The 2023-24 school year is already well underway, which means AL.com’s Ed Lab journalists have already gotten to see learning in action at schools around the state.

The Education Lab is a grant-funded team that covers K-12 education throughout the state. We focus on issues and solutions with the goal of helping every child receive the best education possible. We publish our work, without a paywall, at AL.com/EducationLab, via our newsletters and on social media.

This year, we’ve already reported out multiple stories of schools using evidence-based solutions to tackle big problems. I asked reporter Trisha Powell Crain what stood out to her recently about a trip to Piedmont City Schools, which became a story about the district’s approach to math instruction. Here’s what she said:

“They fit my ‘High Flyer’ profile perfectly in all areas: They have strong education-focused culture, support of teachers, use of data, high expectations for students. And the way they collect and use data, particularly for math, was very impressive. And their willingness to adapt small group instruction for middle school math — obviously that caught my eye because that’s what the article is about.”

We love visiting schools and seeing educators, parents and advocates in action. As we work through the school year, we have plans to talk to and feature many more school communities around the state — more on that soon!

I wanted to fill you in on some recent updates, made possible through ongoing support of Ed Lab readers and contributors:

Impact: Our work makes a difference. One of my favorite examples is Trish’s “High Flyers” project, which featured under-resourced schools that outperformed their peers.

The series has been highlighted multiple times by the state’s Office for School Improvement as it helps Alabama’s struggling schools improve. And this fall, Mobile principals used the series during a training program as they imagined how to pursue real change in their schools. That’s two years of one project making a difference!

We also collect examples of ways our stories change and influence policies and laws. So far in 2023, Ed Lab reporters have produced stories that influence local school discipline policies, impact literacy instruction and improve teacher training.

National partnerships: This year, in partnership with a group of other newsrooms, the Ed Lab has published two projects that take a look at community colleges and math education. Rebecca Griesbach explored changes to college advising and Trish looked at one school district’s effort to increase everyday math instruction. Those stories — and the Alabama-based solutions they feature — were shared around the country through the help of partners including The Associated Press and The Hechinger Report. Learn more about the national Education Reporting Collaborative here.

The Education Lab depends on grants and individual donations. Becoming a supporter is easy. Individual contributions can be made online with help from national partner Report for America.

Please consider becoming a one-time or recurring donor. AL.com gets a match from every donation! Your support directly helps two Ed Lab reporters, Rebecca Griesbach and Savannah Tryens-Fernandes, whose positions in our newsroom are supported by Report for America. Alaina Bookman, AL.com’s violence prevention reporter, also is a Report for America corps member.

The Ed Lab also works with funders and applies for grants that support education journalism with impact in Alabama and the South. Please reach out to [email protected] to discuss a potential partnership.