Equity & Civil Rights

Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era

Publication Date

May 28, 2026

Authors

Kevin G. Welner, Carol C. Burris, and Preston C. Green III

Research Areas

Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

In a new policy brief, Avoiding the Supreme Court's Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era, authors Kevin G. Welner (University of Colorado Boulder), Carol C. Burris (Network for Public Education), and Preston C. Green III (University of Connecticut) warn that, without proactive legislative action, this radical transformation of states' charter sectors could be fully imposed within two years. Appendix

Review of The Economic Impact from Colorado's Choice to Participate in the "Education Freedom Tax Credit" Provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Publication Date

May 21, 2026

Authors

Thomas Young and Jimena Sanchez; Joydeep Roy, Teachers College, Columbia University

Research Areas

School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The Common Sense Institute recently published a report declaring large potential benefits of the federal education tax-credit voucher program created through President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. However, the report's claims about the improvements the program would create for Colorado are unlikely to materialize.

Review of Beyond Race: What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap

Publication Date

May 12, 2026

Authors

Will Flanders; Jaekyung Lee, University at Buffalo

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) highlights stark achievement gaps between White and Black students in Wisconsin, particularly in elementary-level English language arts and reading. While the report deserves credit for bringing attention to this important issue, its analysis is incomplete and misleading.

Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance

Publication Date

April 21, 2026

Authors

Derek Gottlieb

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

The first year of the second Trump administration has seen a radical break from six decades of federal education policy, discarding the longstanding vision of equal access and human capital development in favor of a new, and as yet undefined, approach to American educational governance. In a new policy brief, Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance, Dr. Derek Gottlieb, a leading scholar of education policy, examines the educational purposes that administration officials have publicly articulated across a variety of platforms, along with the actions that the federal government has taken over the past year to achieve its goals.

Review of Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict

Publication Date

March 26, 2026

Authors

David M. Houston and Michael T. Hartney; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Fordham Institute report surveys more than 5,000 school board members across over 3,000 districts, finding they are disproportionately White, college educated, and often current or former teachers, with politics and beliefs that largely mirror both the U.S. public and their local communities.

The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment

Publication Date

March 3, 2026

Authors

Huriya Jabbar, Huriya Jabbar and Daniel Espinoza of the University of Southern California; Daniel Espinoza, University of Southern California

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Critiques of public education have intensified in recent years. While public schools do indeed have real areas in need of growth and improvement, many of today’s attacks are generated and amplified by organizations seeking to manufacture crises. These narratives often ignore counterevidence, and they use deceptive language to portray the system as broadly failing, even hopeless. To examine these destructive critiques, Huriya Jabbar and Daniel Espinoza of the University of Southern California authored a policy brief, The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment, released today by NEPC. The brief identifies five core narratives used to portray a failing education system: claims of underachievement, inefficiency, inequality, lack of school choice, and indoctrination.

Review of Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation

Publication Date

January 29, 2026

Authors

Christopher Cleveland, Brown University; Joshua Almes, Brown University

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent New America report argues that states can advance educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. While the analysis has some methodological limitations, it offers policymakers a useful framework for understanding how existing district lines shape unequal access to resources.

Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States

Publication Date

November 4, 2025

Authors

Kevin Burke, University of Georgia; Heidi Hadley, Auburn University

Research Areas

Curriculum & Instruction; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

American public education faces an escalating challenge: the rise of Christian nationalism. This movement entwines politics and religion, insisting the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed by rigid hierarchies under the Christian God. A new policy brief explores the political and ideological effects this movement has on education policy.

Fit for Purpose? How Today’s Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education

Publication Date

September 25, 2025

Authors

Faith Boninger, University of Colorado Boulder; T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University

Research Areas

Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

A new policy brief, Fit for Purpose? How Today's Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education, by Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder and T. Philip Nichols of Baylor University, reviews research examining key pedagogical, logistical, and ethical implications of ed tech platforms for schools. The brief's analysis of these implications leads to recommendations for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers on how to govern its use.

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place? Disentangling the Intersections of Student Behavior, School Discipline, and School Safety in the Post-COVID Era

Publication Date

May 20, 2025

Authors

Richard O. Welsh, Vanderbilt University; Kathryn James McGraw, Vanderbilt University

Research Areas

School Climate & Student Support; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

A new policy brief addresses growing concerns about student behavior, educators' perceptions of that behavior, and the management of perceived misbehavior in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues, already urgent before the pandemic, have intensified as schools contend with increased need, trauma, and behavioral challenges.

California Class Sizes Matter

Publication Date

May 2, 2025

Authors

Great Lakes Center

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Smaller class sizes are essential for our public school educators to do their jobs and provide every student with the individual attention they need to succeed. Yet the educator-to-student ratio continues to increase nationwide as educators are continually asked to do more with less.

Review of The Persistence of Religious Discrimination in Publicly Funded Pre-K Programs

Publication Date

May 1, 2025

Authors

Nicole Stelle Garnett, Tim Rosenberger, and J. Theodore Austin; Joshua Weishart, Suffolk University Law School

Research Areas

Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent report from the Manhattan Institute asserts that many religious pre-K providers are being unconstitutionally excluded from publicly funded education programs that remain open to other private schools. But incomplete research and methodological flaws render the report of relatively little value to policymakers or the public.

The Mounting Trouble with Education Savings Accounts

Publication Date

April 17, 2025

Authors

Samuel E. Abrams, Director of NEPC's International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

In NEPC's new policy brief, The Mounting Trouble with Education Savings Accounts, author Samuel E. Abrams, the director of NEPC's International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization, examines this surge in universal ESAs. Abrams describes their origins, rapid growth, and implications for accountability, equity, public school funding, and civic life.

Review of Thousands Served: Students with Disabilities in Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Programs

Publication Date

April 8, 2025

Authors

School Choice Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty; Maria M. Lewis, Pennsylvania State University; Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

Scholars, advocates, and policymakers have long expressed the concern that many private schools receiving taxpayer subsidies through voucher programs would fail to serve children with disabilities. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, in collaboration with School Choice Wisconsin, recent published a report challenging those concerns.

Review of Making the Grade: Accounting for Course Selection in High School Transcripts with Item Response Theory

Publication Date

March 25, 2025

Authors

Kenneth A. Shores and Sanford R. Student; Michael Russell, Boston College

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; General / Needs Review; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The role of standardized test scores in college admissions is evolving, with many institutions shifting away from the SAT and ACT. In their absence, high school GPA has become the primary indicator of college readiness, though it doesn't account for course difficulty. A new Annenberg Institute report introduces "Transcript Strength," a measure designed to adjust GPA based on course rigor. While promising, the report acknowledges the approach requires further research and development.

Let's Stop Asking Whether Teachers Are Professionals. Let's Ask What Kinds of Professionals We Want Teachers to Be

Publication Date

March 11, 2025

Authors

Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University; A. Lin Goodwin, Boston College

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

A professionalized teaching workforce is key to strong educational opportunities, improved student outcomes, and broader societal benefits. However, recent policies aimed at improving teacher quality have had unintended consequences-eroding teacher autonomy, increasing workload, standardizing curriculum and assessment, and fostering public distrust. In NEPC's new policy brief, Let's Stop Asking Whether Teachers Are Professionals. Let's Ask What Kinds of Professionals We Want Teachers to Be, authors Emilie Mitescu Reagan of Claremont Graduate University and A. Lin Goodwin of Boston College examine the ongoing evolution of teachers' professional status. The brief explores how educators can navigate the constantly shifting societal perceptions of their profession.

Review of Think Again: Are Education Programs for High Achievers Inherently Inequitable?

Publication Date

February 4, 2025

Authors

Brandon L. Wright; Margaret Thornton, Rowan University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Fordham Institute report analyzes several perceived threats to educational opportunities for students who score well on standardized tests and class grades. It contends that these threats come from those who are overly concerned about "equity" and who seek to undermine programs designed for these high-achieving students.

Review of Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era

Publication Date

January 28, 2025

Authors

Sofoklis Goulas; Sally A. Nuamah, Northwestern University

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Fordham Institute report argues that post-pandemic enrollment declines will inevitably force districts to make the controversial decision to close some schools. Embracing this possibility, it provides dual criteria of substantial declines in enrollment and chronic low performance as indicators of which schools should be closed first, naming nearly 500 specific schools that meet the criteria.

Review of School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway?

Publication Date

December 10, 2024

Authors

Jay Carter and Leonardo Restrepo; James Noonan, Salem State University

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Urban Institute report examines proposed legislation in North Carolina that would add a "proportionality score" to the state accountability system, measuring how closely a school’s racial demographics match those of the surrounding county. James Noonan of Salem State University reviewed School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? and found it to be logical but somewhat under-explained.

Review of Searching for the Tipping Point: Scaling up Public School Choice Spurs Citywide Gains

Publication Date

December 3, 2024

Authors

Tressa Pankovits; David R. Garcia, Arizona State University

Research Areas

Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

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.

Review of Reassessing ESSA Implementation: An Equity Analysis of School Accountability Systems

Publication Date

November 20, 2024

Authors

Nicholas Munyan-Penney, Abigail Jones, and Shayna Levitan; Derek Gottlieb, University of Northern Colorado

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

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).

How Can States Make School Voucher Systems More Accountable, Accessible, and Transparent?

Publication Date

October 3, 2024

Authors

Joshua Cowen and Ryan D. Nowak, Michigan State University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

In a new NEPC policy brief, How Can States Make School Voucher Systems More Accountable, Accessible, and Transparent?, Joshua Cowen and Ryan D. Nowak of Michigan State University summarize the research evidence about vouchers and consider how existing program can be improved. They identify three areas of policy design—accountability, access, and transparency—that are especially important for student success and a good-faith use of public funding.

Review of Ohio Charter Schools After the Pandemic: Are Their Students Still Learning More Than They Would in District Schools?

Publication Date

September 24, 2024

Authors

Stephane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Fordham Institute report contends that the state's charter schools have outperformed traditional public schools and implies that they merit continued or expanded state investment.

Review of Did the Emergence of Ohio Charter Schools Help or Harm Students Who Remained in District Schools?

Publication Date

June 20, 2024

Authors

Stéphane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas

Research Areas

Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

Legislatures across the United States continue to pass policies to add or expand school choice. Within this context, the Fordham Institute, an advocate of school choice expansion, has published a report asserting that charter schools have not negatively affected students in traditional public schools. However, a review of this report finds that though it could contribute to the conversation, its conclusions are highly misleading.

Review of The Reality of Switchers

Publication Date

May 2, 2024

Authors

Martin F. Lueken; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A new report from the voucher-advocacy group EdChoice takes issue with the overwhelming evidence establishing that most users of vouchers under recent expansions of these policies have never attended public schools.

Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good

Publication Date

March 5, 2024

Authors

Ben Williamson, University of Edinburgh; Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder; Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder

Research Areas

Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

A new NEPC policy brief, Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good, warns of the dangers of unregulated AI in schools, highlighting democracy and privacy concerns. Authors Ben Williamson of the University of Edinburgh, and Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger of the University of Colorado Boulder, examine the evidence and conclude that the proliferation of AI in schools jeopardizes democratic values and personal freedoms.

The Potential for Land Use and Housing Reform to Address School Segregation and Educational Opportunity

Publication Date

February 13, 2024

Authors

Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Virginia Commonwealth University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Housing, land use, and zoning policies are often siloed in such a way that they are considered and addressed separately from school segregation and students' opportunities to learn. But these policy areas can interact in powerful ways. Professor Genevieve Siegel-Hawley of Virginia Commonwealth University explores how in a new NEPC policy brief, The Potential for Land Use and Housing Reform to Address School Segregation and Educational Opportunity, in which she examines the potential of housing and land use policy reform to address school segregation. Professor Siegel-Hawley describes the key role that has been played by discriminatory land use planning and zoning regulations. These laws contributed to the unequal wealth distribution currently afflicting the nation, and those inequities-as well as those laws themselves-now shape access to an array of public goods, including schools. Neighborhood-based school assignment creates a direct link between segregated housing and segregated schools. More positively, zoning initiatives in recent years have proliferated to roll back the use of land for exclusionary purposes, with important implications for schools.

The Conflict Over Parents' Rights

Publication Date

January 16, 2024

Authors

Vivian Hamilton, William & Mary Law School

Research Areas

Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

A vocal minority of parents has, over the past couple years, invoked the idea of "parents rights" to demand curricular and policy changes that affect not only their own children, but all children within reach of those changes. These parents have, for example, sought to alter history curricula on slavery and race, to dictate how (and whether) schools teach about sexual orientation and gender identity, to remove books in school library collections, and to set school policies relating to transgender students. Interestingly, the most vocal parents taking part in campaigns for parents’ rights tend to see themselves as standing against the state and its schools, instead of standing inside a democratic community that strives for inclusive participation, informed inquiry, and respectful deliberation among the members of the community. In a new NEPC policy brief, The Conflict Over Parents' Rights, Professor Vivian Hamilton of William & Mary Law School details the politicization of parents’ rights and specific rights and responsibilities of various stakeholders, and she explains how competing rights of parents and schools can be reasonably aligned in practice.

How Discriminatory Censorship Laws Imperil Public Education

Publication Date

November 30, 2023

Authors

Jonathan Feingold, Boston University School of Law; Joshua Weishart, West Virginia University College of Law

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Among the most alarming repercussions has been the adoption of "discriminatory censorship laws" that attempt to discredit and prevent classroom conversations about racism, gender identity, and other targeted topics. In How Discriminatory Censorship Laws Imperil Public Education, Jonathan Feingold (Boston University School of Law) and Joshua Weishart (West Virginia University College of Law) explore the spread and impact of these laws, observing that-although their language, prohibitions, and penalties vary-all further two common aims: to demean inclusionary values and to deny students access to critical thinking, inquiry, and knowledge about racism, gender identity and other targeted topics.

Review of Small Class Sizes for Improving Student Achievement in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review

Publication Date

November 21, 2023

Authors

Trine Filges, Christoffer Scavenius Sonne-Schmidt, and Bjørn Christian Viinholt Nielsen; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A 2018 report from Campbell Collaboration, analyzing research literature estimating the impact of class size reduction on reading and math achievement, has recently been gaining renewed attention, thanks in part to a Washington Post piece by Michael Bloomberg.

Review of Integrating Housing and Education Solutions to Reduce Segregation and Drive School Equity and When Good Parents Go to Jail: The Criminalization of Address Sharing in Public Education

Publication Date

November 14, 2023

Authors

Megan Gallagher, Rachel Lamb, Alexa Kort, and James Carter | Tim DeRoche, Hailly T.N. Korman, and Harold Hinds; Andrene J. Castro, Virginia Commonwealth University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The first report, Integrating Housing and Education Solutions to Reduce Segregation and Drive School Equity, specifically focuses on inequitable school resources and educational outcomes tied to residential and school segregation. The second report, When Good Parents Go to Jail: The Criminalization of Address Sharing in Public Education, similarly locates school and residential boundaries as drivers of educational inequities.

Review of Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit: Economic Analysis

Publication Date

September 26, 2023

Authors

Greg S. Griffin and Lisa Kieffer; David Knight, University of Washington

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts examines the monetary costs and benefits of the state's Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (QEEC), a voucher policy that provides a public subsidy for families to pay for private school tuition. A review of the report, however, contradicts its claim that the policy provides a net fiscal benefit to the state budget.

Review of Think Again: Is Education Funding in America Still Unequal?

Publication Date

September 5, 2023

Authors

Adam Tyner; Bruce Baker, University of Miami

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute recently released a report claiming that the problems of inequality and inadequacy of public school funding have largely been solved. This is incorrect, according to a review of the report.

Section 504 Plans: Examining Inequitable Access and Misuse

Publication Date

June 8, 2023

Authors

Maria M. Lewis, Pennsylvania State University; Raquel Muñiz, Boston College

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

In a policy brief released today by NEPC, Section 504 Plans: Examining Inequitable Access and Misuse, Maria M. Lewis of Penn State University and Raquel Muñiz of Boston College present research and emerging trends that should inform policymaking around Section 504.

Review of School Choice Is Not Enough: The Impact of Critical Social Justice Ideology in American Education

Publication Date

May 2, 2023

Authors

Zach Goldberg and Eric Kaufmann; Christine Sleeter, California State University Monterey Bay; David Garcia, Arizona State University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent report from the Manhattan Institute presents results of a survey of U.S. adults aged 18-20 to determine the extent to which eight concepts the report equates with what it calls "critical social justice" (CSJ) theory-which the report frowns upon-are taught in schools. The first of the eight concepts, for instance, is, "America is a systemically racist society."

Review of Assessing the National Landscape of Capital Expenditures for Public School Districts

Publication Date

April 20, 2023

Authors

Kristin Blagg, Fanny Terrones, and Victoria Nelson; Jeffrey M. Vincent, University of California, Berkeley

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The report relies primarily on school district annual capital outlay data reported in the U.S. Department of Education's Common Core of Data. It also examines which state policies may promote more progressive investment patterns. Confirming other studies, the report finds that school district capital expenditures vary from year to year and from state to state, that each state has a unique approach and mix of policies governing state support for local capital outlay, and that capital outlay is rarely equal or progressive. The report also finds that states with policies that aim to equalize capital spending are more likely to provide capital outlays for students from low-income backgrounds that are equal to or greater than outlays in wealthier communities.

Consumer-Oriented School Rating Systems and Their Implications for Educational Equity

Publication Date

April 13, 2023

Authors

Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University

Research Areas

School Funding; Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Professor Powers describes the growing evidence base about these rating systems, their purpose purportedly being to help families navigate increasingly complex school choice options. One consistent research finding is that schools’ ratings, or the measures that comprise school ratings, are associated with schools’ demographic characteristics, such as students’ race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The association between ratings and demographics is stronger for status metrics (or measures of a school’s performance at a specific moment in time) and weaker but still influential for growth metrics (or measures of a school’s performance trends over time). Status metrics tend to generate lower ratings for racially diverse schools, while growth metrics tend to generate higher ratings for them. School demographics also shape the way parents and other stakeholders respond to surveys or provide descriptive comments about schools.

Review of The Economic Cost of the Pandemic: State by State

Publication Date

March 7, 2023

Authors

Eric A. Hanushek; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York

Research Areas

School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Hoover Institution report by Eric Hanushek presents a calculation of the future learning-related economic burden resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. It projects a large and persistent economic loss by using a set of assumptions about the link between reduced student achievement levels and earnings, but in doing so fails to consider several factors.

Review of K-12 Without Borders: Public School Students, Families, and Teachers Shut In by Education Boundaries

Publication Date

March 2, 2023

Authors

Martin F. Lueken and Michael Q. McShane; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University; T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent report from the directors of EdChoice, published by the Manhattan Institute, oversimplifies important equity issues as problems of school zone boundaries.

Review of The Ohio EdChoice Program’s Impact on School District Enrollments, Finances, and Academics

Publication Date

February 21, 2023

Authors

Stéphane Lavertu and John J. Gregg; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University

Research Areas

School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers the impacts of vouchers as related to competition in Ohio public schools, increased racial segregation, and local district financial resources. It presents these three issues as the chief concerns of voucher critics and finds few harmful impacts.

Review of Equal Is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Equity Across the U.S. and Within Each State | Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts

Publication Date

February 14, 2023

Authors

Ivy Morgan | Indira Dammu, Bonnie O'Keefe, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Bruce Baker, University of Miami

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The Education Trust report, Equal is Not Good Enough and an accompanying piece, Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts, evaluate district revenue and school spending per pupil with respect to poverty, race, and language status. They focus on the extent to which states and local districts target sufficient resources fairly to these subgroups of students. They clearly lay out consistent evaluation criteria and conceptual framing, apply appropriate empirical methods with that framing, and provide data visualizations for understanding whether and to what extent states and local districts provide equitable school funding.

Review of Off Track: An Assessment of Wisconsin's Early Care and Learning System for Young Children

Publication Date

January 31, 2023

Authors

Angela Rachidi; W. Steven Barnett, Rutgers University

Research Areas

Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The Badger report presents data on trends in Wisconsin's ECE system. It then identifies government regulations-particularly those focused on improving teacher-child interactions--as a problem, concluding that those regulations have limited supply, decreased parental choice in providers, and increased costs. Its recommendations include reducing continuous improvement efforts focused on quality while increasing performance accountability (aka testing burdens), consolidating state agencies, and increasing parental control over use of government childcare subsidies.

Review of Empowering Parents with School Choice Reduces Wokeism in Education

Publication Date

January 24, 2023

Authors

Jay P. Greene and Ian S. Kingsbury; Christine Sleeter, California State University Monterey Bay; and T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

In one of the more unusual reports NEPC has ever reviewed, Heritage Foundation authors recently argued for school-choice deregulation by comparing the amount of "wokeness" terminology in parent/student handbooks in U.S. charter schools with the level of charter school regulation in their states. The Heritage report finds that increased manifestations of "woke" terminology are associated with higher state levels of charter school regulation. On this basis, the report concludes that while charter schools represent a safe space away from "woke indoctrination" in public schools, further deregulation and less bureaucracy will allow the charter sector to truly respond to parent desires to avoid "leftist" curriculum.

Improving Trauma-Informed Education: Responding to Student Adversity With Equity-Centered, Systemic Support

Publication Date

November 15, 2022

Authors

Stacy Gherardi, New Mexico State University

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Talking about education in the United States without talking about trauma has become increasingly difficult. Today’s youth suffer through challenges on multiple fronts, going far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and its related social and educational fallout. Children experience trauma because of social conditions such as poverty, homelessness, family separation related to immigration, and increasingly frequent school shootings and community violence.

Review of Some Assembly Required: How a More Flexible Learning Ecosystem Can Better Serve All Kids and Unlock Innovation

Publication Date

November 8, 2022

Authors

Juliet Squire and Alex Spurrier; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A report from Bellwether details what its authors call "assembly-based education," a concept described as a hypothetical ecosystem that removes schools as a central education component. A review of the report exposes this concept as unworkable outside of a miraculous private marketplace, and thus a shortsighted attempt to invalidate public schools.

Pandemic Educational Models Remain Unproven

Publication Date

October 18, 2022

Authors

Christopher Doss, Elizabeth Steiner, Bryan C. Hassel; Bryan Mann of the University of Kansas

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

In response to unsafe conditions and school closures, families across the U.S. experimented early in the COVID-19 pandemic with new educational models. Two recent publications from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) describe two related strategies that exemplify such experimentation: microschools and learning pods. However, a review recommends that neither report should be used to guide policy and practice.

A Civil Rights Framework for the Reauthorization of ESEA

Publication Date

October 11, 2022

Authors

Elizabeth DeBray, University of Georgia; Kara S. Finnigan, University of Michigan; Janel George, Georgetown University Law Center; and Janelle Scott, University of California-Berkeley.

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Funding

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Brief presents a framework for federal policymakers to ground the law in an evidence-based, equitable, and ecological approach centered on sustained educational equality of opportunity.

State Accountability Rating Systems: A Review of School Report Cards as Indicators of School Quality

Publication Date

June 22, 2022

Authors

Gail L. Sunderman, University of Maryland

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 provided states with slightly more flexibility in the design of their school accountability systems. However, while states may take different approaches to measuring and reporting school performance, they have consistently chosen approaches of public reporting that collapse multiple school performance indicators into a summative rating. In a new NEPC policy brief, State Accountability Rating Systems: A Review of School Report Cards as Indicators of School Quality, Gail L. Sunderman, co-founder and former director of the Maryland Equity Project at the University of Maryland, discusses the difficulties that arise when state's school report cards use this summative-rating approach.

Review of Addressing Teacher Shortages: Practical Ideas for the Pandemic and Beyond

Publication Date

May 24, 2022

Authors

Ben DeGrow; Ed Fuller, Penn State University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Teacher Workforce

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

In response to Covid-related teacher shortages, the TNTP think tank (formerly “The New Teacher Project”) released a report with recommendations for district leaders in crafting short- and long-term teacher staffing plans.

Review of Find Documenting Inequitable Patterns in Spending by Parent Teacher Associations, Parent Teacher Organizations, and “Friends of” Fundraising Groups at Illinois Public Schools

Publication Date

March 29, 2022

Authors

Claire Mackevicius; Maia Cucchiara,Temple University

Research Areas

School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Urban Institute report analyzing the role of Parent Teacher Organizations and similar groups in Illinois echoes and amplifies the existing critique of private fundraising: that it exacerbates inequitable school funding.

Transgender Students and Policy in K-12 Public Schools: Acknowledging Historical Harms and Taking Steps Toward a Promising Future,

Publication Date

March 23, 2022

Authors

Elizabeth J. Meyer and Bethy Leonardi of the University of Colorado Boulder, and Harper B. Keenan of University of British Columbia

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Transgender and nonbinary (collectively referred to here as “trans”) students are ill-served by most school environments. They experience challenges trying to navigate institutions that, at best, are poorly designed to support them and that often work against them. Although some districts and states have developed laws and policies to improve students’ experiences, many are either ill-conceived, ineffectively implemented, or reinforce restrictive and inflexible structures regulating gender.

Review of Representation of Social Groups in U.S. Educational Materials and Why It Matters

Publication Date

February 8, 2022

Authors

Amanda LaTasha Armstrong; Christine Sleeter, California State University, Monterey Bay

Research Areas

Curriculum & Instruction; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

New America recently released a report about the value of culturally relevant curriculum in schools. According to a new review, the report is timely and helpful, although some limitations in its analysis weaken an otherwise valid exploration of how to address long-standing issues of racial and gender justice.

Review of Equity Elementary: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Staff in Public Schools

Publication Date

January 25, 2022

Authors

Jay P. Greene and James D. Paul; Edward García Fierros, Villanova University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Heritage Foundation report objects to the increasing number of Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) emerging on public school districts’ administrative teams, but it appears to be supporting a conservative agenda rather than guiding policy related to student achievement gaps.

Review of How to Regulate Critical Race Theory in Schools: A Primer and Model Legislation

Publication Date

December 14, 2021

Authors

James Copland; Kevin D. Brown, Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The Manhattan Institute recently released a report that manufactures a case against Critical Race Theory (CRT), building on a foundation of right-wing talking points. The report offers model legislation as a tool for countering schools’ purported CRT-inspired indoctrination. It contends that CRT is the foundation of a widespread effort by public schools to forcibly indoctrinate students and teaching staff to support an anti-conservative, anti-civil rights, anti-White, and anti-American agenda. However, as Professor Brown explains, the report’s errant conclusions were derived from misleading anecdotal evidence and a misrepresentation of important literature.

Review of Suspended Reality: The Impact of Suspension Policy on Student Safety

Publication Date

December 7, 2021

Authors

Will Flanders and Ameillia Wedward; Kathryn E. Wiley, University of Colorado Boulder; Kate Somerville, University of Colorado Boulder

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Climate & Student Support

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) report suggests a relationship between school suspension rates and some students' perceptions of safety in Milwaukee schools. Its conclusion-which was examined in a new review-claims a causal chain that begins with unpunished misconduct in schools and ends with disruptive classroom environments that harm primarily African American students.

The Economic Burden of Racism from the U.S. Education System

Publication Date

June 10, 2021

Authors

Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

The brief, authored by Clive Belfield of Queens College, City University of New York, explores this economic burden, asking what level of resources-not just direct money outlays but also time and effort that must be ultimately be paid for in some way-is lost because of racial discrimination.

Review of Capitalism in the 1619 Project

Publication Date

March 23, 2021

Authors

Samuel Gregg; Seth Rockman, Brown University

Research Areas

School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

Recently, the Heritage Foundation published a report, Capitalism in the 1619 Project, seeking to disqualify the 1619 Project curricular materials as insufficiently celebratory of American capitalism. The report primarily asserts that the 1619 Project overstates slavery’s importance to U.S. economic history.

The (Mis)Treatment and (Non)Education of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the United States

Publication Date

March 8, 2021

Authors

Ruth M. López, University of Houston

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; General / Needs Review; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Beginning in 2014, an increasing number of children from northern Central American countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) and Mexico, fleeing violence and poverty in their countries, have arrived and been apprehended at the U.S. border. Many of these children are unaccompanied or became so upon separation from a parent or another adult. NEPC is releasing today a policy brief addressing the education of these unaccompanied immigrant children (UICs), including their experiences prior to, during, and after apprehension at the border. The (Mis)Treatment and (Non)Education of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the United States is authored by University of Houston assistant professor Ruth M. López.

Review of Language Counts: Supporting Early Math Development for Dual Language Learners

Publication Date

March 2, 2021

Authors

Brandon Lewis, Melissa Steel King, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis, University of New Mexico

Research Areas

General / Needs Review; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

Bellwether Education Partners recently published a report that establishes the need to focus on the mathematics education of young Dual Language Learners (DLLs). The report provides a useful resource for policymakers and practitioners.

Rethinking 'Innovation Schools': Strengths and Limitations of AutonomyBased School Improvement Plans in Contexts of Widening Racial Inequality

Publication Date

October 27, 2020

Authors

Terrenda White and Anna Noble, University of Colorado Boulder

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

School districts around the country have launched new reform strategies that are designed to expand autonomy for public schools. Often called "Innovation Schools," these state- and local-level plans create more autonomous schools, granting school leaders greater amounts of authority over school operations such as curriculum, budgeting, and hiring, while districts continue to manage services related to teacher payroll and benefits.

We All Want More Teachers of Color, Right?: Concerns and Considerations about the Emergent Consensus

Publication Date

July 21, 2020

Authors

Thomas M. Philip, University of California, Berkeley; Anthony L. Brown, University of Texas at Austin

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Teacher Workforce

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

The brief, titled, We All Want More Teachers of Color, Right?: Concerns and Considerations about the Emergent Consensus, explores the question, "How might we acknowledge and work toward the important task of diversifying the educator workforce while maintaining a healthy skepticism about the confluence of actors with their differing motivations who are promoting the diversification of the teaching profession?" The brief's authors – Thomas M. Philip of the University of California, Berkeley and Anthony L. Brown of the University of Texas at Austin – caution in particular against the "no excuses" school model, where teachers of color must try to satisfy irreconcilable demands focused on extreme accountability on one hand and commitments for cultural relevance and justice on the other.

Review of Comparing Ed Reforms: Assessing the Experimental Research on Nine K-12 Education Reforms

Publication Date

May 26, 2020

Authors

Paul DiPerna; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University

Research Areas

Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; Early Childhood; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A recent report from EdChoice, working with Hanover Research, identifies and reviews studies that use Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) to determine student achievement or educational attainment outcomes of nine broad "education reform" areas.

The Starts and Stumbles of Restorative Justice in Education: Where Do We Go from Here?

Publication Date

January 14, 2020

Authors

Anne Gregory, Ph.D., Rutgers University, Katherine R. Evans, Ph.D., Eastern Mennonite University

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; School Climate & Student Support

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Schools are implementing Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) initiatives across the United States, often to reduce the use of out-of-school suspension, which is known to increase the risk for dropout and arrest. Many RJE initiatives also aim to strengthen social and emotional competencies, reduce gender and racial disparities in discipline, and increase access to equitable and supportive environments for students from marginalized groups. Yet whether these benefits emerge depends on whether the reforms are well implemented.

Report on Academic Progress Is a Worthwhile Conversation Starter

Publication Date

November 26, 2019

Authors

Michael J. Petrilli; Jaekyung Lee, University at Buffalo, SUNY

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

The Fordham Institute recently released a report highlighting the academic progress of Black and Hispanic groups over the past two decades at the elementary school level on the NAEP exam. From this, the report offers the major claim, based on its author’s eyeball test, that the academic progress of students of color is attributable “mostly” to poverty reduction. The report, however, also acknowledges that correlation is not causation and calls for systematic statistical analysis to test the author’s proposition.

Segregation, Race, and Charter Schools: What Do We Know?

Publication Date

December 19, 2016

Authors

Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst, Richard V. Reeves, Edward Rodriguez; Erica Frankenberg, Penn State University College of Education

Research Areas

Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A report from the Center on Children and Families at Brookings attempted to compare various research findings on school segregation with a focus on expanding urban charter schools. The report argued that school quality is the primary determinant of student achievement, and that instead of addressing school segregation, policy should focus on improving the schools that students of color and low-income students attend.

Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – The Effectiveness of Class Size Reduction

Publication Date

June 21, 2016

Authors

William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

In The Effectiveness of Class Size Reduction, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, addresses why class size matters. According to Mathis, smaller class sizes improve student outcomes, especially for low-income and minority children.

Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – The Purpose of Education: Truing the Balance Wheel

Publication Date

June 2, 2016

Authors

William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

In The Purpose of Education: Truing the Balance Wheel, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, discusses what it would take for Horace Mann’s ideal of education as the “great equalizer of the conditions of men” to become a reality. Mann proclaimed that education was the bedrock of democracy and that it had the potential to serve as a “balance wheel of social machinery.” Mathis recommends that in order to true the balance wheel (as Mann desired), both in-school and out-of-school factors need to be addressed.

Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Do Choice Policies Segregate Schools?

Publication Date

March 31, 2016

Authors

William Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder

Research Areas

Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Despite advocates advancing the notion that integration can be promoted by increased school choice, a new brief considers the research evidence of those policies. The concise brief concludes that while choice policies may be designed and implemented in ways intended to advance integration; the result has been increased stratification. The National Education Policy Center published the brief with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice.

The Integration Anomaly: Comparing the Effects of K-12 Education Delivery Models on Segregation in Schools

Publication Date

January 5, 2016

Authors

Benjamin Scafidi; Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Virginia Commonwealth University; & Erica Frankenberg, Penn State University

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

A report from the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice claimed that universal school choice offers a solution to increasing school segregation. The report argued that competition unleashed by unrestricted school choice would promote integration. The report suggested that housing integration has not been an effective way to pursue school integration, and it concludes with recommendations for how to structure school choice to achieve integration.

Diverse Housing, Diverse Schooling: How Policy Can Stabilize Racial Demographic Change in Cities and Suburbs

Publication Date

December 15, 2015

Authors

Amy Stuart Wells, Teachers College Columbia University

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

Throughout history, a child’s zip code has determined their educational opportunities, due to the tight relationship between racially segregated and unequal housing and schools. Research has revealed that racial inequality in American housing and schools is sustained by an iterative relationship between intangible and tangible factors in the housing-school choice process. According to a brief by Amy Stuart Wells, Teachers College, the nation may now have the ideal opportunity to address this housing-school nexus.

Does Class Size Matter?

Publication Date

February 18, 2014

Authors

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Northwestern University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

In a new policy brief, professor Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach points out that class size reduction is an important determinant of student outcomes, one that can be directly determined by policy. Schanzenbach indicates that the evidence suggests that increasing class size will not only harm children’s test scores in the short run, but also their long-run human capital formation. “Money saved today by increasing class sizes will result in more substantial social and educational costs in the future.” Furthermore, Schanzenbach finds that the pay-off from class-size reduction is greater for low-income and minority children. Increases to class-size for those populations will likely be harmful.

Class Size: What Research Says and What It Means for State Policy

Publication Date

June 16, 2011

Authors

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Northwestern University

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

This report argues that schools can save money by increasing class sizes without seriously affecting student achievement.

Closing the Racial Achievement Gap: Learning from Florida's Reforms

Publication Date

November 30, 2010

Authors

Madhabi Chatterji, Teachers College at Columbia University

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

This report contends that Florida's "far-reaching" education policies have caused test scores to increase and the achievement gap to narrow. In particular, the report focuses on fourth-grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

The Impact of a Universal Class-Size Reduction Policy: Evidence from Florida's Statewide Mandate

Publication Date

July 14, 2010

Authors

Jeremy D. Finn, The University of Buffalo- SUNY

Research Areas

Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

This report analyzes statewide achievement data for school districts in Florida and purports to find that Florida's constitutional amendment limiting class size, "had little, if any, effect on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes."

Urban School Decentralization and the Growth of "Portfolio Districts:"

Publication Date

June 2, 2010

Authors

Kenneth J. Saltman, DePaul University

Research Areas

Assessment & Accountability; Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education

Publication Type

Policy Brief

Summary

This policy brief focuses on the portfolio approach to school reform being used in an increasing number of large urban districts including New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. This approach has been promoted by education reform theorists and some in the Obama administration as a vital and necessary solution to the problems, especially, of urban districts despite the fact that it has unclear advantages, no proof of past success and known high costs.

Charter Schools in Eight States: Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration and Competition

Publication Date

May 27, 2009

Authors

Derek C. Briggs

Research Areas

Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights

Publication Type

Think Twice

Summary

This report on charter schools in eight states generally finds that charters have had only modest or insignificant effects on such things as student achievement, student attainment, integration and public school competition.