The Education Policy Hotlist
Top news in U.S. education policy for the week of April 24 - 28
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Education Policy Hotlist!
In this post, we delve into the latest developments in education policy and offer insights on various topics, including assessment, accountability, and the intersection of politics and education.
This week, I have the privilege of spending time with teachers and leaders at the annual BARR Center conference. For those who may not be familiar with BARR, I highly recommend taking some time to read about their programming. Their evidence-backed work provides a robust structure for system change among teachers and students, emphasizing the importance of relationships and outcomes for our youth.
In her opening remarks this morning, CEO Angie Jerabek spoke about the importance of honesty in building healthy relationships. She said, “To have healthy relationships, we need to be honest. I often relate data with being honest.”
As our country continues to grapple with honesty issues in the wake of the pandemic, it is more important than ever for those working in or with school systems to seek evidence of progress and recovery diligently. By asking for data and evidence regularly, we can ensure that our decisions are grounded in facts and that we are making the best choices for our students and communities.
THE WEEKS AHEAD
May 2, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. (EST): The National Women’s Law Center is hosting a webinar for childcare advocates titled “Telling the Story of Child Care Stabilization Funds: Strategies for Sharing Providers’ Experiences.” Register here.
May 2, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. (EST): The National Center Presents, “Data-Driven Recovery.” Register here.
May 3, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. (PST): Join the Education Commission of the States for “State Strategies for Implementing High-Impact Tutoring”. The webinar features Kenneth Stowe of the New Mexico Public Education Department and Commissioner Penny Schwinn of Tennessee, with AJ Gutierrez of Saga Education moderating. Register here.
May 17, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. (EST): The Education Trust is hosting a webinar for a deep-dive overview of their policy recommendations about the future of assessment. Register here.
STUDENT WELL-BEING
AASA and The Jed Foundation will provide school districts with a framework to support students’ mental health and prevent suicide in a new initiative [JED].
Some state legislatures are pushing back against bills that aim to cover school meal costs for students and families [K12-Dive].
A Virginia-based research partnership summarizes how bullying and cyberbullying are integrated into school policies and agreements [MERC].
Federal funding to expand access to mental health services is stalling in most states [The74].
A new report analyzing student survey data aims to aid educators and policymakers in interpreting results and identifying areas for growth [Bellwether].
POLITICS IN EDUCATION
The Florida House approved a bill barring social media sites from public school devices and networks [Florida Politics].
The latest AdvocacyLabs report with 50CAN explores election advocacy and how to build political clout to promote education improvements [FutureEd].
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona reminded a top Republican that metal detectors, student threat assessments, and active shooter drills are eligible for federal funds under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act [USED].
The IES director is developing a “transformation team” within NCER to consolidate innovative work and develop a strategic plan for high-risk and high-reward investments and research [IES].
The Alabama House State Government Committee approved legislation banning the discussion of “divisive concepts” in classroom lessons on race and gender [Associated Press].
ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A new AZ bill requires families to receive an email with their school’s A-F letter grade [AZ].
The Center for Assessment says AI will shape student testing [NCIEA].
A NY commission plans to finalize new graduation requirements this summer [Chalkbeat].
A TX bill proposes funding community colleges based on student performance [TX].
Utah votes to remove the State Board of Education requirement to assign schools a letter grade [UT].
The Data Quality Campaign released a policy brief on four steps leaders can take to center privacy [DQC].
The Education Trust released a report called “Future of Assessments: Centering Equity and the Lived Experiences of Students, Families, and Educators”. The report focuses on the experiences and perspectives of students, families, educators, and leaders to design assessments that promote equitable learning opportunities. It also includes a set of four “equity pillars” to improve federal assessment policy and federal policy recommendations to drive equitable decision-making [EdTrust].
CAREER CONNECTED LEARNING
The Idaho Launch program will provide students with a scholarship of up to $8,500 for workforce training or postsecondary tuition [ID].
Governors are focusing on postsecondary success. In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed lowering the eligibility age for Michigan Reconnect from 25 to 21. This will help support high school graduates impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic [MI].
READ BY GRADE THREE
Third graders in Tennessee must now pass the TCAP to avoid repeating third grade [Hechinger Report].
Georgia’s new early literacy bill requires universal reading screeners, professional development for K-3 teachers, high-quality instructional materials, and at-home reading plans for struggling readers [GA HB538].
EARLY LEARNING
The Childcare Business Lab, a new nonprofit in Maine, is training future childcare providers to address declining services across the state [ME].
New research uncovers difficulties in early childhood educator certification pathways [Brookings].
ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE
Jacinda Ardern is spending a semester at Harvard to advance several initiatives, including AI. She has been working to address online extremism through her Christchurch Call work [NZ].
The U.S. Department of Education shared a series of one-pagers on using evidence to make ed tech decisions [USED].
TEACHER WORKFORCE
Executive leaders at TNTP and Edmentum say American schools face a customer satisfaction problem, and the solution is bringing joy back to teaching [The74].
Kansas joined the interstate teacher mobility initiative [KS].
VIRTUAL LEARNING
House Education Committee Chair Beverly Pingerelli’s HB2538 would establish a financial framework for schools to provide hybrid courses and incentivize the creation of more college credit-generating hybrid courses. It is pending action in the Senate Education Committee [AZ HB2538].
Dr. Christine M. T. Pitts serves as Senior Policy Fellow at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, where she oversees policy leadership and external affairs. With a background as a teacher and researcher, Christine previously led research and evaluation for Portland Public Schools and served as Policy Advisor at NWEA, where she oversaw state and federal policy to advance equity and innovation in educational assessment. Follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter for updates.