership of Gov. Kay Ivey (now in her eighth year as governor) and Eric Mackey, who stands among the longest-serving state superintendents.

But Alabama’s history also offers a cautionary tale. This chart from the A+ Education Partnership depicts a decades-long march toward the national average under then Gov. Riley’s leadership. Sadly, those gains proved ephemeral: as leadership wavered, the state experienced steep declines before the latest Literacy Act-driven surge.

History tells us that poverty predicts performance. Wilcox and Steubenville suggest otherwise. The challenge for policymakers, educators, and funders is clear: are we willing to do what it takes to turn these outliers into the norm?

Thomas Rodgers heads K-12 communications for W/A. He’s also a Reddit lurker. And he’s not sorry about it. 

Planning my upcoming trip to London and need honest opinions about which West End show is worth seeing? I'm heading straight to r/TheWestEnd, where theater enthusiasts will tell me exactly which productions are transcendent and which are tourist traps. 

Need to understand what's keeping K-12 IT administrators up at night as we head into back-to-school season? I'm scrolling through r/k12sysadmin, where 51,000+ members share their unfiltered frustrations about Google Docs on MacOS, debate cell phone policies, and troubleshoot everything from cybersecurity threats to cafeteria Wi-Fi.

Go deeper: Want to learn more about the potential of Reddit for market research and sentiment analysis? Check out the latest pro tips from Thomas on our blog.

Mathematical fluency is fundamental to student success across all levels of mathematics, yet widespread misconceptions about what fluency truly means continue to limit learning opportunities for students nationwide. 

Join W/A and the National Math Improvement Project for an essential conversation with education leaders and researchers who are shedding light on how fluency goes beyond speed and memorization to unlock mathematical thinking for all learners.

Drawing from cutting-edge researchers and practical insights from the National Math Improvement Project's fluency primer, this webinar brings together distinguished panelists, including Dr. Jennifer Bay-Williams (University of Louisville), Dr. Laura Glass (New York State Education Department), and Alanna Mertens (Chicago Public Schools). Together, we'll explore how to shift from rote procedures to flexible, strategic thinking that prepares students for mathematical success at every level.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn directly from leading researchers, state policymakers, and district math leaders about evidence-based strategies for:

This week, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) released the results of its second national survey of college financial aid administrators focused on how the Education Department’s March 2025 reduction in force (RIF) has impacted federal student aid. The survey included responses from more than 500 NASFAA member institutions.

The Education Department dismissed the report as “inaccurate,” pointing out that the sample size represented just a fraction of institutions FSA works with, and that the institutions surveyed (predominantly nonprofit or public institutions) are likely biased against the Trump administration. [Higher Ed Dive]

Why it matters: Fewer federal staff in the FSA Office to resolve aid issues may be leaving institutional financial aid administrators with an increased workload and waning ability to provide direct service to students. With institutional trust tied to affordability, ensuring students have access to their federal student aid is essential to keeping them on the path to degree completion. [Inside Higher Ed]

Next month, the 24th Annual 'Back to School' Summit will bring together 600+ education leaders from US and global institutions, industry CEOs, investors, technology representatives, economic development and philanthropic organizations. 

The Whiteboard Advisors team has been a longtime presence at the summit and will be presenting on the latest state and federal policy updates. We hope to see you there (and let us know you’re coming)!

Use code: JOINWBA@BTS for 30% off registration

Next week, Riverside Insights—developer of many of the most widely used K-12 assessments, including Woodcock-Johnson V^® (WJ V™), DESSA, and Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT^®)—will release new 2024 Iowa Assessments™ Post-Pandemic Norms.

On the heels of CogAT’s updated norms—which provided districts with more accurate tools for identifying gifted and talented students—the new Iowa Assessments norms highlight how achievement is rebounding unevenly across grade levels and student groups post-pandemic.

Key Findings from the Norming Process 

Check out W/A Jobs, which features 3,385 career opportunities from 306 organizations across the education industry. A few roles that caught our eye over the past week:

SXSW EDU PanelPicker is live, and we’re thrilled to have several sessions featuring Whiteboard Advisors team members in the mix! This year’s proposals tackle some of the most urgent and exciting questions in education: How we fund it, tell its stories, integrate technology, and ensure every learner is supported and successful.

💡 Sessions include:

🗳️ Voting closes August 24. Support our sessions and help shape the conversations that will define what’s next in education.

The U.S. Department of Education plans to establish two negotiated rulemaking (Neg Reg) committees to shape the real-world impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The public comment period will remain open through Thursday, August 28.