Education

Student achievement gains eroded amid shift to “social justice” education  

BOSTON – A new poll commissioned by Pioneer Institute finds that an overwhelming 90 percent of Hampden County residents support expanding county students’ access to vocational-technical high schools.   “Vocational-technical high schools are a bright spot amid an extended period of declining...

Massachusetts faces a growing challenge: K-12 public school enrollment is declining, while the state’s workforce continues to expand. How can smaller school districts maintain robust educational programs and meet the talent needs of the Massachusetts economy? Our new study, Fewer Students, Greater Demand:...

BOSTON – State policy is pivotal to the development and availability of online and virtual learning options, and Pioneer Institute’s new Virtual Schools Toolkit provides tactical guidance for developing such policies in the current educational landscape.   “Virtual learning began by serving students...

Calls for choices of high school pathways, early and end-of-course exams, and independent district accountability

A new statewide poll finds overwhelming support among Massachusetts adults for expanding vocational-technical high school capacity, along with broad backing for school choice options, including the new Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

Massachusetts’ budget for fiscal 2026 that includes $100 million in grants to create an additional 3,000 career/vocational education (CVTE) seats in the Commonwealth is a good start, but more should be done to eliminate the 8,100-seat shortage of CVTE seats, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.

Two major education provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed into law on July 4, 2025, garnered a lot of ink and debate—a federal School Choice Tax Credit and an excise tax on the investment income of private universities with large endowments.

Despite Massachusetts families’ strong interest in alternative to traditional educational models, entrepreneurs seeking to establish innovative learning environments face significant challenges, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.

Pioneer Institute has released a new Urban Voc-Tech Toolkit  aimed at helping Boston’s Madison Park Technical Vocational High School reach its full potential as a driver of opportunity for high-need students. Drawing on the successes of vocational-technical schools in Worcester, Springfield, and across Massachusetts, the toolkit outlines strategies based on high academic standards, strong industry partnerships, and increased school autonomy. The toolkit was coauthored by a group of five nationally recognized education leaders.