Insights and News

July 2026

Happy National Summer Learning Week!

This week, we’re recognizing the important role summer programs can play in keeping young people engaged, supported, and connected to learning. These mini case studies show how some districts in the District Summer Learning Network are reimagining summer, from project-based credit recovery programs to rural partnerships that introduce students to robotics, water safety, career pathways, cultural traditions, and more. For districts and partners looking to design or strengthen their own programs, the Summer Learning Toolkit offers evidence-based tools, resources, and more.

A Closer Look at Assistant Principals

Assistant principals can play a critical role in supporting principals, strengthening instruction, and helping meet the needs of students and schools. But despite dramatic growth in the role, relatively little is known about how assistant principals are assigned, supported, and prepared for future leadership. A new report helps fill that gap. See more about what it takes to build and sustain a principal pipeline here.

Strengthening Young People’s Life Skills

A new guide from the RAND Corporation shares practical, ready-to-use strategies intermediaries and other organizations that coordinate and support out-of-school-time programs can use to help providers build essential life skills for youth. Check out tips, tools for bolstering professional development, and more in this new resource.

How Youth Arts Engagement Supports Well-Being

Research on youth well-being and the arts spans many disciplines and approaches, but one finding is clear: engagement with the arts can play an important role in supporting youth well-being. Here are five complex, interrelated mechanisms that promote well-being through youth arts programming, according to research.

We’re pleased to welcome Dan Weisberg as Wallace’s chief program and policy officer, a newly created role that brings together our arts, education leadership, youth development, and research work to strengthen integration and impact. Learn more about Dan and his new role here.

Schools, Districts, States

In this Education Week Q&A, The Learning Policy Institute’s Linda Darling-Hammond explains why investing in principals is one of the most powerful ways to improve teacher retention, student outcomes, and school culture.

Former superintendent Mike Ryder highlights how shared expectations, consistent communication, and a healthier approach to data can help districts strengthen instruction across classrooms and better support every student.

A new analysis finds that chronic absenteeism has declined since the height of the pandemic, but one in five students remained chronically absent in 2024-25, underscoring the need for comprehensive, community-supported approaches to student attendance and engagement.

Youth Development

Guilford County Schools in North Carolina is working with higher education, local employers, and nonprofits to guarantee every student access to a career credential, college credit, or work-based learning experience.

In this webinar by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, three principals share practical strategies to help school leaders use summer to focus on high-impact priorities, set healthy boundaries, recharge, and strengthen school culture ahead of the new school year.

The Afterschool Alliance shares what rural out-of-school time programs can teach the field about program quality, data, and storytelling.

The Arts

Congratulations to Signe V. Harriday on being named the next President and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities! Signe has been a longtime leader at Wallace arts grantee Pillsbury House + Theatre where her work has centered on creativity, justice, community partnership, and more.

Want to age well? New research suggests that engaging with the arts may help as much as exercise.

One mother’s experience with her son's cancer treatment is now fueling new research into music and art therapy as tools for healing.