The Education Policy Hotlist
Top News in US Education Policy for the Week of October 3rd
THE WEEKS AHEAD
Monday, October 3, 2022, at 12:00 PM EST, NCEE CEO Vicki Phillips and the OECD's Directorate of Education and Skills Director Andreas Schleicher, will host an in-depth look at the OECD's newly released Education at a Glance report. Register here.
Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 10:00 AM EST, AASA, First Focus, and FRAC will discuss how to replace Free and Reduced-Price Meal (FRPM) data as the metric for poverty in a webinar. Register here.
FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY
New data from NCES on COVID-19 school experiences says 45% of public schools currently use a “community school” or “wraparound services” model [IES].
The US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights found that Peoria Unified School District in Arizona ignored student harassment claims based on students’ race and ethnicity [USED].
The US Department of Education announced it is reducing the scope of student loan cancelation [USED].
STAFFING
The US Department of Education awarded 22 three-year grants totaling more than $60 million to address the teacher shortage and pipeline improvements [USED].
The Chicago Teachers Union released a new policy brief that details their pandemic recovery recommendations [Chalkbeat].
Seattle schools have added employees while student enrollment declined [Edunomics].
PARENT ENGAGEMENT
A federal grant allows Colorado to scale parent engagement programs [Chalkbeat].
“The parent academies that Assistant Superintendent Murillo conducts now in English and Spanish in the Alamosa School District show parents how to navigate the school system, know their rights, and understand the copious data schools collect. “
ATTENDANCE AND CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
Reporters and researchers reveal new chronic absenteeism data by state [WAPO].
Chronic absenteeism rates continue to grow post-pandemic; new data released in Ohio illustrates local examples [OH].
FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDING
CRPE, AASA, and CCSSO hosted two webinars about state and local ESSER spending plans this fall [CCSSO, AASA + CRPE]
States and school districts are using ESSER funds for investments in literacy [K12 Dive].
Washington superintendents joined others across the U.S. in asking the Department of Education for more time to spend their federal relief funds [WA].
ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
AEI re-released a series of reports on the future of assessment and accountability [AEI].
EdResearch covers five essential considerations when investing in interventions that are evidence-aligned [R4A]:
Narrow your focus: Prioritize high-leverage initiatives and connect them.
Prioritize belonging and connection: Positive relationships make a difference in student learning.
Provide robust support for curriculum implementation: High-quality instructional materials have the most significant impact when combined with ongoing professional learning.
Rethink traditional approaches to tutoring: Aligning tutoring programs with evidence can help schools maximize the power of tutoring.
Focus on a limited set of actionable data: Prioritizing the use of high-leverage data points and ensuring sufficient data training can help combat data overwhelm.
POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS
The University of Wyoming established a new program to prepare rural students for college [WY].
A new blog summarizes how states use funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for workforce development and credential opportunities [ECS].
Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission awards more than 450 Native American students grants through the $19 million Oregon Tribal Grant program, which aims to help Native students in Oregon go to and stay in college [OR].
ICYMI
Nebraska Commissioner Blomstedt is resigning as of January 3, 2023, after a nine-year stint leading education in the state [NE].
The new season of the Route K-12 Podcast is out, and the first guest speaking with the Collaborative’s Jim Cowen is Maryland’s State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury. Listen here.
Dr. Christine M. T. Pitts serves as Director of Impact and Communications at the Center on Reinventing ic Education, overseeing policy leadership and external affairs. A teacher and researcher by training, she previously led research and evaluation for Portland Public Schools and served as Policy Advisor at NWEA, overseeing state and federal policy to advance equity and innovation in educational assessment. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @cmtpitts.