BOULDER, CO (December 3, 2024)—A recent Progressive Policy Institute report purports to examine the impact of charter schools on the achievement of students who remain enrolled in district-run public schools. Based on the data in the report, however, it shows only a weak relationship between the presence of charter schools and increases in achievement for all students, which contradicts the report’s claims.
A recent Progressive Policy Institute report examines the impact of charter schools on students in traditional district schools. It highlights a graph depicting a strong link between charter school enrollment and a decrease in the achievement gap for low-income students in selected cities. However, a correlation analysis using the report's data reveals a weak relationship (r = 0.4). While the report recognizes that correlations do not indicate causation, it still argues that charter schools alone improve the academic achievement of non-enrolled students.
A three-part report from Bellwether claims to provide a holistic picture of the opportunities and risks that AI presents for education stakeholders, offering recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to navigate this emerging landscape. However, by allowing the projected benefits of AI to drive decisions related to AI’s development and implementation, the report overlooks substantial research literatures that document its known limitations.
BOULDER, CO (November 21, 2024)—The U.S. Department of Education projects nationwide enrollment declines over the next decade, which will lead to budget cuts for school districts, especially in areas serving vulnerable populations—at the same time that federal COVID-19 stimulus funds are ending. As enrollment drops, districts can lower long-term costs by reducing new hiring, engaging in the painful process of personnel layoffs, or, in extreme cases, by closing schools. Short-term savings are even more elusive, leading to some very difficult policy choices.
BOULDER, CO (November 19, 2024)—EdTrust recently published a report using what it calls an “equity analysis” to critique states’ accountability plans, recommending several steps states might take to improve their systems. But a new review explains how that report rehashes old arguments for the original No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
EdTrust recently published a report using an “equity analysis” to critique states’ accountability plans, recommending several steps states might take to improve their systems. Despite the language of “equity” and attention to “asset-based” framings of educational data, the vision of what high-quality accountability structures would look like and would do simply recycles the naïve hopes that fueled the original push for NCLB.
University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña interviews Dr. Michael Gottfried about the crisis of chronic absenteeism in K-12 education.
BOULDER, CO (November 14, 2024)—In this month's episode of NEPC Talks Education, Christopher Saldaña interviews Michael Gottfried about the critical issue of chronic absenteeism in K-12 education. Gottfried, a professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania, is an applied economist specializing in education policy.
BOULDER, CO (November 12, 2024)—A recent Commonwealth Foundation report praises Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs, which create private-school vouchers funded through tax-credited donations. The report argues in favor of the programs’ expansion, but it has at least three major shortcomings.
A new Commonwealth Foundation report praises Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs, which create private-school vouchers funded through tax-credited donations. The report argues for the programs’ expansion to meet increasing demand. However, this report has at least three major shortcomings.
The Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA) at the University of Colorado Denver recently published a report that attempts to assess the effect of a “portfolio district strategy” on student performance in the Denver Public Schools. While the report convincingly demonstrates that the gains are not significantly due to changing demographics, it fails to address other critiques of the prior CEPA study on Denver’s reform strategy. Additionally, the report’s sweeping conclusion—that Denver’s reform is the most effective in U.S. history—is unsupported.
On today, election day, NEPC is sharing a series of 10 Q&As that describe the two major parties’ positions on issues impacting K-12 education and summarize research relevant to current and proposed policies.
A new study examines how teacher turnover impacts learning and culture in high schools.
In this Q&A, Kevin Lawrence Henry, Jr. of the University of Wisconsin-Madison discusses how the presidential election might impact issues concerning racial and ethnic diversity in schools.
A new study examines state interventions in school districts experiencing financial stress during an economic downturn.
In this Q&A, Marisa Saunders of UCLA discusses how the presidential election might impact community schools.
In this Q&A, NEPC Fellow Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach of Northwestern University discusses current and proposed federal involvement in the nation’s main child-nutrition program.
BOULDER, CO (October 15, 2024) – In this month's episode of NEPC Talks Education, Christopher Saldaña interviews Josh Cowen, professor of education policy at Michigan State University's College of Education and Education Law Center senior fellow, and Kevin Lawrence Henry, Jr., University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of Education Leadership and Policy Analysis, about school choice, and how culture wars issues impact education policy.
University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña interviews Josh Cowen and Kevin Lawrence Henry, Jr. about school choice, and how culture wars issues impact education policy.
In this Q&A, Patricia Núñez of the University of Texas at Austin discusses partisan positions that might impact bilingual education.
As publicly funded private school tuition systems have expanded, independent research has documented their negative outcomes. However, the prevalence of the programs continues to grow. This brief summarizes the research evidence about vouchers and identifies three areas of policy design that are especially important for student success and a good-faith use of public funding: accountability, access, and transparency.
BOULDER, CO (October 3, 2024)—Between 2021 and 2024, more than 20 states passed new laws that created or expanded programs providing taxpayer subsidies for private school tuition. These voucher and voucher-like plans include three main approaches: direct appropriations to voucher programs, “education savings accounts” to pay for tuition and other educational expenses, and tax credits for private donations that fund tuition with diverted state revenue.
In this Q&A, NEPC Fellow W. Steven Barnett of Rutgers discusses current and proposed federal involvement in early childhood education.
This newsletter is the fifth in a series that examines the education issues relevant to the 2024 federal elections. Accountability and assessment are the focus of a Q&A with NEPC Fellow
Lorrie Shepard of the University of Colorado Boulder.
The Fordham Institute recently published a report contending that the state’s charter schools have outperformed traditional public schools and implying that they merit continued or expanded state investment. The report’s tone is assured, prompting readers to expect an analysis demonstrating substantial, robust evidence on multiple achievement measures. However, the report’s evidence does not match its emphatic claims.
In addition to this Thursday’s NEPC webinar concerning public funding of religious schools, NEPC Fellow Kevin Kumashiro will be hosting three back-to-school interactive webinars this week, focused on public communications, providing tips on public speaking, op-eds, and policy briefs.
University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña interviews David Houston about partisanship and polarization in education policy.
BOULDER, CO (September 17, 2024) – In this month's episode of NEPC Talks Education, Christopher Saldaña interviews George Mason University professor David Houston about partisanship and polarization in education policy. Houston is the director of EdPolicyForward and the survey director of the Education Next poll at Harvard University.
On September 26th, two back-to-back webinars examine public funding of religious schools in the U.S. and abroad.
The past few years have seen significant growth in the newest form of voucher, called Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs), which are publicly funded savings accounts that parents can use not just for private-school tuition but also for other eligible expenses, including tutoring, curriculum, and sports equipment. A recent Cato Institute report argues for adding, as an eligible expense in state ESA programs, “choice navigators,” individuals who help families identify and enroll in educational programs that meet their child’s needs.
BOULDER, CO (September 5, 2024) – The school-choice landscape in the United States is undergoing a rapid transformation, as states increasingly enact a new form of vouchers called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Unlike earlier voucher programs, which generally allowed taxpayer subsidies only for private school tuition, ESAs represent a radically expansive—and potentially very costly—vision for the private use of public funds. ESA participants receive public monies via direct deposit and can use them for various expenses, including but also well beyond private school tuition and fees.
The school-choice landscape in the United States is undergoing a rapid transformation, as states increasingly enact a new form of vouchers called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Unlike earlier voucher programs, which generally allowed subsidies only for private school tuition, ESAs represent a radically expansive—and potentially very costly—vision for the private use of public education funds. ESA participants receive public monies via direct deposit and can use them for various expenses, including private school tuition and fees.
In this installment of NEPC’s special pre-election newsletter series on Republican and Democratic party positions on education policy, Edward García Fierros examines the current and proposed federal role in supporting students with disabilities in schools.
The second installment of NEPC’s series of Q&As on issues relevant to the 2024 Presidential race examines what the nation’s two main political parties say should be the federal role in addressing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
This webinar is co-sponsored by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, American Civil Liberties Union, Freedom from Religion Foundation, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee (OKPLAC), Good Faith Media, Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, Oklahoma Education Needs/Donations, Oklahoma Appleseed, Congregation B'nai Emunah (Tulsa), Emanuel Synagogue (OKC), Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Faith Network.
A new analysis examines high-impact practices that have the potential to improve opportunities to learn in higher education.
