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Policy Briefs
The Great Lakes Center supports the development of Policy Briefs to provide the public, policymakers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems
Publication Date
November 21, 2024
Authors
David S. Knight, University of Washington; David DeMatthews, University of Texas at Austin
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
NEPC’s new policy brief, The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems, synthesizes research on the fiscal impacts of charter and voucher school policies on public school systems. Authors David S. Knight of the University of Washington and David DeMatthews of the University of Texas at Austin also discuss recent developments, including the influx of voucher policies, often promoted by large philanthropic donations and messaging campaigns.
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.
Strengthening Oversight of Education Savings Account (ESA) Funding for Private and At-Home Schooling
Publication Date
September 5, 2024
Authors
Luis A. Huerta and Trevor Baisden, Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The school-choice landscape in the United States is undergoing a rapid transformation, as states increasingly enact a new form of vouchers called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Unlike earlier voucher programs, which generally allowed taxpayer subsidies only for private school tuition, ESAs represent a radically expansive-and potentially very costly-vision for the private use of public funds. ESA participants receive public monies via direct deposit and can use them for various expenses, including but also well beyond private school tuition and fees. Many states, in fact, allow these funds to be used for nearly any purportedly educational expense. ESA funds are thus widely dispersed among participants and private providers but, to date, require little or no oversight or accountability.
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.
Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools
Publication Date
September 12, 2023
Authors
Mark Weber, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Over the past decade, pro-charter organizations have published a series of reports claiming that funding disparities put charter schools at a disadvantage compared to public schools run by school districts. However, those conclusions are invariably incorrect due to flawed research methods. In a policy memo released today by NEPC, Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools, Mark Weber of Rutgers University and the New Jersey Policy Perspective uses the latest "charter school funding inequity" report to illustrate these fundamental research flaws, thus providing a guide for stakeholders to evaluate the accuracy and transparency of related research.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Science of Reading Movement: The Never-Ending Debate and the Need for a Different Approach to Reading Instruction
Publication Date
September 13, 2022
Authors
Paul Thomas, Furman University
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
How students learn to read and how reading is best taught are often the focus of media, public, and political criticism. In a new NEPC policy brief, The Science of Reading Movement: The Never-Ending Debate and the Need for a Different Approach to Reading Instruction, Paul Thomas of Furman University explores the controversial history of the reading reform movement.
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.
"Grow Your Own" Programs: Examining Potential and Pitfalls for a New Generation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Community Teachers
Publication Date
May 19, 2022
Authors
Conra D. Gist of the University of Houston
Research Areas
General
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Grow Your Own programs must also focus on improving retention of new teachers by considering how the teaching and learning needs of BIPOC teachers evolve as they progress along the teacher development continuum.
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.
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.
Estimating a Price Tag for School Vouchers
Publication Date
May 24, 2021
Authors
Robert Shand, American University; Henry Levin of Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Brief considers the public cost of a universal voucher system, with its attendant requirements for new systems of governance, information, transportation, and accreditation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Investing for “Impact” or Investing for Profit? Social Impact Bonds, Pay for Success, and the Next Wave of Privatization of Social Services
Publication Date
February 4, 2020
Authors
Martin Carnoy, Stanford University; Roxana Marachi, San José State University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Climate & Student Support; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Is there a role for private investors in public social policy? In the past decade, we have seen the rise of new financial structures entering the social services arena, with corresponding legislation now poised to change how social services are delivered and who delivers them. While different programs use different terms—including, for example, Pay for Success or Results-Based Financing—the umbrella term encompassing these new financing models is the "Social Impact Bond" (SIB).
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.
Fixing the Morass of Special Education Funding
Publication Date
June 25, 2019
Authors
Tammy Kolbe, University of Vermont
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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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.
Multiple Shortcomings Mar Report Ranking Michigan High Schools
Publication Date
April 30, 2019
Authors
Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Christopher M. Saldaña, of the University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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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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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.
The State of Education Savings Account Programs in the United States
Publication Date
January 23, 2018
Authors
Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos, Arizona State University, and William J. Mathis and Kevin G. Welner, University of Colorado Boulder.
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A new policy brief from the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) explores the research on Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), a form of private-school vouchers first adopted in Arizona in 2011. Through December 2017, ESA laws have been enacted in six states and have been strongly promoted by school voucher advocates. The brief examines ESA policies, their similarities and differences with other voucher approaches, and examines the legal issues created by these programs. The authors conclude, “policymakers should be extremely wary of adopting or expanding an ESA program. When considering ESAs, policymakers from all perspectives must carefully weigh the evidence on their impact on key elements of U.S. education.”
Assessing the Fiscal Impact of Wisconsin’s Statewide Voucher Program
Publication Date
October 5, 2017
Authors
Ellie Bruecker, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A peer-reviewed policy memo produced by the National Education Policy Center for the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice explores the financial effects of Wisconsin’s expanded statewide Parental Choice Program (WPCP). The memo describes how the voucher program alters the relative share of public education spending borne by the state and by local districts and estimates the differential impact of the program on Wisconsin school districts. The author, Ellie Bruecker, University of Wisconsin-Madison, finds that the program will likely exacerbate school funding inequities for public schools in Wisconsin.
Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement
Publication Date
June 5, 2017
Authors
Jeannie Oakes, National Education Policy Center and the Learning Policy Institute; Anna Maier, LPI; and Julia Daniel, NEPC.
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Community Schools; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A new policy brief, co-produced by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) and the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), explores the research on community schools. Community schools represent a partnership and school improvement strategy to integrate resources provided by community agencies and local government for improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities. According to the authors, community schools are strongly supported by research, and can be a particularly important strategy for transforming high-poverty schools. Further research on community schools and the conditions required for successful implementation is needed.
School Closure as a Strategy to Remedy Low Performance
Publication Date
May 18, 2017
Authors
Gail L. Sunderman, University of Maryland; Erin Coghlan, University of California Berkeley; and Rick Mintrop, University of California Berkeley.
Research Areas
General / Needs Review; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Closing a “low-performing” school and sending students to a “better-performing” one has been offered as a school improvement strategy, which the logic suggests will motivate schools to improve. A new policy brief released today investigates whether closing schools is an option that policymakers should pursue. According to the brief, the limited evidence base suggests that school closures are not a promising strategy for remedying low performance. The authors write, “School closures have at best weak and decidedly mixed benefits; at worst they have detrimental repercussions for students if districts do not ensure that seats at higher-performing schools are available for transfer students.”
Supplemental Education Services under NCLB: Emerging Evidence and Policy Issues
Publication Date
May 1, 2017
Authors
Patricia Burch, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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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.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Regulating Charter Schools
Publication Date
August 23, 2016
Authors
William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
As part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues, William J. Mathis examines charter school accountability. Mathis finds that despite the premise of market-based accountability, charter schools are not sufficiently being held accountable or regulated.
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 – Does Money Matter?
Publication Date
June 16, 2016
Authors
William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In Does Money Matter?, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, discusses why money matters in education. He concludes that despite claims to the contrary, adequate and equitable funding is necessary for schools to improve their performance – especially schools serving children living in poverty.
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 – Housing Policy
Publication Date
May 24, 2016
Authors
Kevin G. Welner and William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Because educational opportunities and life chances are inextricably tied to family wealth and housing advantages, Kevin Welner and William Mathis call for a comprehensive, cohesive approach to address societal inequities. In Housing Policy, the authors recommend that multiple approaches can and should be implemented as a united set of mutually supportive initiatives. In their recommendations, the authors suggest that housing integration policies that address housing supply and affordability can be beneficial.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - Reading Qualitative Educational Policy Research
Publication Date
May 4, 2016
Authors
William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
According to William J. Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, both quantitative and qualitative research methods have the ability to inform policymaking. In particular, qualitative research can fill in gaps in our understanding that quantitative methods cannot capture. Mathis says, “Regardless of the research method used, readers should insist on high-quality work.” This short, concise policy brief provides questions that readers can look for of quality qualitative research.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Five Simple Steps to Reading Policy Research
Publication Date
April 28, 2016
Authors
Holly Yettick, Education Week Research Center
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
As part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues, Holly Yettick, Ph.D., director of the Education Week Research Center, provides a single-page brief to identify tips for recognizing higher-quality research studies and making better use of education policy research.
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.
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.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – The 'Portfolio' Approach to School District Governance
Publication Date
March 29, 2016
Authors
William Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A new concise policy brief considers the research evidence of “portfolio” districts. According to the brief, the approach shifts decision-making away from local school district leaders. Despite concerns, the approach is now being used in several large urban districts across the country. The authors find that changing the governance structure creates a “false promise” for communities and could distract from larger efforts to address societal inequities.
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.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Reversing the Deprofessionalization of Teaching
Publication Date
December 8, 2015
Authors
William Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
As part of a series of briefs being released by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, William J. Mathis and Kevin Welner, University of Colorado Boulder, discuss three forces impacting teachers: (a) alternative (fast-track or no-track) teacher preparation and licensure; (b) teacher evaluation approaches that are largely focused on students’ test scores; and (c) scripted, narrow curriculum that can be constricting and demoralizing for high-quality teachers.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - School Accountability, Multiple Measures and Inspectorates in a Post-NCLB World
Publication Date
October 25, 2015
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
First brief in a series of concise publications considers alternative accountability approaches: As a part of a new series of briefs being released beginning today by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder, discusses the efficacy of three types of school evaluation approaches: (1) test based accountability; (2) multiple measures; and (3) school self-evaluations plus inspectorates.
Student Mobility: Causes, Consequences, Solutions
Publication Date
June 1, 2015
Authors
Russell W. Rumberger, UC Santa Barbara
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This brief explores the causes and consequences of student mobility, a widespread, and often-unheralded, problem facing American schools. According to the brief, written by Russell W. Rumberger, professor of education in the Gervirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California Santa Barbara, student mobility can negatively impact student achievement on test scores, high school graduation prospects, and even student behavior. Multiple moves and those accompanied by family disruptions produce more severe impacts. To reduce the negative impacts of student mobility, Rumberger recommends: (1) School officials should strive to reduce mobility by raising overall school quality; (2) School officials should give students and parents sufficient and timely information to make informed school transfer decisions; (3) Personnel in schools receiving transfers can prepare materials and activities before students arrive; and (4) State officials should collect and report school and district mobility rates.
Why School Report Cards Merit a Failing Grade
Publication Date
January 26, 2015
Authors
Kenneth R. Howe and Kevin Murray, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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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.
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.
Teach For America: A Return to the Evidence
Publication Date
January 7, 2014
Authors
Julian Vasquez Heilig, University of Texas – Austin Su Jin Gatlin Jez, Sacramento State University
Research Areas
General / Needs Review
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In a report released today, Julian Vasquez Heilig and Su Jin Gatlin Jez update the research on Teach For America (TFA). The organization has received hundreds of millions of dollars and generated considerable public attention for sending college graduates, who do not typically have an education background, to teach in low-income rural and urban schools for a two-year commitment. Despite glowing accolades, the impact of this alternative teacher-training program is hotly debated. In a follow up to a previously released brief, two noted education professors address public concerns about TFA and offer a template for the general public to conduct citizen research on TFA locally.
Model Legislative Language for Comprehensive Assessment and Accountability
Publication Date
October 22, 2013
Authors
Andy Hargreaves, Boston College Henry Braun, Boston College
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In a report released today, Andy Hargreaves and Henry Braun of Boston College describe how data-driven accountability initiatives have created “perverse” incentives for educators. The legislative brief highlights the flawed use of DDIA in much, though not all, of the U.S. education system. To restore focus on improvement, schools should consider systematic reforms that capture the full range of learning and assess educational values holistically, instead of relying on narrow metrics to define success that punish teachers and students. The brief includes twelve recommendations for establishing more effective systems and processes of Data-Driven or Evidence-Informed Improvement and Accountability. Model legislation by attorney Kathy Gebhardt accompanies Data-Driven Improvement and Accountability.
Data-driven Improvement and Accountability
Publication Date
October 22, 2013
Authors
ndy Hargreaves, Boston College Henry Braun, Boston College
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In a report released today, Andy Hargreaves and Henry Braun of Boston College describe how data-driven accountability initiatives have created “perverse” incentives for educators. The legislative brief highlights the flawed use of DDIA in much, though not all, of the U.S. education system. To restore focus on improvement, schools should consider systematic reforms that capture the full range of learning and assess educational values holistically, instead of relying on narrow metrics to define success that punish teachers and students. The brief includes twelve recommendations for establishing more effective systems and processes of Data-Driven or Evidence-Informed Improvement and Accountability. Model legislation by attorney Kathy Gebhardt accompanies Data-Driven Improvement and Accountability.
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.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking
Publication Date
June 13, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The research behind such "hot button" educational issues as Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluations, ability grouping and LGBT safety in schools is examined in a compendium of ten short briefs written by Dr. William Mathis of the University of Colorado Boulder. Each section focuses on a different issue, and its recommendations to policymakers are based on the latest scholarship
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking — Moving Beyond Tracking
Publication Date
May 30, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research. Despite incontrovertible evidence demonstrating the harms of ability grouping, resistance to the elimination of tracking in schools remains strong. The latest in a series of two- and three-page briefs summarizing current relevant findings in education policy research reviews the evidence for and against “tracking” students through school – that is, assigning students to particular classes, curricula and courses of study by their perceived ability.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - Addressing School Environment and Safety for LGBT Students
Publication Date
May 23, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
School Climate & Student Support
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research. Citing well-settled legal mandates, the brief makes it clear that school district employees must provide a safe and supporting learning environment for all students. The brief highlights a previous legislative brief authored by Stuart Biegel and Sheila James Kuehl, a collaboration between the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) and the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, with financial support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - Twenty-first-Century Skills and Implications for Education
Publication Date
May 14, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research explores the idea of “21st Century skills.” The brief explains the sometimes-conflicting values and proposals for making schools relevant to meeting the needs of the 21st Century. This short brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
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.
English Language Learners and Parental Involvement
Publication Date
March 19, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
General / Needs Review
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research and urges policymakers to adopt a series of measures that would welcome and involve the parents of English language learners in U.S. schools to improve the achievement of those students. This two-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
What Does It Take to Scale Up Innovations? An Examination of Teach For America, Harlem Children’s Zone, and the Knowledge is Power Program
Publication Date
March 14, 2013
Authors
Ben Levin, University of Toronto
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
What Does It Take to Scale Up Innovations? A new brief investigates whether innovations are scalable and able to make a difference widely, using three commonly proposed innovations as examples. Ben Levin, University of Toronto, analyzes Teach For America (TFA), KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), and the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), which has already spawned the U.S. Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhoods program. Levin determined that there are barriers and opportunities to the scalability of these programs. The brief cautions policymakers to avoid the temptation of proclaiming small-scale innovative programs as solutions to large-scale problems in education.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Effective School Expenditures
Publication Date
February 7, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research on effective school expenditures. This three-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking—Public Funding of School Choice
Publication Date
December 13, 2012
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research and describes important issues and questions policymakers should consider in determining public funding of alternatives to conventional public schools. This three-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking—Preschool Education
Publication Date
November 13, 2012
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Early Childhood
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes research findings on the effects of high-quality preschool programs. This three-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
Democracy Left Behind: How Recent Education Reforms Undermine Local School Governance and Democratic Education
Publication Date
October 16, 2012
Authors
Kenneth Howe, University of Colorado-Boulder David Meens, University of Colorado- Boulder
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Kenneth Howe and David Meens, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, examine the suppression of local control by policymakers and what it means for our democracy. A new report presents a comprehensive review of research on two key elements—democratic policymaking and democratic education. The evidence surveyed in this report suggests that contemporary reforms “run afoul of democratic principles in several critical ways.”
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking— Common Core State Standards
Publication Date
October 11, 2012
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current research findings on the likely effect of the widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This two-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
Democratic School Turnarounds: Pursuing Equity and Learning from Evidence
Publication Date
October 1, 2012
Authors
Legislative Brief: Tina Trujillo, Michelle Renée Model Legislation: Tara Kini
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
School Improvement Grant program in need of reform. A new brief by Tina Truillo of the University of California at Berkeley and Michelle Renée of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University finds that standardized test scores are not a reliable measure for student growth and are even more problematic as a measure of whether a turnaround was successful or not, because test scores ignore social, civic and broader academic aspects of schooling. Model legislation accompanies this brief to create state-level school improvements that foster equitable, democratic, and sustainable school turnarounds in priority schools.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking—Teacher Evaluation
Publication Date
September 20, 2012
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes research findings on the effects of teacher evaluation systems, including unintended as well as intended consequences. This two-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
An Analysis of the Use and Validity of Test-Based Teacher Evaluations Reported by the Los Angeles Times: 2011
Publication Date
June 20, 2012
Authors
Catherine S. Durso,University of Denver
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Catherine S. Durso of the University of Denver prepared the research brief for the National Education Policy Center. The brief was funded in part by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice.
Spending by the Major Charter Management Organizations: Comparing Charter School and Local Public District Financial Resources in New York, Ohio, and Texas.
Publication Date
May 3, 2012
Authors
Bruce D. Baker Rutgers University Ken Libby and Kathryn Wiley, University of Colorado
Research Areas
Charter Schools
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
New Report Analyzes Charter School Finances in New York, Ohio and Texas to Determine How Much Is Spent By Prominent Charter School Operators Bruce Baker of Rutgers University, along with Ken Libby and Katy Wiley of the University of Colorado, prepared the research brief for the National Education Policy Center. The brief was funded in part by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice and the Albert Shanker Institute.
Charting Equality: Using Charter School Legislation and Policy to Advance Equal Educational Opportunity
Publication Date
February 21, 2012
Authors
Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison Preston C. Green III, Pennsylvania State University
Research Areas
Charter Schools
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The expansion of charter schools has led to classrooms being more segregated today than they were 30 years ago, according to this new policy brief. The brief provides policymakers with detailed recommendations on how to ensure all students have access to a quality education. Accompanying this brief is a companion report which offers model legislation to carry out the author’s recommendations contained in the policy brief.
Charting Equality: Using Charter School Legislation and Policy to Advance Equal Educational Opportunity
Publication Date
February 21, 2012
Authors
Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison Preston C. Green III, Pennsylvania State University
Research Areas
Charter Schools
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A newly released report highlights incentives that can be much more effective in attracting and retaining quality teachers than simple merit pay programs. The report shows how merit pay programs that reward teachers based on their students' standardized test scores do little to improve student achievement and offers information on other incentives that could be more successful.
Creating Teacher Incentives for School Excellence and Equity
Publication Date
January 12, 2012
Authors
Barnett Berry, Center for Teaching Quality (Policy Brief) Jon Eckert, Wheaton College (Policy Brief) Scott R. Bauries, University of Kentucky College of Law (Legislative Brief)
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A newly released report highlights incentives that can be much more effective in attracting and retaining quality teachers than simple merit pay programs. The report shows how merit pay programs that reward teachers based on their students' standardized test scores do little to improve student achievement and offers information on other incentives that could be more successful.
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.
Due Diligence and the Evaluation of Teachers: A Review of the Value-Added Analysis Underlying the Effectiveness Rankings of Los Angeles Unified School District Teachers by The Los Angeles Times
Publication Date
February 8, 2011
Authors
Derek Briggs and Ben Dominque, University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This report, by Richard Buddin, is a value-added analysis of elementary teachers in the LAUSD. Buddin asserts that teacher quality can validly be measured using student performance on the reading and math portions of the California Standardized Test. Buddin's analysis was the focus of an article in the LA Times which included a database of LAUSD teachers by name and their individual rankings which were based on Buddin's model. The reviewers found that Buddin's analysis is a deeply flawed and an inaccurate measure of teacher effectiveness.
Consolidation of Schools and Districts What the Research Says and What It Means
Publication Date
February 1, 2011
Authors
Craig Howley, Jerry Johnson, and Jennifer Petrie, Ohio University
Research Areas
General / Needs Review
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief provides a review of the research that has been done on school and district consolidation and finds that consolidation will generally not save money nor will it improve education outcomes particularly for minority and poor students. Policymakers are urged to make decisions about consolidation on a case-by-case basis with local input. Further, for very large school districts, deconsolidation may be a means of improving fiscal efficiency and learning outcomes.
Adding Up the Spending: Fiscal Disparities and Philanthropy among New York City Charter Schools
Publication Date
January 27, 2011
Authors
Bruce Baker and Richard Ferris, Rutgers
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Adding Up the Spending: Fiscal Disparities and Philanthropy Among New York City Charter Schools analyzes the financial resources available to charter schools and also looks at their performance on state standardized tests. The study concludes that while NYC charter spending varies widely and seems to depend upon access to private donations, they are not underfunded compared with traditional public schools. Further, on average NYC charters are not out-performing traditional public schools and there doesn’t appear to be a connection between charter funding and test scores.
Getting Teacher Assessment Right: What Policymakers Can Learn from Research
Publication Date
December 7, 2010
Authors
Patricia H. Hinchey, Penn State University
Research Areas
Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief outlines authoritative research documenting a wide range of useful criteria that should be used together to form the foundation for high quality assessment of teacher quality and effectiveness. These criteria include: classroom observations and evaluations, portfolios prepared by teachers, peer review and value-added models based on student standardized testing. The brief cautions against relying solely or in large part on student test scores for teacher assessment as they are unreliable and encourages policymakers to adopt assessment systems that rely on multiple sources of information.
Safe at School: Addressing the School Environment and LGBT Safety through Policy and Legislation
Publication Date
September 30, 2010
Authors
Stuart Biegel & Sheila James Kuehl
Research Areas
School Climate & Student Support
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Safe at School: Addressing the School Environment and LGBT Safety through Policy and Legislation, presents a series of recommendations and model legislation to make public schools safer for LGBT students.
The "Common Core" Standards Initiative: An Effective Reform Tool?
Publication Date
July 21, 2010
Authors
William J. Mathis, Ph.D. University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Areas
Curriculum & Instruction
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief explores the "common core" standards initiative embraced by the Obama administration as a means for increasing student achievement and ensuring global economic competitiveness. Author William Mathis raises questions about the development of common core standards and provides an overview of the relevant research on this topic. Mathis also includes a series of recommendations for moving forward with the common core standards initiative.
Equal or Fair? A Study of Revenues and Expenditures in American Charter Schools
Publication Date
June 29, 2010
Authors
Gary Miron and Jessica L. Urschel Western Michigan University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This report is the most comprehensive to date on the question of whether charter schools are inadequately funded compared with traditional public schools. Miron and Urschel find that though charter schools typically do get less funding than traditional public schools, this is primarily because traditional schools have additional obligations including special education, student support services, food and transportation services which charter schools do not provide (or spend less on).
Teach for America: A Review of the Evidence
Publication Date
June 9, 2010
Authors
Julian Vasquez Heilig, University of Texas at Austin Su Jin Jez, Ph.D., California State University, Sacramento
Research Areas
General / Needs Review
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief offers a comprehensive review of research on the Teach For America program and its impact on student achievement. The authors argue that the research is decidedly mixed at best. The brief includes recommendations for policymakers and school districts regarding TFA.
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.
Schools without Diversity: Education Management Organizations, Charter Schools, and the Demographic Stratification of the American School System
Publication Date
February 9, 2010
Authors
Gary Miron, Jessica L. Urschel, William J. Mathis,* and Elana Tornquist Dept. of Educational Leadership, Research & Technology College of Education Western Michigan University
Research Areas
Charter Schools
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This report, which is a comprehensive examination of enrollment patterns in charter schools operated by Education Management organizations (EMOs), finds that charter schools run by EMOs are segregated by race, family income, disabilities and English language learner status as compared with their local public schools districts.
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