The Education Policy Hotlist
Top news in U.S. education policy for the week of March 6 - 10
Welcome back to the Education Policy Hotlist, where we review the latest developments in education policy. The Hotlist curates stories — via news and research — that go beyond divisive headlines and clickbait.
This week, family and student-focused policies move forward across governance levels.
Two variations of a parent bill of rights emerged from D.C., one in Congress and the other from a powerful parent advocacy coalition, D.C. PAVE. Meanwhile, the media continues pining students' mental health concerns on social media. Most coverage does not address that pandemic school closures kept children from practicing inter- and intra-personal skills.
Therefore, leaders implementing large-scale mental health initiatives should proceed with care. Any integrated approach to improving student mental health requires a thorough quantitative and qualitative data review, a concise theory of action, and an intention to deliver support across all environments where students learn, work, and play. This cannot be accomplished in a vacuum, only in-community.
Thank you for subscribing and joining me on this journey to unpack today's hottest education issues. I look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions.
THE WEEKS AHEAD
On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (EST), Education Week is hosting A Seat at the Table-Tutoring: What the Evidence Says About What’s Working and What Isn’t (Register here).
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. (MST), REL Central is hosting Experiences from the Field: Perspectives of Teachers of Color (Register here).
On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. (MST), ECS is hosting Education Trends in Governors’ State of the State Addresses (Register here).
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Authentic parent engagement remains a top priority for U.S. Secretary of Education, Cardona [Newsweek].
The Parents Bill of Rights Act was reintroduced into the House last week [Fact sheet].
From a different angle, DC PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education) released its Parents Bill of Rights, calling for transparency, communication, and systems that fight inequities and bias [DC Pave].
STUDENT WELL-BEING
New York City mayor Eric Adams released a city-wide initiative to help schools address student mental health needs. Many indicators influence students’ well-being, requiring an integrated piece-meal approach [Chalkbeat].
Researchers argue that intergovernmental coordination ensures nutrition benefit programs will reach the children for which they are intended [Brookings].
Whiteboard Advisors interviews the most decorated Black athlete in the winter Olympic games, and she shares her experiences in education and beyond [Whiteboard Advisors].
FEDERAL PANDEMIC AID
With 20 months left for schools to spend the remaining ESSER aid dollars, it is time for school districts to release high-level plans for mitigating a fiscal cliff in 2024 [The74].
Jim Cowen explains the value-add that Connecticut will reap by investing in federal aid evaluation [Forbes].
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announces a new federal center for the early childhood workforce: ECE Workforce Center [EdSurge].
Governors share bipartisan support for early childhood education and care [CAP].
EARLY LITERACY
Ohio’s governor goes all-in on the science of reading, including restricting the 3-cueing curriculum and investing in professional development [The74].
A news investigation reveals that many districts continue to purchase balanced literacy curricula despite a national push for the science of reading initiative [The74].
DATA AND RESEARCH
Norma Ming, Research and Evaluation Manager at SFUSD, calls for a more strategic approach to studying implementation in education research [WT Grant].
An independent review evaluated several “data domains” within Boston Public Schools [MA].
TEACHER WORKFORCE
A North Carolina commission recommends a new framework for teacher pay reform to the state board of education [NC].
Chester Finn's comments suggest we focus on the necessary tradeoffs when considering the new federal initiative to create a $60,000 base teacher salary [Fordham].
ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A new report from Fordham finds that the SAT and ACT do not prohibit students from accessing postsecondary education based on race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or gender [Fordham].
The U.S. Department of Education announces that Maine will face implications for being out of compliance with statewide testing [Assessment HQ].
STATE LEGISLATION
Data collected on thousands of school libraries reveals that state laws influence the availability of identity-affirming literature in schools [Brookings].
DISTRICT INNOVATION
Bellwether released a new policy report exploring how seven states enable innovation across their school districts. Read more about how Colorado, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Utah, and Washington are sparking innovation in their schools [Bellwether].
ICYMI
A new resource details examples of how high-intensity tutoring programs are implemented in our nation’s schools [ERN].
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. She is a teacher and researcher by training and previously led research and evaluation for Portland Public Schools. Pitts also served as Policy Advisor at NWEA, overseeing state and federal policy to advance equity and innovation in educational assessment. Follow her for more updates on Linkedin, Instagram, and Twitter.