The Education Policy Hotlist
Top News in US Education Policy for the Week of April 18th
THE WEEKS AHEAD
On Wednesday, April 20th at noon PT, ECS is hosting a conversation about the future of the educator workforce. Listen to Penny Schwinn and Karen DeMoss discuss critical issues and initiatives. Register here.
On Wednesday, April 27th at 4:00 PM EST, the US Department of Education is hosting a Summit on How the American Rescue Plan is Supporting America’s Students. Register here.
FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY
GAO | A new report from the GAO on trends affecting government and society illuminates the critical drivers of uncertainty around technology in education post-pandemic.
USED | The U.S. Department of Education released its inaugural equity action plan as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's continued commitment to advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government. The priorities include:
prioritizing access to and completion of an education beyond high school,
ensuring the equitable impact of the American Rescue Plan's $130 billion in funding for K-12 students,
investing in resources to help advance civil rights,
advancing equity in contracting and procurement,
advancing equity rests on the presumption of equal opportunities and protection under the law, and
advancing equity in grant process strategies.
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY & POLITICS
HEAL Together | A new group of civil rights organizers, backed by the NEA, has developed a campaign strategy for countering anti-CRT narratives.
Murmuration | A new poll on politics in education finds that among democrats, the generational divide is stronger than the partisan divide on school choice.
FutureEd | A new report provides a broad look at the new coalition of parent advocates in a COVID landscape.
SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
AK | The Alaska Senate passed a bill to pilot more tribal-education-compacted schools that have previously led to improved student outcomes.
CRPE | One of many CRPE reports on pods implementation, the latest reveals key steps to pursuing equity within learning pods.
ATTENDANCE AND ENROLLMENT
Fordham | Fordham released a new analysis of decades worth of attendance data and proposes new considerations for attendance measures.
Burbio | A new visualization from the Burbio data trackers illustrates the differences in enrollment by locale.
NYT | A new story covers the value of federal program staff in re-engaging homeless youth.
NM | A New Mexico law passed in 2019 requires that schools identify and track students at risk of becoming chronically absent. The data most recently revealed the schools with the biggest attendance challenges.
EDUCATION FINANCE
K12Dive | FutureEd’s latest updates of their ESSER spending report that 40% of school districts and charters in their database plan to invest ESSER funds in tutoring for academic outcomes.
CA | New enrollment decline data in California prompts policymakers to decide on long-term school funding.
ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
AssessmentHQ | Seventeen states published disaggregated data and participation information regarding spring 2021 summative tests.
NH | A new bill weighs whether or not to loosen standardized assessment requirements for homeschooling families.
EdChoice | The proportion of teachers who believe the amount of time spent on standardized testing is ‘too high’ increased by 12 points in March to 65 percent – the highest level yet in our polling.
TEACHER WORKFORCE INNOVATION
AZ | A new law will expand teacher certification pathways by allowing more teachers to lead classrooms who do not hold typical certifications.
STUDENT & TEACHER WELL BEING
AERA | A new systematic literature review uncovers five themes on student mental health in K-12 post-pandemic.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
AZ | Scottsdale Unified is continuing free online tutoring.
Annenberg | Results for America and Annenberg released a summer learning toolkit.
DID YOU MISS IT?
Edunomics collaborated with the National Comprehensive Center to discuss how SEAs and LEAs invest their federal pandemic aid. The Edunomics team introduced a new tool to help leaders examine their spending in the context of students’ needs.
Dr. Christine M. T. Pitts serves as Director of Impact and Communications at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, overseeing policy leadership for research, advocacy, and government relations. A former teacher and administrator, she previously led research and evaluation for Portland Public Schools. She also served as Policy Advisor at NWEA, where she oversaw state and federal policy to advance equity and innovation in educational assessment. Follow her on Twitter @cmtpitts.