The Education Policy Hotlist
Top News in U.S. Education Policy for the Week of February 6th
Happy Monday morning!
I am excited to share two significant updates this week. First, I am humbled to join the latest cohort of 50CAN’s National Voices Fellowship, a group of national leaders who bridge political divides to spark new ideas in education. This opportunity will challenge my assumptions about schools and education policy. I aim to drive change transcending typical divides and tensions in Oregon and beyond.
Second, read a new op-ed in the Oregonian that I co-wrote with colleagues about four necessary steps Oregon’s state leadership can take to establish a rigorous and equitable school system.
THIS WEEK
On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. (EST), RAND and CRPE are hosting a 30-minute webinar about politics in education. Register here.
On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. (EST), the House Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing titled “American Education in Crisis.” Watch here.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
A new meta-analysis synthesizes findings from research in 15 countries about the magnitude of learning loss [Nature Human Behavior]
Robert Pondiscio discusses his experiences teaching elementary school and the challenges they faced teaching children the science of reading [AEI].
State leaders face a new debate about whether to ease up or double down on school accountability [Chalkbeat].
STATE POLICY ACTION
A newly passed Utah bill raises teacher pay and creates a new voucher program for private and homeschool needs [UT].
Republicans support Hochul’s free school meal proposal in New York [NY].
State legislators have introduced more than 120 bills banning LGBTQ rights during the 2023 legislative sessions [ACLU].
FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY
NCES released a request for information seeking input about high-priority research questions that align with 11 areas of focus for the national centers [IES].
USED releases guidance about how schools can spend federal relief funding on education technology [Whiteboard Advisors].
FEDERAL RELIEF SPENDING
According to a 50-state curriculum map, Alaska continues to shine as a state taking statewide steps to promote the science of reading, and 26 states are dedicating a portion of their ESSER investments to the high-quality curriculum or professional development [Curriculum HQ].
Over one-fifth of K-12 federal relief spending goes toward facilities and operations [Burbio].
TRANSITION YEARS
A decades-old college access program in Indiana will make efforts to enroll more students [IN].
Portland’s own Multnomah County Preschool for all collaborative joined the National Network for Education Research-Practice Partnerships [Preschool for All].
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
According to a new qualitative study out of New Orleans, “students reported better teaching quality, greater social support, and a feeling of being treated more fairly in school compared to 2019,” based on the New Orleans citywide youth survey [NO].
TEACHER WORKFORCE
Chad Aldeman writes about how U.S. schools have added more teachers while serving fewer students, based on new NCES data [The74].
The74
ICYMI
John Bailey spoke with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in the fall of 2022 about his bold leadership to transform Arizona schools from an executive seat.
Dr. Christine M. T. Pitts serves as Director of Impact and Communications at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, overseeing policy leadership and external affairs. A teacher and researcher by training, she previously led research and evaluation for Portland Public Schools. Pitts also served as Policy Advisor at NWEA, overseeing state and federal policy to advance equity and innovation in educational assessment. Follow her for more updates on Linkedin, Instagram, and Twitter.
Thanks for the links, as always! I recently saw a similar graph comparing # of teachers to students in a particular state. COVID enrollment data showed that the declines in enrollment were concentrated to certain grades. Our teacher shortages are across all grade levels and especially in special education. I wonder how this will shake out.