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As current trends across the country indicate widespread declining student enrollment and attendance, EdChoice is interested in how states respond. It enlisted Hanover Research to summarize publicly available information for each of the 50 U.S. states about the role enrollment plays in state funding formulas, as well as any state-level policies that may reduce the impact of declining enrollment on education funding. This report presents an analysis of the policy scan and summarizes the key findings of the policy scan including trends in education funding formulas, funding, and enrollment protections across the United States. Key findings covered in this report include: the type of education funding formulas in each state; the metrics these formulas use to measure enrollment; as well as the declining enrollment; hold harmless, and temporary provisions for enrollment and funding protections identified in the initial policy scan. This policy scan analysis is part of a series of studies that will enable EdChoice to examine the broader landscape of the impact of declining enrollment on school funding and related policies across the United States. The full version of the policy scan can be found in "How States Protect Funding for K-12 Public Schools. State Profiles Index."

As current trends across the country indicate widespread declining student enrollment and attendance, EdChoice is interested in conducting an evaluation of state-level school funding and enrollment policies that protect public schools against reduced funding due to declining enrollment. To support this effort, EdChoice enlisted Hanover to conduct a preliminary policy scan to explore current funding practices at each state-level department of education across the United States. This report summarizes publicly available information for each of the 50 states regarding the role of enrollment in state funding formulas and state-level policies that may reduce the impact of declining enrollment on education funding. Using publicly available sources related to state-level departments of education and government entities, Hanover sought to address the following research questions for each state: (1) What is the current structure or formula used for school-level funding? (2) What type of enrollment count and count date does the formula use for funding purposes? (3) What mechanisms in the formula are relevant to enrollment or enrollment projections? (4) What specific state-level funding and/or hold harmless policies exist to protect school-level funding against declining enrollment? (5) Which statutes and legislation define these enrollment protection policies? (6) How have these policies changed over time? and (7) Do any of these protections extend to public charter schools? Hanover reviewed secondary sources for each state to identify relevant policies for this analysis, prioritizing state legislation and sources from the state-level department of education. It used information from other secondary sources as necessary. This report contains two sections: (1) Overview of State Policies--summarizes state funding formulas and relevant enrollment protections for each of the 50 states; and (2) State Profiles--provides a detailed profile for each state, with an overview of its funding formula and a detailed summary of any funding protections that provide protection against funding reductions due to declining enrollment.

Based on a national survey of higher education professionals across campus roles and institutional types, this report examines how undergraduate learning and student success are shaped by an institution's common learning outcomes and commitment to equity, as well as by specific educational experiences and assessment practices. The findings indicate divergences in views among stakeholder groups and striking levels of uncertainty among faculty members, in particular, with regard to a range of campus practices and areas of emphasis. The report also demonstrates a consensus across all stakeholder groups on the importance of certain mindsets, aptitudes, and dispositions as essential outcomes of college, in addition to a dearth of goal-setting to close equity gaps.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) periodically surveys its members to better understand how colleges and universities are defining and articulating learning outcomes, providing access to engaging learning experiences (i.e., "high-impact practices"), and assessing student success. Though equity has been a focal point for campuses in recent years, the tidal wave of change in higher education spurred by the converging crises of COVID-19 and renewed emphasis on systemic racism in the United States and globally have required nearly every campus to rethink its game plan. Adaptation has been essential, but lasting change is still an unknown. Based on a survey administered in the fall of 2020, this report presents findings during a historic period as campuses managed the uncertainties of a global health pandemic and reacted to calls for social justice spurred by the murder of George Floyd and police violence against African Americans. This report paints a picture of how campus challenges and strategic priorities persist in ways we have come to expect as "business as usual," but also how bubbles of normalcy can burst under the force of external pressure. The following two sections are presented: (1) Top campus challenges; and (2) Top campus strategic priorities.

"How College Contributes to Workforce Success: Employer Views on What Matters Most" presents findings from a wide-ranging survey of executives and hiring managers that was conducted in partnership with Hanover Research. The survey explored employers' views of what constitutes workforce preparedness, the educational outcomes and experiences they value most when making hiring decisions, and their perceptions of recent graduates' levels of preparedness for entry-level positions as well as for promotion and career advancement. The report also explores variations in employer views based on age and level of educational attainment. [Foreword written by Lynn Pasquerella.]