The Education Policy Hotlist
Top News in US Education Policy for the Week of August 1st
ONE THING AT THE TOP
Don’t miss my latest piece with Alvin Makori in The74 about the tension between staffing and enrollment: “Nearly one in five large districts reference staffing cuts for the 2022-23 school year, and the vast majority cite declining enrollment as the primary driver of those decisions."
THE WEEKS AHEAD
Thursday, August 4th (2:00 - 3:00 PM EST), The Hunt Institute is partnering with the U.S. Department of Education for the webinar Redesigning Education: Accelerating Innovative Approaches with Federal Dollars. Register here.
Thursday, August 4th (2:00 PM EST), Jobs for the Future is hosting a webinar White House Talent Pipeline Challenge featuring Carmel Martin. Register here.
Wednesday, August 10th (1:00 PM EST), the Education Commission of the States is hosting a webinar on teacher pipelines, including comments from Arne Duncan and commissioners from Indiana and Nevada. Register here.
FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY
Senate Democrats released more conservative increases to the Education Department’s FY23 budget than the President’s budget request [Committee on Appropriations].
A new slate of federal actions will build on earlier investments in student mental health to develop and implement more programs and funding for local education agencies [USED].
New federal guidance describes how scaffolding and individualized student services provided within Section 504 supports may prevent or reduce disability-based behaviors leading to student discipline [USED].
A new post from Bryan Kelley explores how Carson v. Markin will shape how schools interpret the constitutionality of religious institutions’ involvement in schools, including school funding [ECS].
RACIAL EQUITY SCHOOLS
North Carolina schools are still struggling with segregation, with “roughly a third of the 13,500 schools identified in the [GAO] report belonging to the same school system as their counterpart campus, meaning possible desegregation efforts would lie directly in the hands of district leaders” [The74].
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
To address grade inflation’s influence on school grading through accountability metrics, Louisiana is considering higher standards for high schools [LA].
A Texas superintendent credits a longer school year for recent school improvements [K12Dive].
Eighty-seven sites in Oklahoma are receiving supplemental funding called Edge Grants for school Improvement efforts [OK].
EDUCATION FINANCE
Federal funding will go to some eligible households in West Virginia for summer food expenses [WV].
The School and State Finance Project, FutureEd, and ConnCAN analyzed the Connecticut state database detailing how much each local education agency has requested in American Rescue Plan funds [FutureEd].
UNFINISHED LEARNING
NWEA released findings from a new analysis revealing that the pace of recovery increased between fall and spring during the 2021-22 school year. However, “high-poverty schools, as well as Black, Hispanic, and indigenous students, are having a harder time bouncing back, the data shows” [The74].
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Aurora Institute released its federal policy priorities for the 2022-23 school year [Aurora].
As of July 2022, 30 states have passed laws or implemented new policies related to evidence-based reading instruction since 2013 [EdWeek].
A new survey illustrates the immediate and long-term pitfalls of the science of reading roll-outs in education policy [EdWeek].
COVID IN SCHOOLS
Burbio continues to track district mask policies. As of the end of July, the vast majority of districts in their sample are not requiring masks in schools [Burbio].
EPIC researchers interviewed 18 state-level leaders to explore leaders’ experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic [EPIC].
NE Commissioner explains how COVID-19 will continue to influence the 2022-23 school year [NE].
Georgia CAN released a practical back-to-school guide for all Georgia parents [GA].
Jefferson County will require masks on school property [KY].
In Detroit, masks are not optional for students [MI].
STUDENT WELL-BEING
Three important considerations for implementing the new national suicide prevention hotline [Pew].
ICYMI
The Collaborative for Student Success, CRPE, and Edunomics released the third tranche of promising investments using federal pandemic aid. You don’t want to miss more than 20 new additions.
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 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.