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Corequisite remediation involves placing students who have been designated as underprepared directly into college-level courses with concurrent supports--such as in-class tutoring, online learning labs, or a supplemental class--rather than making them take non-credit-bearing developmental courses first. Despite the growing number of studies on corequisite remediation, there are still questions about which practices can address the needs of and advance equity for diverse groups of students, particularly students who struggle with basic math or English skills. CAPR researchers partnered with the Charles A. Dana Center to study and offer formative feedback about the implementation of corequisite course models at four colleges participating in the Corequisite Research Design Collaborative, the Dana Center's initiative for implementing equity-minded, holistic corequisite course models. CAPR researchers partnered with the Charles A. Dana Center to study and offer formative feedback about the implementation of corequisite course models at four colleges participating in the Corequisite Research Design Collaborative, the Dana Center's initiative for implementing equity-minded, holistic corequisite course models. This research brief and the supplement highlight the findings on the design and implementation of corequisite courses at the four colleges, as well as findings from a survey administered to students who were enrolled in these courses in fall 2021 and spring 2022. The researchers found that the implementation of corequisite support courses helped students understand course content and increased their engagement with their coursework. In general, students appeared more comfortable engaging in support courses than in the paired college-level courses. This suggests that support courses can play an important role in improving student engagement by providing an additional space for students to interact with the course content, their peers, and faculty. [This report was written with Ellen Wasserman. For the supplement, see ED631329.]

Youth mental health concerns are on the rise and can have serious implications for student well-being and success (Clayborne et al., 2019). Consequently, more educators and mental health professionals are identifying mental health as an important student need (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2021). This report summarizes the key principles underlying comprehensive school mental health and trauma sensitive schools. The present synthesis of studies and reports emphasizes core features, key principles, and associated core components. [This report was co-produced by the Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative and originally prepared for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).]

In an era in which public postsecondary institutions increasingly face budget constraints, the state residency of students has become an important factor in complex decisions on tuition-setting policies and enrollment management. This report examines the current trends and impact of out-of-state tuition premiums -- defined as the additional amount of tuition and fees for nonresident students -- at public four-year institutions in the U.S. Regional approaches to reducing out-of-state tuition premiums are described, and past research on the effects of tuition premiums is summarized.

Corequisite remediation involves placing students who have been designated as underprepared directly into college-level courses with concurrent supports--such as in-class tutoring, online learning labs, or a supplemental class--rather than making them take non-credit-bearing developmental courses first. There are multiple corequisite course models; the Corequisite Research Design Collaborative (CRDC) colleges used a support corequisite model and an embedded corequisite model. The support corequisite model involved enrolling corequisite students in a college-level math or English course that also included students who placed out of developmental education; the corequisite students were also enrolled in a separate, supplementary support course that was offered before, after, or on different days than the college-level course. Students conceptualized these as two courses paired together. The support courses had smaller class sizes and they provided students additional time to become familiar with the content taught in their paired college-level courses. The embedded corequisite model involved enrolling the same group of students (or a cohort) in a college-level course and a developmental course that were taught back to back; this combination of courses is referred to as an "embedded course" in this supplement. Students conceptualized these back-to-back courses as a single course. During the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters, a student survey was distributed to every CRDC college except Houston Community College, which is located in Texas.2 The other three CRDC colleges--Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC), St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC), and St. Cloud State University (SCSU)--are located in Minnesota. The survey was intended to evaluate students' experiences in their corequisite courses. [This report was written with Ellen Wasserman. For the full report, see ED631328.]

This policy brief examines one type of "leak" in the Wisconsin educator pipeline, a leak in the number of recent graduates from one of the state's 40+ educator preparation programs (EPPs) electing to work in Illinois or Minnesota public schools. While this group is numerically small, with just 38 Wisconsin 2017-18 EPP completers working in Illinois in 2018-19 and another 287 working in Minnesota, these subgroups combined represent almost 7% of all Wisconsin EPP completers from 2017-18. Additionally, nearly one-fifth (19.8%) of Wisconsin EPP completers were not working in Wisconsin public schools the following year. Available data only allow us to look at losses for a single cohort of Wisconsin EPP completers (from 2017-18); however, the trends uncovered warrant a deeper exploration of potential patterns from other years that could constitute a "leak" in the WI educator pipeline. [For the brief summary, see ED627843.]

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation and impacts of the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model in its first year of implementation in 66 schools across the U.S. and to document scale-up progress during the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant period (2017-2021). The impact evaluation included 21,529 9th grade students and 524 teachers from 66 schools across three cohorts (2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 school years). The schools were recruited from 12 states and the District of Columbia, with a focus on relatively low-performing schools and districts. Schools in each cohort were randomly selected to receive the BARR model immediately (the treatment group) or receive BARR after one year (a 'wait-list' control group) to provide a reference for measuring the impacts of the BARR model on a range of academic and nonacademic outcomes after the first year of implementation. Across the three study cohorts combined, BARR had substantial and statistically significant impacts on the proportion of students who passed all their core courses. BARR had a statistically significant impact on student achievement for mathematics, but not for reading, as measured by the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), for the two combined cohorts for which this outcome was available. Assignment to BARR caused a negative (favorable) impact on the percentage of students who were chronically absent but did not have a statistically significant impact on suspension rates or persistence to 10th grade across the combined cohorts. The evaluation also found significant positive program effects on seven of nine measures of teacher experiences, with the most substantial effects on teacher collaboration with and view of colleagues, teacher use of data, and teachers' views of school supports. Schools assigned to receive the BARR model as part of the evaluation experienced both challenges and successes in implementing the eight BARR model components with fidelity. BARR Center also made significant progress in implementing the six scaling strategies they considered important to grow and sustain the model over time. The findings from this evaluation indicate that BARR is an effective model for schools aiming to improve students' transitions into ninth grade, reduce course failure, and narrow existing gaps in student academic outcomes between different demographic subgroups of students. [The report was written with Ashley Sunde, So Jung Park, Briana Garcia, and Connie Chandra.]

Despite the relative increase in early care and education (ECE) investment over recent decades, access to infant and toddler care continues to be a hurdle for countless families across the nation. While access is a multifaceted issue, main contributors include a lack of available slots and the high cost of providing care to infants and toddlers. Federal programs intended to increase access to high-quality care (e.g., Child Care and Development Fund [CCDF] subsidy) have strict eligibility requirements and only reach a fraction of eligible families. As a result, families of infants and toddlers may be forced to choose from a limited array of ECE options or leave the workforce to care for their child. Simultaneously, insufficient compensation, demanding conditions, and minimal supports contribute to challenges with ECE workforce recruitment and retention. These factors suggest a need for effective policies and practices to help families find and use affordable care that meets the needs of their infants and toddlers. This document highlights various strategies that states have used to strengthen the infant and toddler workforce and system of care. While each strategy is described individually, some are combined with other strategies in practice. Strategies described in this resource address the following topic areas: (1) Supply of infant toddler care; (2) Workforce standards and professional support; and (3) Compensation.

This report explains how State Entity (SE) Program grantees are using or proposed to use the technical assistance (TA) set-aside portion of their Charter School Programs (CSP) funds for these activities. This report also describes SE activities to ensure subgrantees are equipped to meet the needs of all students, and specifically students with disabilities and English learners (ELs). Researchers gathered data for this report from all SEs that received grants between 2017 and 2019 by reviewing their approved applications, surveying SE grantees in spring 2020, and conducting a follow-up survey completed in January 2021. The report begins with a summary of aggregate findings across the grantees, followed by descriptions of how funds are used by each individual SE grantee. This report will be updated when CSP awards new SE grants.

Community colleges are mission-driven institutions committed to access and community needs. They serve a diverse population: The majority of students are employed, so they have to balance work with school; about one-third are first-generation, so they are navigating an unfamiliar system for the first time in their families; and 15% are single parents, juggling child care along with course load. With this understanding that students are people with complex needs and responsibilities, community colleges are innovating in the ways they are delivering wraparound supports -- sometimes referred to as basic needs supports -- that address nonacademic barriers to college success. (Common examples of wraparound supports are mental health supports and services, emergency funds and stipends, and housing and food assistance.) Enhanced wraparound supports can lead to higher rates of retention and completion for students. This Policy Brief explores supports offered by individual institutions, as well as broader and coordinated approaches that encompass states or entire systems. It cites examples from current state legislation and programs that support these efforts.

Research suggests that using only standardized placement test scores to determine which new college students should take developmental coursework is inadequate, as many students may be unnecessarily assigned to developmental courses. These courses generally take one or more semesters to complete, delaying entry into college-level coursework, and students earn no credit toward a credential for completing them. MDRC and the Community College Research Center recently completed two experimental studies of multiple measures assessment (MMA), in which colleges use high school GPA and other measures in addition to placement test scores to assign incoming students to either developmental or college-level courses in math and English. Overall, results from both studies indicate that student outcomes improve under MMA as compared to status quo placement based on test scores alone. In this brief, we explain what we have learned from these studies.

Colleges throughout the United States are evaluating the effectiveness of their strategies to place entering students into college-level or developmental education courses. Developmental, or remedial, courses are designed to advance the reading, writing, and math skills of students who are deemed academically underprepared for college-level courses. Placements have traditionally been determined through standardized placement testing; however, through evaluating additional types of placement tests, high school transcripts, and evaluations of student motivation, multiple measures assessments (MMAs) are becoming an increasingly popular tool to place students with greater nuance. Colleges must decide what measures to include, and how to combine them. This study was developed to add to the understanding of the implementation, cost, and efficacy of an MMA system using locally determined rules. As part of a randomized controlled trial, the study team evaluated MMA programs and observed 17,203 student performances across five colleges in Minnesota and Wisconsin over the course of the fall 2018, spring 2019, and fall 2019 semesters. This report examines the impacts of MMA on math and English gatekeeper course completion and college-level credit accumulation three semesters after students' initial placement. This report also analyzes the predictive utility of high school GPA, placement tests, and the noncognitive assessments used by the study colleges.

In 1994, the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) joined its sister compacts in offering a regional student reciprocity and tuition exchange opportunity known as the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP). The program allowed students from one MHEC state to attend an institution at a reduced tuition rate in another MHEC state when the student's home state did not offer the degree program the student was seeking. This arrangement benefitted students, families, institutions, and states by increasing options and decreasing costs for families and students while increasing enrollments and student in-migration at participating schools in MSEP states. This report begins with an overview of current trends in higher education and moves to a discussion of the contemporary role of student exchange and tuition reciprocity programs. These sections are followed by a 25-year history of MSEP, placing MSEP in context vis-à-vis other reciprocity programs, its original goals, and the contemporary needs and priorities of students, families, institutions, and states.

This "Equity by Design" brief highlights equity issues that arise in the process of reopening schools during a global pandemic. The authors examine state plans and guidance for reopening schools across states in the Midwest & Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP EAC) region which includes the 13 states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The purpose of this paper is to provide explicit consideration of equity issues in the context of reopening schools and generate discussion about the topics addressed. The following topics are covered: (1) time spent in face-to-face instruction vs. virtual or hybrid learning environments and any calendar changes; (2) screening and reporting of COVID-19 symptoms and exposure; (3) social distancing, face masks and classroom set up; (4) ensuring more equitable learning for students with dis/abilities and multilingual learners; (5) access to technology; (6) opportunities and challenges in online learning, (7) communication with parent/caregivers; (8) addressing learning loss; (9) guidance on Social Emotional Learning (SEL); and (10) guidance on field trips and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Throughout this brief, the authors highlight equity issues that inevitably arise in the context of schooling where conditions of access are likely exacerbated by the pandemic and how one might approach and consider these issues in planning and policy. As school and district leaders review and revise policy implementation, the guidance outlined in this paper can inform the way that policy is implemented and can help highlight issues around equity that district and school personnel may not have considered in planning for reopening.

The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) and MHEC were awarded a competitive grant from the American Institutes for Research in 2019 as part of its National Research Collaborative on Postsecondary Competency-based Education and Learning (cberesearch.org). The grant objective was to specifically identify state policies related to the review of military transcripts and experience for military-connected students entering or reentering postsecondary education and explore how these policies are generally interpreted by the state higher education agency involved with implementation. The intent of the report is to provide a resource for those considering or amending a state policy as well as providing a repository that demonstrates policy variances.

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.

Hiring and retaining teachers of color is one approach that policymakers can use to support improved academic achievement and opportunities for racially and ethnically diverse students. National data show that while the student population is becoming more diverse, the teacher workforce remains largely white and female. While teachers from all races can inspire student success, research suggests that a more diverse teacher workforce could improve student academic, behavioral, social and emotional outcomes -- particularly for students of color. State policymakers are taking various approaches to building a diverse teacher workforce and ensuring all students reap the myriad benefits of teacher diversity in the classroom. This Policy Brief provides a summary of key research on the benefits of expanding the racial/ethnic diversity of teachers in K-12 classrooms. It also features examples of state-level action intended to advance diversity and ultimately improve students' academic experiences.

As part of our research on the community college baccalaureate (CCB), we studied the prospects of adopting and scaling CCB degrees in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Higher education leaders in these six Great Lakes states recognized the potential for CCB degrees to increase academic, geographic and financial access to higher education but concerns about mission creep, program duplication, and competition with universities within their states were on their minds. All leaders thought a more in-depth approach to analyzing labor force demand for CCB degree graduates would be helpful. In response, we used federal and state datasets to estimate job vacancies and annual degree conferral and found openings in business, software development, early childhood education, and registered nursing that may hold promise for CCB degrees in one or more Great Lakes states. [For Data Note 8, see ED608176.]

Strong and stable school leadership is critical for success in schools across the nation. The duties of the principal are many and varied. Principals, for example, can oversee instruction, purchase curricular materials and supplies, and provide professional learning and supports for teachers. Carrying out these duties effectively makes a difference for student achievement and graduation. Principal leadership also impacts teacher satisfaction and teacher turnover. Unfortunately, many schools do not have stable principal leadership. To better understand the phenomenon of principal turnover, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) collaborated on a study. The survey and focus groups asked principals about their intentions to stay in the principalship, as well as the extent to which they experience conditions that research has shown to be related to principal retention and turnover. This report discusses the following findings: (1) Survey and focus group responses reflected national concerns about principal turnover; (2) Working conditions and district supports related to working conditions emerged as major concerns; (3) Principals' compensation and financial obligations were related to their mobility plans; (4) High-stakes accountability systems and evaluation practices can discourage some principals from remaining in their school or position; (5) A lack of decision-making authority was a concern for some principals; and (6) Many principals reported facing obstacles to professional learning opportunities. [For the research brief, see ED606480.]

Social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies or standards derive from SEL frameworks. In this report, the terms "SEL competencies" and "standards" are used interchangeably to refer to statements about "what students should know and be able to do," recognizing that states may use different terms such as "competencies," "learning goals," or "benchmarks." In 2019, 14 separate sets of K-12 "learning standards" or "competencies" were analyzed for SEL that states have developed. This report updates that previous analysis to include four additional sets of learning standards (for a total of 18 states) and provides important updates about the original 14 states. The goal in this brief is to examine the specific SEL frameworks the states use and the competencies they have articulated based on these frameworks.

In the United States, approximately 65 percent of all jobs in 2020 will require some level of postsecondary education, and the demand will reach 68 percent in Iowa. This report seeks to inform public discourse on higher education by providing key performance indicators relevant to the goal of improving educational attainment for a healthy economy and society. Performance indicators are categorized within five areas: (1) Preparation; (2) Participation; (3) Completion; (4) Affordability; and (5) Finance. Several indicators provide the national and Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) regional values as well as the median of the top five states in the nation as possible benchmarks. Performance indicators are disaggregated by race/ethnicity and family income when data are available.

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.]

Colleges throughout the United States are evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies used to decide whether to place students into college-level or developmental education courses. Developmental, or remedial, courses are designed to develop the reading, writing, or math skills of students deemed underprepared for college-level courses, a determination usually made through standardized placement tests. However, increasing numbers of colleges are using multiple measures to place students, including additional types of placement tests, high school transcripts, and evaluations of student motivation. The current study was developed to add to the understanding about the implementation, cost, and efficacy of an multiple measures assessment (MMA) system using locally determined rules. As part of a randomized controlled trial, the study team evaluated MMA programs and interviewed and observed staff at five colleges in Minnesota and Wisconsin; it also wrote a short case study about one Wisconsin college. The five colleges in the random assignment study targeted all students taking placement tests in the months before the fall 2018 semester. In the four colleges included in the current analysis, 5,282 students participated in the study; of these, 3,677 were tested for English, and 4,487 were tested for math. The findings suggest that while implementation (especially automation) was not easy, it was possible; and using the new MMA systems became much easier once they were established.

In addition to providing context to why the teaching workforce is 80% white, this brief presents ways that practitioners and leaders can successfully keep teachers of color in the classroom. The five key values that frame the research in this brief are: (1) location; (2) use; (3) maintenance; (4) modification; and (5) time. Each section provides research-driven recommendations.

The College Possible program provides intensive coaching by near-peer mentors, peer group support, and opportunities for academic and non-cognitive skill building to low-income students through an intensive two-year curriculum in junior and senior years of high school. The goal of the program is to close the achievement gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers. Under a 2015 Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant, College Possible served approximately 1,300 students in two cohorts (the class of 2018 and the class of 2019) during their junior and senior years of high school in 18 high schools across seven school districts and five states (i.e., Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). ICF conducted an i3-funded external evaluation of College Possible to investigate the impact of the College Possible model upon participating low-income students' non-cognitive skills (measured by the Search Institute's REACH Survey) and on-time graduation outcomes. ICF also conducted a fidelity of implementation (FOI) study. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of evaluation findings at the culmination of the grant, including impact and implementation results. Results demonstrated that treatment students had a higher level of non-cognitive skills (measured by REACH) than matched comparison students. The program impact estimated was statistically significant (at p=0.01) and the standardized effect size was small at 0.12. Regarding the impact on on-time graduation outcomes, the analysis sample lacked between-district outcome variance necessary for meaningful analysis. However, when there were group differences, the treatment students' graduation rate was descriptively higher than that of the comparison students. Finally, FOI was found lower than intended by the analysis of implementation data. Based on the findings of the implementation data analysis, lack of consistency in student attendance may have contributed to the low program impact results. [This report was submitted to College Possible[TM] National.]

This brief highlights examples of career pathway models funded by TAACCCT [Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training] that were designed for adult students who require accelerated timelines because they are often under pressure to enter or reenter the workforce quickly to support their families. In each of the cases chosen, the models went on to be scaled up on a state or national level, or were recognized by third parties as potential models for future replication.

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.]

This paper asks the question: Is now the right time to consider a statewide policy initiative to support increased access for Massachusetts community college students to paid internships that can help them improve their employment and earnings trajectory? Is this something that employers, colleges, and state leaders would see as a welcome component of a comprehensive approach to strengthening the state's talent pipeline and reducing inequities in access to good jobs? The authors approach this important question in several steps. First, they report on the experience in Massachusetts and other states in designing and implementing paid internship programs for two- and four-year college students. There is some exciting experience with such initiatives around the country and in Massachusetts state, though programs for students at four-year schools tend to dominate. The report describes each program and summarizes its design, scale, and impact. Each description ends with key takeaways from the program about design, implementation, and cost. The authors draw out lessons about how to: (1) target a statewide program (by region, sector, and population); (2) organize the business community to participate and level-set their expectations about intern capabilities; (3) design programs that meet community college students where they are and accommodate their needs for income, transportation help, and work readiness support; (4) strengthen regional and college capacity to organize and manage a large-scale internship program; and (5) combine online technology and human outreach to improve the matches between potential internships and interested students. The authors interviewed more than two dozen leaders from business, the community colleges, state government, and students. They asked them whether they thought a paid internship initiative could help solve some of the problems they and their peers were facing. Although their answers reflect their own personal views and cannot be interpreted as representative, their enthusiasms and concerns paint a fairly clear picture of design priorities and pitfalls to avoid.

Grant aid -- whether based on financial need, merit, or a combination therein -- is the primary form of financial aid awarded by states. States use grant aid to encourage academic preparation, enhance access to postsecondary education, affect students' choice of college, support persistence, and reduce out-of-state migration. State grant aid programs can be distinguished from other sources of grant aid, such as institutional scholarships or tuition discounts as well as the Pell Grant, the federal government's principal need-based program. The purpose of this report is to help policymakers compare their state's grant programs to others and also understand how policy design features relate to student outcomes. First, the report provides context for understanding state grant programs that serve undergraduate students, and then it describes common and distinguishing features of state grant programs by focusing on eligibility requirements, funding sources, and program magnitude, including award amounts and number of recipients. In addition, the characteristics of recipients are considered, including the type of institution attended, family income, race/ethnicity, and enrollment intensity. An overview is then provided of the research findings on the effects of state grants on educational attainment. Finally, implications and recommendations are identified. [This brief examines a critical state policy issue identified through the College Affordability Research Initiative, a collaboration between the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good at the University of Michigan.]

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and its state member leaders play a pivotal role in driving high-speed broadband access to all students to best prepare them for college and careers. Complementing the 2016 "State K-12 Broadband Leadership: Driving Connectivity and Access" (see ED569341), this publication highlights the importance of state leadership and the various ways states strive to support districts and schools. Students deserve these equitable opportunities both on and off campus. States demonstrate leadership through legislation, initiatives, partnerships, statewide broadband networks, regional networks, and/or statewide purchasing consortia to facilitate reliable, cost-effective internet access for districts. States are also developing strategies to help ensure all students have adequate internet access both on and off campus, whether it is publicizing affordable home internet options; the availability of free internet at community locations; or the ability to provide Wi-Fi on school buses. With state leadership to ensure connectivity and access, districts and schools can achieve their goals for digital learning for all students. No one state has the same policies or practices, yet all states are providing leadership. [Additional funding for this report was provided by Parana River Group (PRG).]

This Policy Brief provides a detailed look at 529 education savings plans -- investment accounts with tax advantages -- including a breakdown of maximum annual dollar amounts and state tax deductions allowed, state responses to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, information on legislation in 2018 that changes eligible expenses allowed under 529 plans and a list of questions for state policymakers to consider when identifying the types of data they wish to collect on their existing 529 plans.