Jill Barshay

Jill Barshay, a senior reporter at The Hechinger Report, writes the weekly “Proof Points” column about education research and data, covering a range of topics from early childhood to higher education. She taught algebra to ninth-graders for the 2013-14 school year. Previously, Barshay was the New York bureau chief for Marketplace, a national business show on public radio stations. She has also written for Congressional Quarterly, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Financial Times, and appeared on CNN and ABC News.

Work by Jill Barshay

From the Field

Proposed Federal Grant Rules Could Increase Political Oversight of Education Research

Authored byJill Barshay

The research behind the influential “science of reading” movement was built over decades through federally supported research spanning cognitive science…

From the Field

When Teachers Rely on AI, Student Engagement Drops, Study Finds

Authored byJill Barshay

Artificial intelligence is often promoted as a way to make teachers more effective by helping them write lesson plans, generate classroom materials and provide…

From the Field

Math Students May Learn Less Using AI

Authored byJill Barshay

When ChatGPT arrived in late 2022, educators quickly asked whether students would use artificial intelligence to cheat, learn or simply get through homework…

From the Field

Michigan Schools Offer Clues for Tackling Chronic Absenteeism

Authored byJill Barshay

Absenteeism is a huge and seemingly intractable problem for the nation’s public schools. And Michigan has one of the worst attendance rates in the country.

From the Field

What the Latest Research on School Cellphone Bans Reveals—and What It Doesn’t

Authored byJill Barshay

In the past decade, student achievement has stagnated or declined around the world as cellphones have become nearly ubiquitous Gen Z and Gen Alpha accessories.

From the Field

Should Schools Be Graded on Student Proficiency, or Growth?

Authored byJill Barshay

It seems like a tale of two school systems. Washington, D.C., has emerged as the fastest-improving school system in the nation, according to a major new…

From the Field

Study Finds Workplace Experience Critical to Career Pathways Programs

Authored byJill Barshay

Career “pathways” have become a big idea in high school reform. The goal is to give all students a structured sequence of courses in a career field…

From the Field

AI Essay Feedback Differs by Student Race and Gender, Study Finds

Authored byJill Barshay

As schools introduce artificial intelligence into the classroom, a new analysis suggests that these tools could be steering students in different directions…