Education

We believe in the power of a high-quality education to break intergenerational cycles of poverty, and we recognize the growing importance of a post-secondary degree to do so. Significantly increasing college readiness and completion rates for low-income/minority students will require a substantial transformation of teaching and learning. Through our consulting, knowledge, and executive search work, Bridgespan supports organizations that seek to make unprecedented progress toward increasing college readiness and completion for low-income/minority students.

Our Work

Achieving the Dream: Developing an Expansion Plan

Launched in 2004, Achieving the Dream is a multi-year national initiative to improve student success at community colleges with a special focus on students of color and low-income students. Bridgespan worked with Achieving the Dream to develop a national expansion plan.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Transforming K-12 Education

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (founded in 2000) works to reduce inequities and improve lives around the world. Bridgespan worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop the Foundation’s College Ready Strategy, a multi-billion-dollar investment to transform K-12 education in the United States.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Racing to the Top

Massachusetts is one of 12 winning states in the national Race to the Top competition, funded by the US Department of Education. Bridgespan worked with the Massachusetts Department of Education to develop its application.

Featured Insights

Rethinking High School Turnarounds

In June 2012, Green Dot Public Schools and The Bridgespan Group convened a small group of education leaders focused on high school turnaround and transformation. This article explores some of what we learned about problems of practice and potential solutions—all toward the ultimate goal of college and career readiness for every student.

Teacher Development Is Key to Closing the Achievement Gap

To help students meet, or even exceed, expectations, we need to increase the effectiveness of teachers say Brian Sims, the managing director of training academies at AUSL in Chicago, and Bridgespan Partner Betsy Haley Doyle, in this Edutopia blog post.

Going for the Gold: The Secret of Successful Schools

US public school leaders increasingly agree about the elements that drive student results, such as a college preparatory curriculum and instructional coaching. Yet results on the ground vary dramatically and remain, in large part, disappointing. How can some schools sustain high graduation and college acceptance rates while others struggle with 50 percent drop-out rates?