Explore our most recent case studies
We work to make education more accessible, affordable, accountable, and equitable
Our work is large-scale, interconnected, driven by data and grounded in learner and parent perspectives. By working in every part of the education system, we provide a broad point of view and deep knowledge that allows for bigger impact.
SPOTLIGHT | Assessing State Readiness for Redesigning Public Education
Project: Yes. Every Kid. Foundation
Length: One year
Focus Area: Designing + Implementing Policy Agendas
Category: K-12
HCM worked alongside the Yes. Every Kid. Foundation to implement a new approach to assessing state readiness for education policy change.
SPOTLIGHT | Encouraging State Leadership in Expanding High-Quality Instruction
Project: Collaborative for Student Success
Length: 2021 - Present
Focus Area: Strategic Advice and Counsel
Category: K-12
HCM Strategists has held a strategic partnership with the Collaborative for Student Success since the Collaborative’s founding in 2014. In 2021, HCM supported the launch of the CurriculumHQ platform to advocate for and track publicly available state data on high-quality instructional materials, curriculum adoption guidance, and professional development and learning.
SPOTLIGHT | Shaping the National Conversation Around Pandemic Learning Loss and the Road to Recovery
Project: Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University
Length: 2021 - present
Focus Area: Strategic Communications, Campaigns + Coalitions
Category: K-12
HCM partnered with the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University to lead the release of unprecedented data around learning loss in K-12 public schools across the country.
SPOTLIGHT | The Future of Data in K-12 Education
Project: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Length: 2022 - present
Focus Area: Support Change Management Strategies
Category: K-12
HCM Strategists’ charge is to create and support a working group focused on the next reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the major law outlining the federal government’s involvement in K-12 education, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
SPOTLIGHT | Empowering Parents & Families to Partner in Their Child’s Academic Success: Log in & Learn More in Texas
Project: Texas Education Agency (TEA) and ETS / Log In and Learn More
Partnership Length: 2017-2021
Focus Area: Research, Messaging, and Strategy
Category: K-12
HCM Strategists, in partnership with Learning Heroes and as a part of ongoing work with ETS, helped develop a robust family engagement public awareness campaign and a set of aligned resources for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to help parents access and use state test score results in support of their child’s grade-level progress.
Partnering with Learning Heroes to Create School Report Cards That Meet Parents Where They Are With Information They Can Use
Project: School Report Cards for Parents
Length: Ongoing
Focus Area: Market & Policy Research + Analysis, Strategic Communications, Campaigns + Coalitions
Category: K-12
HCM Strategists special partnership with Learning Heroes yields an ongoing, unprecedented body of research on parent mindsets and education.
K-12 ESSA Plans: Deep Diving into State K-12 Accountability Systems
Project: State K-12 Accountability Systems
Length: 2015 - Present
Focus Area: Market & Policy Research + Analysis
Category: K-12
Amidst a backdrop of fast-moving policy change, HCM Strategists recognized the importance of safeguarding states’ commitment to equity and success for all students and partnered with some of the nation’s leading education policy and advocacy organizations to track, analyze and help strengthen states’ accountability plans.
IMPACT | Improving student outcomes by bridging the “disconnect gap” between families and schools
Since HCM’s founding, our K-12 team has focused on parent engagement across several states as a way to improve student outcomes and create more equitable opportunities.