Research and Evaluation
It's essential to understand how change impacts students, schools and educators: What efforts are working and why? What are the skillsets and mindsets that students need to be socially and economically mobile? What could be better? How? To answer these questions, the foundation makes research and evaluation grants to inform grantmaking. Through a variety of mechanisms, we seed studies, surveys and analysis that:
- Provides rigorous, actionable information to inform the foundation’s investments.
- Identifies what accelerates student learning at the quickest pace.
- Surfaces insights from students, parents and educators.
We expect to learn from our successes and failures.
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June 11, 2024New survey shows surge in teacher familiarity with ChatGPT -
March 1, 2023WASHINGTON, D.C., March 1, 2023—Teachers use OpenAI’s ChatGPT for lesson planning and to generate creative ideas for classes, according to the first national survey of teachers and students about ChatGPT and technology, released today by the Walton Family Foundation.
Analysis from Bellwether Education Partners and the Walton Family Foundation estimates that parents of 10.8 million children did not get what they wanted from their child’s school during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some found new options, some disengaged from the system entirely and others are grappling with unresponsive systems and limited choices. Together, they are The Overlooked. Learn More
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August 21, 2020124,000 U.S. public schools closed, affecting more than 55 million students. -
January 27, 2020Learn about the Building Equity Initiative and funding for school facilities -
November 19, 2021We all miss out when the talents and experiences of our nation’s rich diversity are hindered
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August 14, 2024Leaders in education share how they are using and improving the AI experience for communities of color -
August 7, 2024Students graded their schools a B- in a recent Gallup survey. Experts ask, ‘Is a B- good enough for the future we want for our children?’ -
June 19, 2024An innovator from the Charter School Growth Fund reflects on new data and refines his AI predictions from one year ago