The Education Policy Hotlist
Top News in U.S. Education Policy for the Week of July 18th
CHECK THIS OUT ⬇️
Good morning! Last week, Chad Aldeman, Policy Director at Edunomics Lab at Georgetown, kicked off a new initiative to support positive reading habits at home and over the summer: Read Not Guess.
Read about the initiative in the74 and sign up for reading tips and tricks.
THE WEEK AHEAD
July 19, 2022 (3:30 PM EST), DQC is hosting a webinar on how state leaders can use federal funding to improve statewide data ecosystems. Register here.
July 20, 2022 (3:30 PM EST), Wallace Foundation is hosting a webinar on using federal funds for summer and after-school learning options. Register here.
July 21, 2022 (3:00 PM EST), The U.S. Department of Education, the Coalition for Community Schools, and Children’s Aid National Center are hosting a webinar within a learning series on community schools. Register here.
FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY
The US Department of Education launched Engage Every Student, a partnership that will ensure “every student who wants a spot in a high-quality out-of-school time program has one” [USED].
The White House and the US Department of Education launched the National Partnership for Student Success. The partnership includes a newly formed parent organization and efforts to recruit 250,000 new tutors and mentors [USED].
IES released the May Pulse Survey data, reporting that 80% of public schools referenced delayed behavioral and social-emotional development in their students due to the pandemic [IES].
FEDERAL FUNDING
NCES released an $8.6 million partnership with multiple philanthropy organizations to improve US STEM education, including a large investment in research and development [NCES].
NCSER announced a second round of awards for the 2022 Research to Accelerate Pandemic Recovery in Special Education Grants [IES].
The USED released a new $68 million grant opportunity for community schools that will emphasize quality implementation through four pillars:
integrated student supports that address out-of-school barriers to learning through partnerships with social and health service agencies and providers
expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities
active family and community engagement
collaborative leadership and practices
EDUCATION REFORM
According to a new survey, most American adults say our country gave too little priority to meeting the educational needs of K-12 students [Pew].
STUDENT WELL-BEING
Maryland introduces a ban on the seclusion of students, joining other states like Hawaii, Georgia, Florida, and Nevada [ECS].
An Atlanta metro area district allowed a researcher to analyze their disciplinary records and found that Black students were more likely to face disciplinary action than white and Hispanic students [The74].
To address the chronic absenteeism crisis, we must first understand who is missing [Governing].
DATA
Great Schools announces they are replacing standardized assessment data with other measures for the 2019- 20 and 2020 - 21 school years [The74].
North Dakota education commissioner launched the Be Legendary School Board Institute that will train local and state board members to focus on student support and outcomes when there are many resources to invest [Forbes].
POLITICS IN EDUCATION
A new study reports that increasing property values in school board members’ neighborhoods may be due to the manipulation of attendance zones [The74].
Texas Republicans released their 2022 policy agenda [TX].
POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS
Governor Kate Brown is investing more than $1.5 million in GEER funds to simplify college access [OR].
EDUCATION INNOVATION
New international data from OECD reveals “there was significant innovation and new approaches to learning” during the pandemic [OECD].
STATE ASSESSMENT DATA
Idaho reports that students reading scores have grown almost to pre-pandemic levels [ID].
Texas Education Agency released students’ standardized test scores, and they are moving towards pre-pandemic levels [TX].
ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A new report details how the pandemic influenced state education data progress [DQC & ECS].
A critique on grading practices [Education Next].
“And grading is a fraught topic for many teachers, who view it as an effective tool for classroom management and one of the last areas where they have autonomy in systems laden with mandates and requirements. Many educators and parents are unconvinced that traditional grading systems need wholesale reform.”
A new New Jersey law will waive the graduation proficiency test for seniors next year. While some NJ legislators support the bill due to concerns about standardized testing impacting student mental health, Senator Teresa Luis explains the state needs another option to measure student achievement [NJ].
GAO commends USED for “making progress on the collecting and reporting of state and school district spending of certain COVID-19 relief funds, as well as on providing clarity to track spending,” but recommends they collaborate with school districts to address misreporting [K12Dive]
ICYMI
Knowledge Works and ECS hosted an in-depth conversation about legislative tracking and trends regarding personalized learning. You can see the webinar here.
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 former teacher and administrator, she previously led research and evaluation for Portland Public Scho as a former teacher and administrator. She also 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.