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English learners (ELs) are one of the fastest-growing student groups in the U.S. K-12 system, making up about one in 10 students enrolled in public schools nationwide. Despite research showing that EL students need more resources and supports to be successful in school, funding at the federal, state, and local levels to provide those additional resources is largely inadequate and not well targeted to students' needs. This brief addresses the following questions: (1) Why is funding for EL students important? (2) What characteristics in the EL population are important to consider in funding systems? and (3) How are programs and services for EL students currently funded?

Teacher preparation programs are geared toward preparing educators for traditional school models, which is reasonable, given that traditional models make up the lion's share of schools, but this means that the pool of talent available to alternative models might be small or nonexistent. If nontraditional schools have to essentially create their own teacher pathways, or invest heavily in professional development and retraining, that puts them at continued disadvantage to existing schools. To support the growth of alternative school models, pipelines need to be developed to create and support new teachers. This report aims to accurately diagnose the problem, using both polling data and an examination of educator preparation programs to show just how few educators are prepared for alternative models of schooling. This report highlights programs and courses preparing teachers for nontraditional school models. The report closes with some thoughts about what this all means, and what needs to be done.

The growth of homeschooling from a somewhat fringe movement during the 1970s and 1980s to a more widespread and socially accepted approach in recent decades has provided a strong foundation of flexible learning models. When Florida's school choice expansion, House Bill 1, was introduced in January 2023, one of its goals was to allow more homeschoolers to participate in the education savings account (ESA) program. But many homeschoolers and homeschool advocacy groups balked at the proposal. Having worked hard to achieve independence, they were loath to be linked to government funding. Even if the program were optional, they feared that associated regulations would eventually extend to traditional homeschoolers. In the end, the bill passed with new language that satisfied traditional homeschoolers by creating a new option for parents to educate their children at home. As states continue to enact and expand education savings accounts, Colleen Hroncich argues that it is crucial that policymakers craft bills in a way that maximizes freedom and minimizes roadblocks.

Politically charged education issues roiled the 2022 races for seats on state boards of education, yet none of the boards flipped partisan control. However, majority parties expanded their representation on boards in Colorado, Kansas, and Utah so far. Of the 63 seats on the ballot for 12 state boards, 35 incumbent candidates were reelected. This policy update discusses elected state boards, the impact of governors' elections, elected state chiefs, ballot measures, and what is next.

Opponents of educational choice recycle the same false prophesies of doom without regard to the evidence or the size and scope of the proposals. Part I of this report assesses the validity of choice opponents' predictions that choice policies will lead to significant losses of district school funding and declining academic performance. Part II of this report explores whether there is any relationship between the intensity of choice opponents' rhetoric and the size and scope of the choice proposal on which they are commenting.

School choice critics argue that choice programs drain resources from public schools and therefore harm students who remain in them. Because policymakers are tasked with balancing their states' budgets and ensuring that their public schools meet educational provisions in their states' constitutions, they are concerned with the fiscal effects of these programs. More than two dozen studies have examined educational choice programs' effects on students enrolling in nearby public schools. Researchers have conducted a handful of systematic reviews of competitive effects research and, more recently, a meta-analysis of this body of research. In each of these reviews, researchers conclude that students who remain in district schools after exposure to educational choice programs tend to experience modest educational benefits. But the question remains whether educational choice programs lead to higher costs for taxpayers or fewer resources for students who remain in public schools. This report summarizes the fiscal effects of educational choice programs across the United States from an analysis of 40 private educational choice programs in 19 states plus D.C. The programs in the analysis include three education savings accounts programs, 19 school voucher programs, and 18 tax-credit scholarship programs. The report also provides context by presenting basic facts about the size and scope of each program, in terms of participation and funding, relative to each state's public school system. It presents the facts on taxpayer funding disparities between students using the choice programs and their peers in public schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the care crisis in the United States to the fore. Unprecedented closures of child care programs throughout 2020 placed a disproportionate burden on families, and mothers in particular. For parents enrolled in college or considering postsecondary enrollment at the time of the pandemic, the loss of child care services had an amplified effect-- threatening to derail their education goals. This brief draws on a series of interviews with campus child care directors and a review of data and relevant literature. It presents information for academic and institutional researchers, campus child care practitioners, college and university staff and administrators, and other stakeholders interested in understanding the availability and importance of campus child care services for student parent success. The brief makes the case for the importance of building rigorous evidence of the effect of campus child care access on student outcomes and discusses the factors related to campus child care center operations and institutional data collection that can, at times, undermine the ability to rigorously study the effectiveness of child care supports for student parents. The authors' findings are discussed in the context of evidence-based decision making to articulate the challenges and opportunities for conducting rigorous study. Given the timing of the feasibility study, the brief also provides a snapshot of campus child care providers' experiences during COVID-19. It concludes with recommendations to improve conditions for rigorous research on the role of campus child care in the outcomes of students with children.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the highest unemployment that the U.S. has seen since the Great Depression, with particularly heavy job losses for Black, Hispanic, and Native American workers. In this set of studies commissioned by Lumina Foundation, the authors examine actions that states and community colleges can take to address the needs of racially minoritized adult learners who are pursuing postsecondary education and training as a path to re-employment, better jobs, and higher incomes. This report includes: (1) Study 1. Aligning Short-Term Credentials with Community College Degree Programs describes how some states are creating and scaling opportunities for adults to earn occupational certificates that employers value and that lead to associate and bachelor's degrees; (2) Study 2. Bundling and Sequencing Student Support Services explains how community colleges can improve the design and delivery of advising and other critical support services to help adults attain their education and employment goals; and (3) Study 3. Culturally Sustaining Supports and Instruction offers examples and guiding principles that colleges can use to create programs and services that address the interests and needs of adults from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and that encourage persistence in and completion of postsecondary credentials. To describe these approaches and why they show promise, the authors draw on telephone interviews with state policymakers, community college leaders, and content area experts. Some of the policies and programs profiled have been evaluated; others represent promising strategies that will require further study to determine whether they improve education and employment outcomes and advance racial equity. [Contributing authors for this report include: Jessica Brathwaite, Nikki Edgecombe, Hoori Santikian Kalamkarian, Richard Kazis, Lindsay A. Leasor, Armando Lizarraga, Andrea Lopez Salazar, Ava Mateo, and Julia Raufman.]

The goal of safely and sustainably reopening K-12 school buildings for in-person learning is widely recognized as critical to minimizing the impact of academic, social, emotional, and mental strains brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for in-person learning to succeed on an ongoing basis, schools must be able to offer safe environments, taking into account high levels of community spread of COVID-19. Health and safety are foundational for learning and educating. Scientific research and case studies have shown that robust, school-based infection prevention and control (IPC) programs are essential to establishing this solid foundation. Infection prevention and control consists of a set of practices to reduce the risk of disease transmission and achieve healthy and safe workplaces. By providing layered protection strategies, IPC programs can reduce transmission to at or near zero levels, even where there is high community spread. With the knowledge of "what" to do now clearly articulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and scientific experts, implementing this function effectively for K-12 schools now requires focusing on "who" should do the work of infection prevention and control and "how" it should get done. This Roadmap provides general guidance on these questions, with a focus on building organizational capacity. The Roadmap is structured with the twin understandings that state and local governmental structures and labor-management collaboration take many forms and can differ between and within states, and that, to be effective, IPC initiatives must be shaped to align with those contexts. [This report was co-produced by COVID Collaborative, Harvard's Safra Center for Ethics, and Brown School of Public Health. Support for this publication was provided by Rios Partners.]

Research suggests that there are several positive impacts of mental health programming in K-12 educational settings, including improvements in students' overall health, academic and social outcomes. Additionally, comprehensive and effective school mental health systems can lead to a variety of beneficial outcomes for schools and communities, including improved school climate and safety, reduced exclusionary discipline, and improved youth, family and educator engagement. Recognizing that education systems can support the full continuum of student mental wellness in many ways -- including universal prevention and wellness promotion, early identification, targeted intervention and treatment -- state education leaders continue to make student mental health a priority. Underscoring how crucial it is that education systems address the mental wellness of students, research shows that of those students who access the treatment they need, at least 70% begin their journey to treatment at school. In order to support the whole child throughout their educational experience, state leaders may explore how to effectively use financial resources to provide mental health services and supports to students. Funding for student mental health is used to support a variety of activities and comes from several sources, including various state and federal funding streams. This Policy Brief explores and describes common sources of funding that states use to support K-12 school-based mental health programming and provides an overview of how states use those sources of funding to serve students.

Despite the myriad of challenges that families, students, teachers and policymakers faced in 2021, the momentum to transform education did not waver. New opportunities for students unfolded in more than a dozen states through expanded private and public school choice. An additional 1.7 million students gained eligibility for private choice alone, and strong investments by states supported learning options, with an impressive total of more than $1 billion for new choice programs and funding for charter schools. States also invested deeply in closing the digital divide and building better workforce training and college acceleration programs. Florida set an example with a comprehensive education-to-workforce package that was supported by ExcelinEd's Pathways Matter policy research and resources. And states continued to strengthen early literacy through policy improvements and new funding totaling $330 million in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Wisconsin alone. This year's annual report touches on state accomplishments; thought leadership highlights; and the 2021 National Summit on Education. Remaining sections focus on providing families with access to the learning environment that best fits their child's needs; ensuring every student has equitable access to the digital superhighway; supporting every student in gaining in-demand skills for lifelong success; guaranteeing every child receives academic support to learn, succeed and achieve their full potential; and fiscal accountability. [For the 2020 report, see ED619617.]

The Latino population in the United States is large and growing. As a whole, however, it has been challenged with inequitable educational attainment rates compared to other groups, meriting the attention of public agencies, postsecondary institutions, and advocates. Latino economic and career success -- and the success of our overall economy -- depend on alleviating current educational inequalities. The most effective way to do that is by directing resources to effective, data-driven strategies. In 2018, 15 postsecondary institutions joined in the three-year Latino Adult Student Success (LASS) Academy to develop and implement targeted strategies that support Latino adult students (and adult learners generally) in their pursuit of postsecondary credentials. The LASS Academy was the inaugural cohort under the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)'s Adult Learner Academy model, an approach that combines data analysis, technical assistance, and peer-to-peer learning to support new action plans and strategies for improving services and programs for important target populations. The data used in the initiative included enrollment, course completion, persistence, and graduation metrics along with surveys of the institutions' staff and current adult students through CAEL's Adult Learner 360™ process. The experience offered several important lessons that underscored the advantages of the Academy model. The institutions benefited from the opportunity to connect with each other and share strategies, and they valued the emphasis on the use of both quantitative data from their own student records and the analysis of new qualitative survey results. The initiative further showed the creative resilience of the institutions to quickly change course during the pandemic and adjust their implementation plans in the course of its shifting circumstances. As their new approaches to supporting Latino adults continue beyond the project, the participating LASS institutions expect to see even greater benefits to their Latino adult postsecondary enrollment and success.

States are grappling with policy strategies to determine attendance in the era of COVID-19 school closures and remote learning. Allowing districts and schools to develop an attendance policy using a combination of options to determine attendance can offer maximum flexibility. These options include, but are not limited to: (1) time on task (task can include engagement); (2) participation, evidence of student work; and (3) competency-based attainment with demonstrations of building skills, competencies, and knowledge. This issue brief contains examples of state policy examples for creating attendance policies for learning remotely, including competency-based attainment.

As additional states embark on the process of implementing four-year degrees at community colleges, they can learn from others' experience for help navigating the legislative, regulatory, and program approval processes. This brief uses examples from states currently offering bachelor's degrees at their community colleges to provide guidance for policymakers setting up these degree programs.

In this study, we compared the results of 27 special education teachers' evaluations using two different observation instruments, the Framework for Teaching (FFT), and the Explicit Instruction observation protocol of the Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET) observation system. Results indicate differences in the rank-ordering of teachers depending on which instrument was used. Overall scores on RESET were higher on average than those on FFT. Item level analyses showed that across 125 correlations, 73 were significant, low-moderate, and 52 were non-significant. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [This paper will be published in "Educational Measurement: Issues & Practice."]

New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality finds significant progress on the science of reading instruction in teacher preparation. For the first time since NCTQ began publishing program ratings in its 2013 Teacher Prep Review, the number of programs in the nation to embrace reading science has crossed the halfway mark, with 51 percent of 1,000 evaluated traditional elementary teacher preparation programs across the country now earning an A or B grade for their coverage of the key components of the science of reading--up from just 35 percent seven years ago. [A list of "Teacher Prep Review" sponsors can be found on page 2 of the PDF.]

Prioritizing social, emotional, and behavioral supports is essential for student success. By establishing systems to support students' social (how they interact), emotional (how they feel), and behavioral (how they act) needs and growth, educators and leaders can ensure that all students have full access to instruction and the essential skills for any challenge they encounter (Center on PBIS, 2021; Chafouleas, 2020). Investing in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) or a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) which emphasizes social, emotional, behavioral supports enables schools, districts, and states to advance student outcomes and school climate effectively, efficiently, and relevantly. This report presents: (1) Value of Implementing PBIS/MTSS; (2) Using Fidelity of Implementation Data to Guide Decision Making; (3) Value of Using Validated Tools; (4) Basic and Comprehensive Ways to Track Implementation; and (5) Evaluating Student Outcomes with Implementation Fidelity. Additional resources are included.

Spatial-Temporal Math (ST Math) is game-based, instructional software for K-12 students created by the MIND Research Institute (MIND). ST Math is integrated into classroom instruction, but can also be used in a computer lab or at home. The ST Math software games begin without language and symbol abstractions by posing math programs as purely visual puzzles. Interactive animated visual manipulatives provide informative feedback to student solutions. This report presents the findings from an assessment of mathematics outcomes in elementary schools across multiple states that were provided with the ST Math program. Data from 474 treatment schools in 16 states that included grade levels 3 through 5 were used in the evaluation. Of these 474 schools, 392 provided data for grade level 3, 366 provided data for grade level 4, and 374 provided data for grade level 5. The study found statistically significant differences between the ST-Math group and the matched-comparison group on the percentage of students scoring at or above proficient on the state standardized mathematics assessment. The strength of the effect was equivalent to 0.17 of a standard deviation. For schools where the ST Math program was implemented with fidelity in at least one grade level there was a difference between the treatment and comparison group on the percentage of students scoring at or above proficient on the state standardized mathematics assessment. The difference was statistically significant with an effect equivalent to 0.35 of a standard deviation. [This report was submitted to and funded by the MIND Research Institute.]

Public charter schools present tremendous opportunities to increase the access of Native students to high-quality schools. Understanding current growth and the location of schools serving Native students is an important first step in the larger policy discussion on Native education and charter schools. This brief provides the latest data available from the National Alliance for Public Charter School's database of public charter schools serving a high-concentration of Native youth and those operating on tribal lands.

With the majority of "good jobs" that pay a family-sustaining wage requiring at least some college education -- such as a technical certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree or another credential of value -- ensuring the existence of high-quality postsecondary CTE [Career Technical Education] programs and programs of study is more important than ever before in preparing learners for high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers. Although postsecondary programs are typically considered to be the purview of individual institutions, supported by academic freedom and local control, states have an important role to play in ensuring that each learner has access to only high-quality and relevant programs, notably by leveraging program approval and program evaluation policies and processes. This report from Advance CTE explores how states are leveraging this role to ensure quality. The report examines examples of the role states can play in ensuring postsecondary CTE program quality in California, Florida and Wisconsin.

In this study, we developed a Reading for Meaning special education teacher observation rubric that details the elements of evidence-based comprehension instruction and tested its psychometric properties using many-faceted Rasch measurement (MFRM). Video observations of classroom instruction from 10 special education teachers across three states during the 2015-16 school year were collected. External raters (n=4) were trained to observe and evaluate instruction using the rubric, and assign scores of 'implemented', 'partially implemented' or 'not implemented' for each of the items. Analyses showed that the item, teacher, lesson and rater facets achieved high psychometric quality for the instrument. Teacher performance was consistent with what has been reported in the literature. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [This paper was published in "Reading & Writing Quarterly" 2019 (EJ1216107).]

Guided pathways reforms can take several years to implement at scale because they require a thoroughgoing redesign of a college's major functions, including: (1) organizing programs into career-focused meta-majors to enhance student recruitment and exploration and program improvement; (2) mapping clear paths to degrees, employment, and further education in collaboration with employers and universities; (3) structuring advising to help students choose, enter, and complete a program of study; (4) rethinking academic support to enable students to take and pass critical program courses in their first year of college; and (5) training faculty and staff to facilitate these reforms. Part 3 of this practitioner packet describes the process and timeline for implementing pathways and discusses how colleges can measure the effectiveness of their efforts. [For "Part 1: A Reform Moves from Theory to Practice," see ED582819. For "Part 2: Case Studies," see ED582821.]

The Teacher Compensation Survey (TCS) was a research and development effort by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to explore the possibility of developing an administrative records survey that would compile compensation and demographic data on all public school teachers in the nation. A pilot survey in 2007 collected data from seven states for school year (SY) 2005-06. The number of participating states increased in subsequent years, and by 2012, data were collected from 24 states for the 2010-11 school year. TCS was discontinued after the 2010-11 collection due to budget constraints. This report summarizes the results of the data collected for the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years. Limited resources prevented a more timely release of these data. While the data may be old, this report is being issued now because TCS afforded valuable lessons that are applicable to any similar, future collection efforts by NCES or by others seeking to gain a better understanding of issues related to teacher compensation. The purpose of this report is to describe both the potential of the collection and the practical problems encountered in the hopes that this will inform future survey efforts. In addition to any analytical value it may have, the TCS effort provides valuable lessons in collecting teacher compensation data. The analysis in section 3 looks closely at the problems encountered over three years of collecting TCS data and suggests ways these could be addressed.

Districts across the country are facing severe shortages of teachers--especially in certain subjects (math, science, special education, career and technical education, and bilingual education) and in specific schools (urban, rural, high-poverty, high-minority, and low-achieving). The severity of the teacher shortage problem varies significantly by state, district, school, and subject. As such, many experts argue that efforts to address shortages should be less about recruiting teachers generally and more about recruiting and retaining the right teachers, in the right subjects, for the right schools. Several states have recently enacted targeted teacher recruitment legislation in one or more of the following areas to attract teachers to high-need schools and subjects: research and data collection; state and district innovations; career pathways and grow-your-own programs; preparation and licensure; financial incentives; and retired teachers. This Policy Snapshot explores recent legislation and key areas of teacher recruitment, and provides summary information on past years' legislative activities.

A governor's State of the State address is an opportunity to outline policy priorities, highlight past accomplishments and reflect on the condition of the state and country. In 2018, 17 governors are serving their last year in office, having reached the end of their term or deciding not to seek re-election. Many of them used their State of the State addresses to emphasize the importance of collegiality among policymakers. When governing bodies function well, the state and its citizens reap the benefits--a principal benefit being an education that prepares citizens for well-paying jobs. Each year, Education Commission of the States tracks, analyzes and identifies trends in education policy proposals featured in governors' State of the State addresses. To date, 44 governors have delivered their 2018 addresses. The top six education priorities across states are discussed in this report: (1) School Finance; (2) Workforce Development; (3) Postsecondary Affordability; (4) Career and Technical Education; (5) Teacher Quality; and (6) Early Learning.

Federal requirements stipulate that states and local education agencies annually calculate and report an Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate, disaggregated by student group. The ACGR includes all students who graduate from high school in four years with a regular high school diploma, plus all students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are assessed using an alternate assessment aligned with alternate academic achievement standards. Seven states offer two or more curricular pathways leading to a single diploma, while six states offer two or more diploma options that meet federal requirements. Excluded from the ACGR calculation are students who complete a credential other than the regular high school diploma--such as a general equivalency diploma, certificate of completion, certificate of attendance, a diploma based on meeting Individualized Education Program goals or a diploma that sets requirements below the regular high school diploma. This resource provides details and examples of each of these state approaches.

This publication highlights how state policies and guidance are supporting the transformation to personalized learning through digital instructional materials. Specifically, the report includes personalized learning approaches and the policies and processes around the selection, curation, procurement, professional learning and funding of digital instructional materials. Evidence of state leadership is highlighted throughout this publication. Specifically, this report: (1) Identifies the essential conditions for teaching and learning in a digital environment; (2) Shares professional learning opportunities; (3) Highlights a variety of state and district implementation models; (4) Offers guidance on accessibility policies and practices; and (5) Provides considerations for next steps. [Support for this work was provided by the State Instructional Materials Review Association (SIMRA) and the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials. For a related report, see "State K12 Instructional Materials Leadership Trends Snapshot" (ED599469).]

Coaching is an individualized approach to professional development where educators work towards specific teaching goals with support and feedback from a designated colleague or expert. Coaching appears to be increasingly common in early childhood education (ECE) classrooms, and a number of local, state, and federal policy initiatives over the past five years have promoted coaching as a strategy to improve early childhood program quality. It is still evolving, and ECE practitioners and policymakers should understand different trends, goals, and frameworks for coaching so they can make informed choices. This paper considers ECE coaching programs and research at the state, local, and federal level, for educators of children ages birth to five, with a particular focus on Head Start programs. It summarizes what is known about coaching in ECE and shares some of the challenges, lessons, and opportunities emerging from research and program experiences. Then it recommends how early learning program leaders, policymakers, funders, and researchers can encourage and implement coaching more effectively.

There were a number of historic public charter school policy wins across the country in 2017. Kentucky became the 44th state (along with the District of Columbia) to enact a charter school law. Colorado and Florida provided charter school students with unprecedented access to locally raised dollars for facilities. Tennessee and Texas created new funding streams to specifically support charter school facility costs--the first time either state had done so. Wisconsin added to the number of authorizing entities in the state, which will allow for truly independent charter schools across the state. And, Illinois and Washington overhauled their public school funding systems in ways that will provide more equitable funding for all students, including those in charter schools. At a time when an increasing amount of pushback from long-time opponents like the teacher unions is seen, it is notable that charter school supporters achieved these game-changing policy victories. This report provides a summary of this year's state legislative activity, organized into the following categories: no-law states, authorizing and accountability, funding and facilities, and other issues.

"Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning 2016" marks the thirteenth consecutive year Evergreen has published its annual research of the K-12 education online learning market. Throughout the past thirteen years there has been a constant presence that has become the backbone, supporting the growth and success of online learning--the array of organizations that supply online courses, online teachers, digital content and tools to schools. The number and breadth of types of suppliers has changed and grown as the demand for broader and deeper services has increased. Suppliers range from schools that supply regions or whole states, to stand-alone "intermediate" suppliers that provide online courses and related services to schools, to vendors who develop courses and content and deliver their courses directly to schools or distribute them through intermediates. "Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning 2016" focuses on these suppliers of online learning and reports on levels and types of activity, including online course enrollments, types of enrollments and number of students involved in online learning. [For the twelfth edition, see ED570125.]

Because states typically fund districts based on student counts, districts reporting shrinking enrollment worry about shrinking dollars as well. The seemingly obvious quick fix is for states to hold districts financially harmless for some or all of their enrollment loss. But states have many factors to weigh when deciding whether or how to go down the "hold harmless" path, and state-by-state context matters. This brief explores some of those considerations. It also includes a list of states that have added or are considering new hold harmless provisions in response to pandemic-driven enrollment losses, as well as states that already had existing policies.