The Education Policy Hotlist
Top news in U.S. education policy for the week of October 2nd - 6th
Welcome back to the Education Policy Hotlist!
Happy Friday! I hope you all have a lovely fall weekend planned. I am wrapping up my time in San Fransisco this week, where I attended the New Schools Venture Fund 25th Anniversary bash. The whirlwind day, yesterday, was both sobering and inspiring. I’ll share more about my reflections in next week’s post. But, before we dive into the latest news and insights on education policy, I want to address a mistake I made in my previous newsletter.
I misinterpreted an article from the Education Commission of the States (ECS), a respected partner that provides valuable research and analysis on education policy issues. Tyler from ECS kindly pointed out my error and accepted my sincere apology. I also owe you, my loyal readers, an apology for not delivering the accurate and relevant news you deserve from me. I take full responsibility for this mistake, and I will do my best to avoid such errors in the future. Please find the correct article and summary here:
How a Student’s Mental Health Initiative Led to State Legislation
Robert Barsel, a 17-year-old high school senior from Nevada, partnered with legislators and the state superintendent to champion mental health education in Nevada. After leading peer support groups and developing a comprehensive mental health curriculum, Barsel collaborated with Nevada Senator Roberta Lange to sponsor S.B. 313, which aimed to embed mental health education into Nevada’s public schools. They met with Jhone Ebert, the state superintendent of public instruction, to explore ways to support access to mental health resources in schools. Their efforts highlight the power of student involvement in policymaking and the importance of mental health education for students.
I am always grateful for this platform to explore emerging topics and identify better ways to do our work. Thank you for being consistent readers and partners in this work. Never hesitate to contact me with your ideas, reflections, content, or revisions!
Happy October to you all,
Christine
Mark Your Calendar
Tuesday, October 24th at 4:00 p.m. (EST), Fordham is hosting an in-person event to discuss their recent report, Excellence Gaps by Race and Socioeconomic Status. Register here.
Federal Education Policy
Department of Education invites applications for charter school grants
The Department of Education has announced a new grant competition for eligible applicants who want to replicate and expand high-quality charter schools. The Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP)-Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO Grants) aims to increase the number of students attending effective charter schools that meet the needs of underserved students. The grant competition has four absolute priorities, two competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. The deadline for submitting applications is November 26, 2023. Interested applicants can find more information on the federal notice and attend a pre-application webinar on October 5, 2023.
The FCC’s still needs to define digital discrimination
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has to make a crucial decision on defining and addressing digital discrimination, which refers to unequal access to broadband internet service among different groups. The FCC has to choose between two standards of discrimination: disparate treatment or disparate impact. Disparate treatment means that the FCC would only consider intentional discrimination by internet service providers (ISPs). In contrast, disparate impact means that the FCC would also consider any discriminatory effects of ISP policies or practices, regardless of their intent. A new Brookings article argues that the FCC should adopt a disparate impact standard, as it would better address the historical and structural factors that contribute to digital inequality and ensure that all communities have access to comparable and affordable broadband service.
Student Well-Being
USDA lowers eligibility threshold for free school meals in high-need areas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new policy that will allow more schools in high-need areas to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their family income. The approach lowers the eligibility threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) from 40 to 25 percent. This simplified meal service option eliminates the need for families to apply for free and reduced-price meals. The USDA expects this policy to expand access to healthy school meals for millions of students, reduce food insecurity and school meal debt, improve student health and readiness, and ease administrative burden and stigma.
The privacy risks and benefits of AI in education
A new piece from Fordham explores the potential threat that artificial intelligence (AI) poses to student privacy, especially in using AI to monitor and intervene in students’ behavior and learning. The article presents a hypothetical scenario of a Robo-Coach that can access and analyze various data sources to nudge a student to attend school and discusses the pros and cons of such a technology, and the ethical and legal implications of giving AI access to students’ data. The article also compares the current state of AI in education with other sectors, such as health care and finance. It raises some questions about the accountability, transparency, and regulation of AI in education. Author Daniel Buck, concludes by urging educators, policymakers, parents, and students to be aware of the risks and benefits of AI, and to engage in a dialogue about how to protect student privacy while harnessing the power of AI.
Accelerating Learning
A statewide policy in Texas will enroll more students in advanced math classes by default
Starting from the 2023-24 school year, Texas will change its policy for placing students in middle school math classes. Instead of requiring students to opt-in to honors math classes based on their fifth-grade test scores, the policy will automatically enroll them in those classes unless they opt-out. The policy aims to make access to advanced math courses more equitable for low-income, Black and Hispanic students, and to increase their chances of pursuing STEM careers.
Outcomes-based contracts: A new way to pay for tutoring services
School districts are increasingly using outcomes-based contracts to hire tutoring providers that can help students recover from the learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes-based contracts link the payment to the academic results of the students who receive tutoring. This model can increase tutoring programs' accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness and ensure that the funds are spent wisely and equitably. Some districts and organizations that use or promote outcomes-based tutoring contracts are Duval County Schools in Florida, Ector County Independent School District in Texas, Southern Education Foundation, and Johns Hopkins University.
What does this mean? Any partnership based on return on investment, such as outcomes-based tutoring contracts, should be careful. This kind of accountability requires a long runway to agree on the same assumptions and expectations about how the tutoring will work and what it will achieve. As many educators know, many factors can affect student outcomes in ways we did not anticipate.
Teacher Workforce
Insights from Global Education Systems on Building a Future-Ready Teaching Force
NCEE released a new report, "Reimagining the Teaching Profession for the 21st Century," that provides insights from global education systems on how to build a teaching force that is empowered, resilient, and adaptive to future shocks, innovative, and responsive to new challenges and opportunities. The report highlights the importance of embedding digital skills into curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and credentialing, and provides examples of how technology can be leveraged to foster deeper learning and better prepare learners for the new economy. The report also emphasizes the need for clear communication of the goals, purposes, and value of education across the whole education system and broadly understood by all
How the pandemic has changed the student-to-teacher ratio in U.S. public schools and what it means for their future
The pandemic has changed the student-to-teacher ratio in U.S. public schools, with implications for their future finances. Chad Aldeman analyzes the enrollment and staffing data from 2016-17 to 2021-22 at the national and state levels and provides an interactive map to show how individual districts have been affected. He also explains the factors and limitations when interpreting the local data. He warns that districts may face budget cuts and layoffs once the federal stimulus funds run out unless they can increase their revenues or reduce costs. He suggests that they should be strategic and flexible in their staffing decisions.
ICYMI
The National Math and Science Initiative is a remote-first organization that provides quality STEM education to students nationwide. NMSI seeks passionate individuals who want to join its team and advance its mission. It has three open positions: Director of Government Relationships, Senior Director of Business Development, and Manager of Cultivation. These positions require different skills and qualifications and have other responsibilities and benefits. You can find more details about each position by clicking on the links below:
Dr. Christine Pitts is an executive leader, advancing public policy for social impact. Follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.