CORE at SMU

Meet team member Pamela Bailey, a Program Coordinator at CORE!

Meet team member Noadiah William, the fourth Advancing Evaluation in Philanthropy Fellow at CORE. #

Tying science lessons to real-world exhibits and resources at the Da Vinci Science Center is likely to make the subject more accessible, and interesting, to all students—especially those who may struggle with traditional classroom learning." - Elizabeth Heubeck, EdWeek.org

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/can-a-science-museum-reshape-learning-inside-one-districts-experiment/2026/05?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=eml&utm_campaign=eu&M=18341778&UUID=2ebe6e36296ad7178fe4fc60c9528303&T=23864859

"Texas public school enrollment fell below 5.5 million students in school year 2025–26, the first year-over-year decline since the COVID-19 pandemic and the second largest single-year drop in the 40years the state has reported on enrollment trends."
https://texas2036.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/TX36_Enrollment_Report_2026.pdf

"New Study Finds Active, Playful Learning Boosts Student Engagement and Academic Outcomes in Real Classrooms"
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o5h1u3mav48b1p5mugyy7/Press-release.docx?rlkey=1k32vo2j959im3mbd79qmkfg6&st=8gjf5ldh&dl=0

Scientific evidence links happiness for school-aged children to improved learning, teaching, and overall school well-being. UNESCO, a United Nations organization, believes that education should encourage feelings of happiness, safety, and well-being.

Why the world needs happy schools UNESCO has developed the ‘Happy Schools’ initiative to place happiness at the core of education transformation. The initiative encourages education systems to recognize happiness as both a means to

Meet Dr. Celeste Fernandez. Celeste is a Lead Analyst and Evaluation Manager at CORE.

A new study from WestEd highlights an informal learning intervention that utilizes play to support gains in math.

The Impact of NBA Math Hoops on Students’ Math Achievement: A Randomized Controlled Trial Learn more about the impact of NBA Math Hoops on student math achievement through findings from a randomized controlled trial.

"The United States has made remarkable progress in expanding access to higher education, but progress has slowed, affordability challenges are intensifying, and opportunity gaps remain deeply entrenched. At a moment when programs supporting first-generation and low-income students are under unprecedented pressure, this report makes clear that the nation cannot afford to retreat from its commitment to educational opportunity.” hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag
https://www.pellinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Full-Report_Pell-Institute-2026-Indicators.pdf