The Education Policy Hotlist
Top news in U.S. education policy for the week of June 26 - 30
Welcome back to the Education Policy Hotlist!
This issue covers the top education policy issues from last week, spanning teacher preparation to politics, AI in education, evidence-based decision-making, student outcomes, and early childhood to the workforce. This week, we have updates from organizations like the Data Quality Campaign, the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR), the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), and the Center for Global Development.
I’ll be in D.C. this week, attending events with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation about their Future of Data Working Group. I’ll also take my twelve-year-old daughter on her first visit to our nation’s capital — something I’ve been looking forward to for years.
THE WEEK AHEAD
On Tuesday, June 27th at 1:00 p.m. (EST), the Department of Education is hosting a webinar titled “How Family Engagement Supports Kindergarten Readiness/Early School Success.” Register here.
On Thursday, June 29th, at 2:00 p.m. (EST), the Hunt Institute is hosting a conversation about the national priorities for student learning that lies ahead of the September 2024 ESSER deadline. Register here.
TEACHER PREPARATION
The National Center for Teacher Residencies saw the highest graduation numbers, with 225 Black teacher residents who graduated from a BEI-supported teacher residency program in year three [NCTR].
NCTQ released state profiles about their teacher preparation programs’ attempts to prepare teachers for early literacy instruction [NCTQ].
The Center for Global Development released a study that found, across ten countries, financial incentives are the most reliable way to recruit and retain teachers [Center for Global Development].
Kentucky House Bill 277 will allow a teacher in training to complete a bachelor’s degree and initial teacher certification in three years while working in a non-teaching position in a school district [KY].
POLITICS IN EDUCATION
The Southern Poverty Law Center labels Moms for Liberty an “anti-government extremist group” [Politico].
David Mansouri says, "The Tennessee way has always been about finding what’s working and then doing more of it,” the state responded quickly during the pandemic [The74].
A new initiative called “Save Our School Boards” is building a coalition of national efforts to advocate for progressive-leaning school board candidates [Politico].
The National Parents Union is heading to Philadelphia to host a "Love & Unity” action event at Love Park in downtown Philadelphia this Thursday, June 29th, at 3:00 p.m. (EST). See their latest report illuminating advocates’ experiences on the ground who are holding the line protecting students and families against partisan culture wars in schools [NPU].
FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY
The House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on the emerging shift among employers to hire employees based on competencies—not degrees [House].
At Brooklyn Lab Charter School, leaders implemented new strategies, like home visiting, that led to a 15% decrease in daily absences [The74].
The Knowledge Matters Campaign covers the nuances of reading comprehension [Knowledge Matters].
AI IN EDUCATION
AASA hosted a thoughtful webinar about the ins and outs of using generative AI in U.S. schools [AASA].
The EU passed an AI act, including positions like a complete ban on AI for biometric surveillance and requiring generative AI systems to disclose that content was AI-generated [Future of Life Institute].
EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING
All4Ed’s Future Ready Schools is partnering with Microsoft to create a set of Emerging Practice Guides that will offer “profound insights into critical issues and present evidence-based emerging practices” [All4Ed].
EdAnalytics won an NCER award of $2 million to refine and validate an SEL survey instrument developed by California’s CORE Districts [IES].
STUDENT OUTCOMES
Learn more about Khan World School and its latest outcomes via Michael Horn’s latest podcast episode [The Future of Education].
According to the latest NAEP scores, 13-year-olds across the U.S. are performing at their lowest in decades on standardized math and reading tests [NYT, NCES].
EARLY CHILDHOOD TO WORKFORCE
More than 40% of Colorado 4-year-olds eligible to participate in the state’s expanded preschool program will begin preschool this fall [CO].
In the first of a series of case studies, Jobs for the Future studied Colorado’s policies to improve the connections between high school, college, and the workplace [JFF].
EQUITY IN SCHOOLS
A new study about top referrers in schools provides the first systematic documentation of teachers’ use of office discipline referrals (ODRs) in a large, diverse urban school district in California that specifies the identity of both the referred and referring individuals in all ODRs [Educational Researcher].
ICYMI
The Campaign for Our Shared Future launched its blog, "The Unbiased Classroom.” Read the first blog here.
Data Quality Campaign asked parents how they felt about their state school report cards [DQC].
Dr. Christine M. T. Pitts serves as Senior Policy Fellow at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, leading policy and external affairs. With a teacher and researcher background, Christine previously led research and evaluation for Portland Public Schools. She served as Policy Advisor at NWEA, overseeing state and federal policy to advance equity and innovation in educational assessment. Follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter for updates.