The Education Policy Hotlist
Top News in US Education Policy for the Week of August 22nd
ONE THING AT THE TOP
Last week, I skipped the newsletter and took my family to the Oregon coast for s’mores and sunsets. Our time there was reminiscent of my childhood when we spent evenings in summer driving to the top of Oregon dunes to watch the sunset on the Pacific. It is truly magical.
THE WEEKS AHEAD
This week, the Hunt Institute is hosting its Early Childhood Leadership Summit in Phoenix, AZ, convening state leaders from all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.
On Tuesday, August 23rd at 2:00 PM EST, the CDC is hosting a webinar, Children Under Stress: Preventing ACEs and Supporting Childhood Well-Being. Register here.
On Thursday, August 25th at 3:00 PM EST, USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism is hosting a webinar on The Youth Mental Health Crisis. Register here.
On Thursday, September 22nd at 2:00 PM EST, Data Quality Campaign is hosting a webinar on Measuring Job and Credential Quality: The Role of State P-20W Data Systems. Register here.
FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY
The latest national data on school enrollment shows increases in early grades that saw the steepest declines during COVID-19 school closures [K12 Dive].
NATIONAL POLICY TRENDS
A Fordham thought piece on the future of bipartisan reform [Fordham].
The Education Next survey data includes child vaccination rates, declining enrollment, and parent satisfaction [EdNext].
ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A new study finds that during the 2020-21 school year, students were assigned work below their grade level a third of the time [The74].
Zearn’s latest data reveals promise for learning acceleration efforts [Zearn].
Jocelyn Pickford highlights promising investments in the quality curriculum via the EduRecoveryHub [Curriculum HQ].
ENROLLMENT
North Carolina homeschooling numbers fell during the 2021-22 school year [NC].
A new poll finds that 70% of Black parents and 63% of Hispanic parents strongly agreed that families should have a choice in where their children attend school [The74].
BACK-TO-SCHOOL AND COVID-19
ECS did a round-up of its school-readiness resources for the start of the 2022-23 school year [ECS].
Cardona released a statement about the updated CDC guidelines for the start of the school year [US Department of Education].
Montana Supreme Court protects masking policy options [MT].
STUDENT WELL-BEING
Alabama schools require counseling permission slips before students receive services [AL].
TEACHER WORKFORCE
In the face of increasing staff vacancies, Virginia creates a new strategic plan for teacher recruitment and retention that builds off of former plans, including efforts to reduce barriers, increase the number of candidates, and strengthen strategies to recruit and retain a diverse teacher workforce [ECS].
HIGHER EDUCATION
A new survey reports that most undergraduate and graduate students' academic trajectories will feature prominent online components by 2025 [IHE].
HIGH SCHOOL AND POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS
Washington State Superintendent, Reykdal, plans to implement a program during the 2023-24 school year where high school students can earn credit for after-school work experience [WA].
A new internship program in New Hampshire will provide more than 200 paid internships for high schoolers [NH].
ICYMI
➡️ Great round-up of NCEE’s experience at NCSL’s recent legislative conference [NCEE].
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.