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Technology & AI
Review of A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect
Publication Date
March 12, 2026
Authors
Mary Burns, Rebecca Winthrop, Natasha Luther, Emma Venetis, and Rida Karim; William R. Penuel, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent Brookings Institution report synthesizes findings from a year-long study of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education, concluding that its potential harms to young people's learning and development currently outweigh its benefits.
Review of Productive Struggle: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Learning, Effort, and Youth Development in Education
Publication Date
October 21, 2025
Authors
Amy Chen Kulesa, Marisa Mission, Michelle Croft, and Mary K. Wells; Thomas M. Philip, University of California, Berkeley
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from Bellwether considers the role of generative AI (GenAI) in education, posing the question: When does the ease afforded by GenAI enable deeper learning, and when is ease merely a shortcut with hidden costs?
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.
Review of Learning Systems: Shaping the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education
Publication Date
November 26, 2024
Authors
Amy Chen Kulesa, Michelle Croft, Brian Robinson, Mary K. Wells, Andrew J. Rotherham, and John Bailey; T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent three-part report from Bellwether explores the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in K-12 education and offers recommendations for policymakers and practitioners to navigate this emerging landscape.
Review of Spark & Sustain: How All the World's School Systems Can Improve Learning at Scale
Publication Date
June 13, 2024
Authors
Jake Bryant, Felipe Child, Ezgi Demirdag, Emma Dorn, Stephen Hall, Kartik Jayaram, Charag Krishnan, Cheryl Lim, Emmy Liss, Kemi Onabanjo, Frédéric Panier, Juan Rebolledo, Jimmy Sarakatsannis, Doug; Clara Fontdevila, University of Glasgow; Antoni Verger, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; and Adrián Zancajo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
McKinsey & Company released a new global report on education that provides guidelines for policy reforms and governance strategies offered as promoting significant and sustained improvement in students’ learning outcomes. A review of the report, however, identified weaknesses likely to compromise the robustness of its conclusions.
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 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.
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2023
Publication Date
May 11, 2023
Authors
Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Shelby Hagle, Charisse Gulosino, Bryan Mann, Luis Huerta, Jennifer King Rice, Amanda Glover, and Kayla Bill
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2023 provides a scholarly analysis of the characteristics and performance of publicly funded K-12 virtual schools. It reviews the available research on virtual school practices, examines recent state legislative efforts, and provides policy recommendations.
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 For-Profit Charter Schools: An Evaluation of Their Spending and Outcomes
Publication Date
December 1, 2022
Authors
Stéphane Lavertu and Long Tran; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University
Research Areas
School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute examines academic outcomes in Ohio’s nonprofit and for-profit charter schools. It also explores whether differences in contracted services in for-profits appear to correlate with differences in their outcomes.
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.
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2021
Publication Date
May 6, 2021
Authors
Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Michael Barbour, Luis Huerta, and Jennifer King Rice
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2021 provides vital scholarly analyses of virtual schools at a time of increased enthusiasm for moving schooling online, nationally and internationally. The report examines the characteristics and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools. It also reviews the relevant available research related to virtual school practices, provides an overview of recent state legislative efforts to craft virtual school policy, and offers policy recommendations based on the available evidence.
Review of 2020 Teacher Prep Review: Clinical Practice and Classroom Management
Publication Date
March 16, 2021
Authors
Laura Pomerance and Kate Walsh; Jamy Stillman and Katherine Schultz, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The authors of the NCTQ report reviewed over 2,400 programs, including what NCTQ terms "traditional" and "alternative" programs in two areas: clinical practice and classroom management. Only 3% of traditional programs received the highest grade for their approaches to clinical practice, signaling their compliance with the internal standards set by NCTQ. Asserting that a "positive" environment is the product of classroom management, the report offers as a major conclusion that there was a 26% increase in the number of programs that taught five specific classroom management strategies
Review of Remote Learning Is Here to Stay
Publication Date
February 16, 2021
Authors
Heather L. Schwartz, David Grant, Melissa Diliberti, Gerald P. Hunter, and Claude Messan Setodji; David Garcia, Arizona State University
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The RAND Corporation recently released a report based on a national survey of school district superintendents and charter management organization (CMO) directors (or their designees) about their experiences navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Review of The Third Way: A Guide to Implementing Innovation Schools
Publication Date
January 21, 2021
Authors
Tressa Pankovits, David Osbourne; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Sarah Diem, University of Missouri
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Progressive Policy Institute recently published a "how-to" guide for entities such as charter management companies that seek to develop innovation schools in urban communities.
Review of Creating Strong Building Blocks for Every Student: How Middle Schools Can Lay the Foundation for Rigorous High School Pathways
Publication Date
December 8, 2020
Authors
Meg Benner and Scott Sargrad; Marisa Saunders, UCLA Center for Community Schooling, and Cynthia Estrada, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Community Schools
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Creating Strong Building Blocks for Every Student: How Middle Schools Can Lay the Foundation for Rigorous High School Pathways, a recent report from the Center of American Progress, offers a set of recommendations for middle school career and technical education (CTE) programs.
Review of Student Assessment During COVID-19
Publication Date
October 29, 2020
Authors
Laura Jimenez; Gene V Glass, San José State University, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Student Assessment During COVID-19, a recent report from the Center for American Progress (CAP), argues that there should be no waivers of the federally mandated administration of standardized tests in spring 2021.In its report, CAP sides with the Department of Education’s policy of denying requests for waivers, and it calls for additional assessments that “capture multiple aspects of student well-being, including social-emotional needs, engagement, and conditions for learning” as well as supplementary gathering of student information.
Review of: Making Next Year Count: Equity in School Accountability
Publication Date
October 15, 2020
Authors
Alex Spurrier, Chad Aldeman, Jennifer O'Neal Schiess, and Andrew J. Rotherham; Edward J. Fuller, Penn State University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The series correctly concludes that state accountability systems have not improved student achievement or closed achievement gaps over the last decade. Despite this conclusion, however, the series puzzlingly insists that state testing and accountability systems must be reinstated in 2020-21 and must focus on schools with the lowest performance levels.
Review of Special Education and Distance Learning: Supporting Students Through the Pandemic
Publication Date
September 17, 2020
Authors
Patricia Levesque; Elizabeth B. Kozleski, Stanford University
Research Areas
Technology & AI; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A brief published earlier this summer by ExcelinEd provides recommendations to education policy leaders for the delivery of special education services during the COVID-19 school closures.
Big Claims, Little Evidence, Lots of Money: The Reality Behind the Summit Learning Program and the Push to Adopt Digital Personalized Learning Programs
Publication Date
June 25, 2020
Authors
Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Christopher Saldaña, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Despite a lack of evidence that it is effective, the Summit Learning Program, propelled by a flood of Silicon Valley money, continues to spread.
Review of Financial Crisis Looming for K-12 Schools? Flexibility Needed, Not Bailouts
Publication Date
May 7, 2020
Authors
Jonathan Butcher; Jack Schneider, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Research Areas
Technology & AI; School Funding; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new report from the Heritage Foundation argues that public education special interest groups, particularly teachers' unions, are detrimentally promoting excessive federal relief for education. Such spending, the report suggests, will come at the immediate expense of priorities like national defense.
Review of Public-Private Virtual-School Partnerships and Federal Flexibility for Schools during COVID-19
Publication Date
April 7, 2020
Authors
Jonathan Butcher; Kevin Welner, CU Boulder
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new report from the Mercatus Center argues that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, education budgets should be reallocated toward investments in virtual schools. It describes the pandemic as presenting Americans with the opportunity to see the benefits of virtual schooling, which "could change education content delivery forever, making instruction more flexible and suited to the needs of each individual student."
Tracking and the Future of Career and Technical Education: How Efforts to Connect School and Work Can Avoid the Past Mistakes of Vocational Education
Publication Date
February 24, 2020
Authors
Emily Hodge, Montclair State University; Shaun Dougherty, Vanderbilt University; Dr. Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The brief examines the tension that has often arisen between the desire to link learning to post-high-school work and the desire to avoid low academic expectations for students perceived as unlikely to attend college. The brief’s authors explore the question of how schools might meaningfully support career exploration and preparation, while avoiding the tendency of prior vocational education to disproportionately sort students into distinct tracks by ethnic, racial, and/or socioeconomic characteristics.
Despite Serious Problems and a Lack of Research Support, Virtual Schools Continue to Spread as Policymakers Remain AWOL
Publication Date
May 29, 2019
Authors
Alex Molnar, Series Editor University of Colorado, Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2019
Publication Date
May 28, 2019
Authors
Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Najat Elgeberi, Michael K. Barbour, Luis A. Huerta, Sheryl Rankin Shafer, and Jennifer King Rice
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
As proponents continue to make the case that virtual education can expand student choices and improve the efficiency of public education, full-time virtual schools have attracted a great deal of attention. Advocates contend that this potential for individualization allows virtual schools to promote greater student achievement than can be realized in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. NEPC researchers found, however, that the research evidence does not support this claim. This three-part brief provides disinterested scholarly analyses of the characteristics and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools; reviews the relevant available research related to virtual school practices; provides an overview of recent state legislative efforts to craft virtual schools policy; and offers policy recommendations based on the available evidence.
How School Privatization Opens the Door for Discrimination
Publication Date
December 6, 2018
Authors
Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin Suzanne E. Eckes, Indiana University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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Hard Work and Soft Skills: The Attitudes, Abilities, and Character of Students in Career and Technical Education
Publication Date
June 14, 2018
Authors
Albert Cheng and Collin Hitt; James Rosenbaum
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new report from the American Enterprise Institute shows that students in Career and Technical Education programs demonstrate better outcomes than students with similar test scores in academic programs.
Full-Time Virtual and Blended Schools: Enrollment, Student Characteristics, and Performance
Publication Date
May 1, 2018
Authors
Gary Miron, Christopher Shank, & Caryn Davidson, Western Michigan University; and Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder.
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This report seeks to provide relevant evidence to inform and guide options that policy makers should consider as they work to address prevalent concerns about the country’s virtual and blended school sectors. The Full-Time Virtual and Blended Schools: Enrollment, Student Characteristics, and Performance report is the sixth in an annual series of research briefs on the fast-growing U.S. virtual school sector. This year’s report provides a comprehensive directory of the nation’s full-time virtual and blended learning providers. The report finds both virtual and blended schools have not been as successful as traditional public schools. Despite this lackluster performance, virtual school enrollment has continued to grow. The report found evidence suggesting that several factors are key to the poor performance of virtual schools, including large school sizes and large student-to-teacher ratios.
When Degree Programs for Pre-K Teachers Go Online: Challenges and Opportunities
Publication Date
January 18, 2018
Authors
Shayna Cook; Beth Graue and Erica Ramberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from New America sought to explore the impact of online degree programs for early childhood (EC) educators. The report argued that online degree programs had the potential to professionalize pre-K teachers. The report claimed that flexible online bachelor’s programs could facilitate degree completion, increase the overall quality of EC educators, and raise salaries for pre-K teachers.
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2017
Publication Date
April 11, 2017
Authors
Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Charisse Gulosino, Christopher Shank, Caryn Davidson, Michael K. Barbour, Luis A. Huerta, Sheryl Rankin Shafer, Jennifer King Rice, and David Nitkin
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In the five years since the first NEPC Annual Report on Virtual Education was released in 2013, virtual education continues to be a focal point for policymakers. Proponents argue that virtual education can expand student choices and improve the efficiency of public education. In particular, full-time virtual schools (also sometimes referred to as virtual charter schools, virtual academies, online schools or cyber schools) have attracted a great deal of attention. Many believe that online curriculum can be tailored to individual students more effectively than curriculum in traditional classrooms, giving it the potential to promote greater student achievement than can be realized in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Further, the promise of lower costs—primarily for instructional personnel and facilities—makes virtual schools financially appealing to both policymakers and for-profit providers. The 2017 NEPC Annual Report contributes to the existing evidence related to virtual education, and so to debates surrounding it. It provides objective analysis of the characteristics and performance of full-time, publicly funded K-12 virtual schools; available research on virtual school practices and policy; and an overview of recent state efforts to craft new policy.
Reimagining Learning: A Big Bet on the Future of American Education
Publication Date
March 7, 2017
Authors
Stacey Childress and Meghan Amrofell; Jeffrey W. Snyder, Cleveland State University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the NewSchools Venture Fund offered a thought experiment on how philanthropists can help accelerate efforts to reimagine school. It suggested that philanthropic investment should make a “big bet” on innovative models. It called for a total investment of $4 billion over 10 years through three key areas: (1) creating new schools and redesigning existing ones; (2) supporting targeted technology innovation; and (3) launching a campaign to foster understanding and demand for innovative education models.
Virtual Schools Report 2016: Directory and Performance Review
Publication Date
April 20, 2016
Authors
Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Charisse Gulosino, University of Memphis
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The Virtual Schools Report 2016: Directory and Performance Review report is the fourth in an annual series of research briefs on the fast-growing U.S. virtual school sector. This year’s report provides a comprehensive directory of the nation’s full-time virtual and blended learning providers. The report finds little research has examined the inner workings of these schools. Also, the report finds that students attending these schools differ from those in traditional public schools, and the school outcomes are consistently below traditional public schools.
Marshall Jean, University of Chicago
Publication Date
April 18, 2016
Authors
Rosa Pazhouh, Robin Lake, Larry Miller; Gary Miron, Western Michigan University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A study from the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), an organization that often advocates for charter schools, attempted to provide an in-depth analysis of policy features across the states that allow for online charter schools. The report concluded that online charter schools should use a separate regulatory framework than brick-and-mortar charter schools. The report is part of a series of three, which were sponsored by the Walton Foundation.
Increasing Education: What it Will and Will Not Do for Earnings and Earnings Inequality
Publication Date
May 18, 2015
Authors
Brad Hershbein, Melissa S. Kearney, and Lawrence H. Summers; Marvin Lazerson, Central European University and University of Pennsylvania; and Ryan Pfleger, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Technology & AI; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Hamilton Project sought to study how public investment in education will further long-term prosperity, economic growth, and individual economic security. The inquiry focused on whether or not a bachelor’s degree or higher education would increase economic prosperity and reduce economic inequality.
Virtual Schooling and Student Learning: Evidence from the Florida Virtual School
Publication Date
October 28, 2014
Authors
Matthew M. Chingos and Guido Schwerdt; Michael K. Barbour, Sacred Heart University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recently released paper from the Harvard Kennedy School attempted to compare the performance of students at the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) to students in traditional brick-and-mortar schools. The paper concluded that FLVS students performed about the same or somewhat better on state tests and at a lower cost.
Updating Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century
Publication Date
March 18, 2014
Authors
Kristen Nye Larson; Marisa Saunders and Jaime L. Del Razo, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent publication from the Lexington Institute makes the claim that schools are failing to unleash the potential of Career and Technical Education (CTE). The report claims that too many CTE programs offered by today's high schools are outdated and fail to produce 21st century workplace skills. The report showcased effective CTE models underway in the U.S. and suggests elements for replication in other schools. It identified three strategies for replication: (1) partnerships with businesses; (2) improved accountability measures; and (3) innovative curriculum options.
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2014: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence
Publication Date
March 4, 2014
Authors
Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder (editor) Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Luis Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland Michael Barbo
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Second annual virtual schools report cautions against unchecked expansion: As virtual education has become a focal point for policymakers interested in expanding educational choices and improving the efficiency of public education, virtual schools have attracted a great deal of attention. In 2013, the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, released the first of a planned series of annual reports on the policy issues that virtual schools raise, the available research evidence on K-12 virtual teaching and learning, and the performance of such virtual schools. The second report on virtual education in the U.S. is released today.
Determining Funding for Online Schools
Publication Date
October 15, 2013
Authors
Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Justin Bathon, University of Kentucky
Research Areas
School Funding; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
How much do online schools cost? A new brief investigates the funding of online education and virtual schools and provides a new, unified conceptual approach to funding online education. As supplemental online education and full-time virtual schools become more prominent in education, policymakers must address the key challenge of determining a fair and effective way to allocate funds for these institutions. Policymakers should develop new funding formulas based on the actual costs of operating virtual schools and link funding to accountability so cost-effectiveness can be determined. Bruce Baker of Rutgers University and Justin Bathon of the University of Kentucky provide tenets of a reformed online school financing system, designed to serve as a practical guide for state and local subsidies. Model legislation, based on their recommendations, is also provided.
Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2013: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence
Publication Date
May 2, 2013
Authors
Alex Molnar, University of Colorado Boulder (editor) Gary Miron, Western Michigan University Luis Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland Larry Cuban,
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Major virtual schools report uncovers underperforming schools: In the last decade, virtual schools have expanded rapidly although there is little data to support their growth. The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, released the first of a planned series of annual reports on the performance of virtual schools, the policy issues that virtual schools raise, and the available research evidence on virtual education. Authors urge policymakers to slow or stop the growth of these schools until more research is done and accountability measures can be put into place.
Teachers in the Digital Age of Digital Instruction: Creating sound policy for digital learning
Publication Date
April 3, 2012
Authors
Luis A. Huerta, Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Teachers in the Digital Age of Digital Instruction: Creating sound policy for digital learning
Overcoming the Governance Challenge in K-12 Online Learning
Publication Date
March 22, 2012
Authors
Michael K. Barbour, Wayne State University
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report provides steps to move the governance of K-12 online learning from the local level to the less restrictive state level and to create a free market for corporate innovation in K-12 online learning.
The Costs of Online Learning
Publication Date
March 6, 2012
Authors
Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland
Research Areas
School Funding; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report analyzes the cost drivers of virtual and blended-learning schools compared to traditional brick-and-mortar schools and determines that it's far cheaper for students to be education online.
Online K-12 Schooling in the U.S.: Uncertain Private Ventures in Need of Public Regulation
Publication Date
October 25, 2011
Authors
Gene V Glass and Kevin G. Welner (Policy Brief) Justin Bathon (Model Legislation)
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief focuses on virtual schooling, the fastest growing alternative to traditional K-12 education in the U.S.. The expansion in virtual schools (especially full-time virtual schools) is taking place despite the absence of any data on the effectiveness of full-time cyber programs and with little government oversight. The authors offer recommendations for state legislators and other policymakers. These recommendations are contained in model legislation which accompanies the policy brief.
Linking Learning to the 21st Century: Preparing All Students for College, Career, and Civic Participation
Publication Date
April 7, 2011
Authors
Marisa Saunders, UCLA, Institute for Democracy, Education and Access Christopher A. Chrisman, Holland & Hart LLP
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A strong " Linked Learning" curriculum is a way to prepare students for both college and careers while rejecting a tracking system that provides academic preparation for some students but only vocational preparation to others. This policy brief highlights the potential of this high school curriculum reform. The first half of the brief explains the key elements of an effective "Linked Learning" curriculum. The second half translates these elements into statutory language, concretely providing the details necessary to move forward with this important reform. This policy brief is an update of the policy brief "Multiple Pathways" which was released in 2008.
The Realities of K-12 Virtual Education
Publication Date
April 20, 2009
Authors
Gene V Glass, Arizona State University
Research Areas
Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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