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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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? Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Click the button below and signup to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Click the button below and signup to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Click the button below and signup to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox!

Community Engagement Youth Engagement in Collective Impact Initiatives: Lessons from Promise Neighborhoods Publication Date March 30, 2021 Authors Jessica Shakesprere, Mica O'Brien, and Eona Harison; Dana Mitra, Penn State University Research Areas Community Schools; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review Publication Type Think Twice Summary When youth engage in collective-impact strategies, they have the potential to strengthen the design, implementation, and outcomes of school decision-making. A recent Urban Institute report takes up this important topic, examining what youth engagement initiatives look like within a broader reform structure. It presents a continuum of youth involvement-focused on issues of support, input, and leadership. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

Think Twice Think Twice compiles public education-related policy reports, research and articles of interest to policymakers, educators and stakeholders. Our goal is to share information that could be used to support or undermine the work of our subscribers in supporting public schools. Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation (National Council on Teacher Quality, June 2026) Publication Date August 11, 2026 Authors Elena Aydarova, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary This review examines a National Council on Teacher Quality report on elementary teacher preparation for reading instruction and concludes that its recommendations are not supported by rigorous evidence. The review argues that the report relies on outdated research, flawed methodology, and apparent conflicts of interest, and cautions policymakers against using it to guide teacher preparation or literacy policy. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Navigating the Math Wars: A Practical Guide to the Divides and Debates Influencing Math Instruction Publication Date July 28, 2026 Authors Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce; Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The review examines current debates over math instruction and argues that a report intended to clarify them instead reinforces polarization and lacks sufficient nuance about classroom practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Sifting Through the Mississippi Evidence Publication Date July 14, 2026 Authors Gregory Camilli, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Early Childhood; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary New review uses Progressive Policy Institute report as starting point to try to better understand the impact of literacy reforms and other factors that may have influenced the state's NAEP fourth-grade reading scores. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Economic Impact from Colorado's Choice to Participate in the "Education Freedom Tax Credit" Provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Publication Date May 21, 2026 Authors Thomas Young and Jimena Sanchez; Joydeep Roy, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Common Sense Institute recently published a report declaring large potential benefits of the federal education tax-credit voucher program created through President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. However, the report's claims about the improvements the program would create for Colorado are unlikely to materialize. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Beyond Race: What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap Publication Date May 12, 2026 Authors Will Flanders; Jaekyung Lee, University at Buffalo Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) highlights stark achievement gaps between White and Black students in Wisconsin, particularly in elementary-level English language arts and reading. While the report deserves credit for bringing attention to this important issue, its analysis is incomplete and misleading. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict Publication Date March 26, 2026 Authors David M. Houston and Michael T. Hartney; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report surveys more than 5,000 school board members across over 3,000 districts, finding they are disproportionately White, college educated, and often current or former teachers, with politics and beliefs that largely mirror both the U.S. public and their local communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of NEPC Review: Estimating the LongRun Impact of a Universal ESA Program in Mississippi Publication Date February 24, 2026 Authors Martin Lueken and Michael Q. McShan; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice estimates the long-term economic returns of a universal education savings account (ESA) policy in Mississippi. ESA policies provide taxpayer dollars to households that decline to send their children to public schools, allowing those funds to be used for private school tuition or other educational expenses. As ESAs and similar school choice programs expand rapidly across the country, rigorous research is essential to inform sound, evidence-based policymaking. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation Publication Date January 29, 2026 Authors Christopher Cleveland, Brown University; Joshua Almes, Brown University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent New America report argues that states can advance educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. While the analysis has some methodological limitations, it offers policymakers a useful framework for understanding how existing district lines shape unequal access to resources. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Outmatched: Special Education Can't Solve Problems Rooted in the Education Delivery System Publication Date January 22, 2026 Authors Ashley Jochim and Alexander Kurz; Federico Waitoller, University of Illinois Chicago Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary While special education in the United States has advanced civil rights and educational equity, persistent concerns about inequity, labeling, and segregation remain. A recent Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) report proposes a dramatic restructuring of special education, arguing that rising identification rates and persistent achievement gaps stem from a general education system built for uniformity rather than diversity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of A State-Level Perspective on School Spending and Educational Outcomes Publication Date December 11, 2025 Authors Sarah Reber and Gabriela Goodman; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A large and growing body of high-quality research shows that increased school funding positively affects student outcomes. Yet, as compared to the effect of school funding reported in an authoritative meta-analysis, a new Brookings Institution report examining this relationship finds a much smaller (although still positive) effect. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of ESA's in Arizona: Q3 2025 Report Publication Date December 4, 2025 Authors Glenn Farley; David Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) addresses two important policy questions about Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program: 1) how much the ESA program will cost in the upcoming year, and 2) what the demographic characteristics of ESA users are by household income and race/ethnicity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Wisconsin's Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program Publication Date October 28, 2025 Authors School Choice Wisconsin; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary As one of the nation's longest-running private school voucher initiatives, Wisconsin's program has drawn decades of research interest. A recent report from a think tank called School Choice Wisconsin considers the cost-effectiveness of voucher-receiving schools in Racine, Milwaukee, and across the state. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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? Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Let's Get Ready! Educating All Americans for Success Publication Date October 14, 2025 Authors Ryan Pfleger Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction; School Funding; General / Needs Review; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary In late July, the National Governors Association released a report urging states to transform schools into stronger drivers of economic competitiveness. The report recommends that governors build public dashboards to track outcomes, align schools with workforce needs, and evaluate programs based on graduates' earnings potential. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Directional Signals: A New Analysis of the Evolving Private School Choice Landscape Publication Date September 30, 2025 Authors Bella DiMarco; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary In recent years, at least a dozen states have created private school choice (aka voucher) programs that are universal—placing few or no restrictions on wealth or other factors that might limit which families can participate. A FutureEd report examines the expansion of such programs, and provides a generally useful, up-to-date compilation of basic facts and trends around universal voucher programs in 10 states. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Factbook: 2025 Edition Publication Date September 4, 2025 Authors Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary As enrollment in school privatization programs grows, right-wing ideological think tanks such as EdChoice have continued to argue that school vouchers and education savings accounts (ESAs) strengthen public school finances. Its Fiscal Factbook purports to find that voucher programs do not harm public school finances. The data presented in the report, however, fail to support its assertion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Apples to Apples: The Definitive Look at School Test Scores in Milwaukee and Wisconsin for 2024 Publication Date June 10, 2025 Authors Will Flanders; Benjamin Shear, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) examines publicly available test score data from Spring 2024 in Wisconsin to investigate the relative effectiveness and cost of school choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Enrollment Decline Windfall Publication Date May 8, 2025 Authors Ben Scafidi, EdChoice; David E. DeMatthews and Jinseok Shin of the University of Texas at Austin Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Most U.S. states continue to heavily rely on per-pupil funding models. Accordingly, projections of declining school-aged populations through 2030—combined with the rapid expansion of private school voucher policies—have raised serious concerns about the future adequacy of public school funding. A recent EdChoice report downplays these concerns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Persistence of Religious Discrimination in Publicly Funded Pre-K Programs Publication Date May 1, 2025 Authors Nicole Stelle Garnett, Tim Rosenberger, and J. Theodore Austin; Joshua Weishart, Suffolk University Law School Research Areas Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Manhattan Institute asserts that many religious pre-K providers are being unconstitutionally excluded from publicly funded education programs that remain open to other private schools. But incomplete research and methodological flaws render the report of relatively little value to policymakers or the public. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Testing Theories of Why: Four Keys to Interpreting US Student Achievement Trends Publication Date April 24, 2025 Authors Nat Malkus; Chris Domaleski, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent American Enterprise Institute report does a good job of identifying and describing long-term trends in student performance using national and international assessment data. However, a review finds that the report then falls short in its attempts to analyze and understand the factors driving these trends. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Thousands Served: Students with Disabilities in Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Programs Publication Date April 8, 2025 Authors School Choice Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty; Maria M. Lewis, Pennsylvania State University; Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Scholars, advocates, and policymakers have long expressed the concern that many private schools receiving taxpayer subsidies through voucher programs would fail to serve children with disabilities. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, in collaboration with School Choice Wisconsin, recent published a report challenging those concerns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Making the Grade: Accounting for Course Selection in High School Transcripts with Item Response Theory Publication Date March 25, 2025 Authors Kenneth A. Shores and Sanford R. Student; Michael Russell, Boston College Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; General / Needs Review; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The role of standardized test scores in college admissions is evolving, with many institutions shifting away from the SAT and ACT. In their absence, high school GPA has become the primary indicator of college readiness, though it doesn't account for course difficulty. A new Annenberg Institute report introduces "Transcript Strength," a measure designed to adjust GPA based on course rigor. While promising, the report acknowledges the approach requires further research and development. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Effects of School Choice: The Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America Through FY 2022 Publication Date February 10, 2025 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The expansion of voucher programs, which provide taxpayer-financed subsidies for families enrolling students in private schools, has prompted a debate about their fiscal impact. A recent EdChoice report argues that these programs do not negatively affect public school finances and actually save taxpayers substantial sums of money. Today's review explains how this argument rings hollow. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Are Education Programs for High Achievers Inherently Inequitable? Publication Date February 4, 2025 Authors Brandon L. Wright; Margaret Thornton, Rowan University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report analyzes several perceived threats to educational opportunities for students who score well on standardized tests and class grades. It contends that these threats come from those who are overly concerned about "equity" and who seek to undermine programs designed for these high-achieving students. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era Publication Date January 28, 2025 Authors Sofoklis Goulas; Sally A. Nuamah, Northwestern University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report argues that post-pandemic enrollment declines will inevitably force districts to make the controversial decision to close some schools. Embracing this possibility, it provides dual criteria of substantial declines in enrollment and chronic low performance as indicators of which schools should be closed first, naming nearly 500 specific schools that meet the criteria. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. Publication Date January 21, 2025 Authors Krista Kaput, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Clive Belfield; Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review these findings and recommendations are not well-supported. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? Publication Date December 10, 2024 Authors Jay Carter and Leonardo Restrepo; James Noonan, Salem State University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Urban Institute report examines proposed legislation in North Carolina that would add a "proportionality score" to the state accountability system, measuring how closely a school’s racial demographics match those of the surrounding county. James Noonan of Salem State University reviewed School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? and found it to be logical but somewhat under-explained. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Searching for the Tipping Point: Scaling up Public School Choice Spurs Citywide Gains Publication Date December 3, 2024 Authors Tressa Pankovits; David R. Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Progressive Policy Institute report purports to examine the impact of charter schools on the achievement of students who remain enrolled in district-run public schools. Based on the data in the report, however, it shows only a weak relationship between the presence of charter schools and increases in achievement for all students, which contradicts the report's claims. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Reassessing ESSA Implementation: An Equity Analysis of School Accountability Systems Publication Date November 20, 2024 Authors Nicholas Munyan-Penney, Abigail Jones, and Shayna Levitan; Derek Gottlieb, University of Northern Colorado Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary EdTrust recently published a report using what it calls an "equity analysis" to critique states' accountability plans, recommending several steps states might take to improve their systems. But a new review explains how that report rehashes old arguments for the original No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Pennsylvania's Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the Commonwealth Publication Date November 12, 2024 Authors Rachel Langan; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Commonwealth Foundation report praises Pennsylvania's tax credit scholarship programs, which create private-school vouchers funded through tax-credited donations. The report argues in favor of the programs' expansion, but it has at least three major shortcomings. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Systemwide and Intervention-Specific Effects of Denver Public Schools' Portfolio District Strategy on Individual Student Achievement Publication Date November 7, 2024 Authors Parker Baxter, Anna Nicotera, David Stuit, Margot Plotz, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske; Robert Shand, American University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver attempts to assess the effect of a "portfolio district strategy" on student performance in the Denver Public Schools. As was the case with its 2022 predecessor (reviewed here), advocates for portfolio reforms have trumpeted the new study as showing that this "portfolio" package of reforms has a positive and large impact on student outcomes. The review, however, concludes that the study lacks the ability to so definitively link Denver's improved outcomes to these particular reforms. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Ohio Charter Schools After the Pandemic: Are Their Students Still Learning More Than They Would in District Schools? Publication Date September 24, 2024 Authors Stephane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report contends that the state's charter schools have outperformed traditional public schools and implies that they merit continued or expanded state investment. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Helping Families Navigate the Changing Education Landscape Publication Date September 10, 2024 Authors Colleen Hroncich and Jamie Buckland; Huriya Jabbar, University of Southern California Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Cato Institute report describes how Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), the newest form of private-school voucher, have the potential to transform education by giving families increased options for tailoring their child's education, especially with the guidance of special consultants along the way. A review of that report, however, determines that it fails to provide useful evidence to support its conclusions and its recommendation that the cost of these "choice navigators" should be included as an eligible expense. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Broken Pipeline: Advanced Education Policies at the Local Level Publication Date July 18, 2024 Authors Adam Tyner; Eunice S. Han, University of Utah Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Thomas B. Fordham Institute report describes current policies and practices at the district level across the U.S. that are designed to provide what the report calls advanced and gifted education. A review of the report determines, however, that its conclusions and policy suggestions lack validity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of 'So Hard, but So Rewarding:' How School System Leaders are Scaling up Strategic School Staffing Models Publication Date July 11, 2024 Authors Lisa Chu, Lydia Rainey, & Steven Weiner; Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Stonehill College Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary Following the pandemic, pervasive challenges have plagued the teaching profession, including teacher shortages, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and attrition. A new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education proposes what it calls "strategic school staffing models" as a solution, though its evidence for this conclusion is lacking. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Did the Emergence of Ohio Charter Schools Help or Harm Students Who Remained in District Schools? Publication Date June 20, 2024 Authors Stéphane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary Legislatures across the United States continue to pass policies to add or expand school choice. Within this context, the Fordham Institute, an advocate of school choice expansion, has published a report asserting that charter schools have not negatively affected students in traditional public schools. However, a review of this report finds that though it could contribute to the conversation, its conclusions are highly misleading. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Reality of Switchers Publication Date May 2, 2024 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report from the voucher-advocacy group EdChoice takes issue with the overwhelming evidence establishing that most users of vouchers under recent expansions of these policies have never attended public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Public Education at a Crossroads: A Comprehensive Look at K-12 Resources and Outcomes Publication Date April 9, 2024 Authors Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Clive Belfield, City University of New York Research Areas School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A growing and persuasive body of research has established the causal relationship between school funding and academic outcomes. The reality that money matters is not in serious dispute. But a new report from the Reason Foundation uses some superficial comparisons to try again to muddy the waters. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of K-12 School Choice Calculator Publication Date March 19, 2024 Authors Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new calculator from two voucher-advocacy organizations is offered as a tool to assist state policymakers and choice advocates in providing more accurate estimates of the expenses of adopting publicly financed private-school choice (i.e., voucher) programs. But several factors suggest it should be used with caution and caveats. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Still a Good Investment: Charter School Productivity in Nine Cities Publication Date January 23, 2024 Authors Alison H. Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay F. May, and Larry D. Maloney; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas has maintained, in an ongoing series of reports, that charter schools suffer from inequitable funding compared to public district schools. Their latest output extends this argument, claiming that despite receiving less revenue, charters achieve better results on standardized tests, making them the more cost-effective choice. However, the same methodological flaws identified in earlier reports continue, and worsen, in this one. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Cost-Effectiveness of Wisconsin's Private School Choice Programs Publication Date December 12, 2023 Authors Stephen Kotok, St. John’s University; Stephen Kotok, St. John's University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from School Choice Wisconsin claims that Wisconsin's voucher programs are highly "productive," achieving better academic outcomes at lower costs than public schools. A closer examination, however, calls into question the validity of these assertions. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of From Surviving to Thriving: K-12 Choice and Opportunity for Rural Texas Students and Teachers Publication Date December 7, 2023 Authors Matthew Ladner and Jason Bedrick; Amanda Potterton of the University of Kentucky, Annah Rogers of the University of West Alabama, and Jeanne Powers of Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Heritage Foundation recently published a report that claims increased competition has improved academic achievement in Arizona's rural public schools and that similar policies will be good for rural Texas. However, a review finds several flaws in the report's reasoning and methodology. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Small Class Sizes for Improving Student Achievement in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review Publication Date November 21, 2023 Authors Trine Filges, Christoffer Scavenius Sonne-Schmidt, and Bjørn Christian Viinholt Nielsen; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A 2018 report from Campbell Collaboration, analyzing research literature estimating the impact of class size reduction on reading and math achievement, has recently been gaining renewed attention, thanks in part to a Washington Post piece by Michael Bloomberg. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Integrating Housing and Education Solutions to Reduce Segregation and Drive School Equity and When Good Parents Go to Jail: The Criminalization of Address Sharing in Public Education Publication Date November 14, 2023 Authors Megan Gallagher, Rachel Lamb, Alexa Kort, and James Carter | Tim DeRoche, Hailly T.N. Korman, and Harold Hinds; Andrene J. Castro, Virginia Commonwealth University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The first report, Integrating Housing and Education Solutions to Reduce Segregation and Drive School Equity, specifically focuses on inequitable school resources and educational outcomes tied to residential and school segregation. The second report, When Good Parents Go to Jail: The Criminalization of Address Sharing in Public Education, similarly locates school and residential boundaries as drivers of educational inequities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The 123s of School Choice: What the Research Says About Private School Choice Programs in America, 2023 Edition Publication Date October 12, 2023 Authors EdChoice; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The 2023 (fifth) edition of a semi-regular EdChoice report about school-choice studies is billed as an updated overview of the varied and often contested research on outcomes in voucher-like programs that provide public funding for private schools. But like earlier editions, it uses flawed methods that tally certain voucher studies finding impacts on any subgroup, even if there was no effect on most students. There is little to no accounting for the studies’ sampling, quality, generalizability, or other important factors. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit: Economic Analysis Publication Date September 26, 2023 Authors Greg S. Griffin and Lisa Kieffer; David Knight, University of Washington Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts examines the monetary costs and benefits of the state's Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (QEEC), a voucher policy that provides a public subsidy for families to pay for private school tuition. A review of the report, however, contradicts its claim that the policy provides a net fiscal benefit to the state budget. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction Publication Date September 19, 2023 Authors Christie Ellis, Shannon Holston, Graham Drake, Hannah Putman, Abigail Swisher, and Heather Peske; Paul Thomas, Furman University Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) evaluates more than half of the elementary teacher preparation programs in the U.S., to gauge their effectiveness in reading instruction. A review finds, however, that the report lacks the rigor necessary to adequately inform policy or practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of As a Matter of Fact: National Charter School Study III 2023 Publication Date September 7, 2023 Authors Margaret E. Raymond, James L. Woodworth, Won Fy Lee, and Sally Bachofer; Joseph J. Ferrare University of Washington Bothell Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Funding; Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary In a recent report, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) examined charter school students' year-to-year test score growth over four years, and across 31 states. The report shows very small differences favoring charter schools and has been repeatedly trumpeted by charter school advocates as having policy significance-as weighing in favor of charter school expansion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Is Education Funding in America Still Unequal? Publication Date September 5, 2023 Authors Adam Tyner; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Thomas B. Fordham Institute recently released a report claiming that the problems of inequality and inadequacy of public school funding have largely been solved. This is incorrect, according to a review of the report. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Do Charter Schools Drain Resources From Traditional Public Schools? Publication Date May 18, 2023 Authors David Griffith; Huriya Jabbar, University of Texas at Austin Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers whether charter schools increase or decrease traditional public school districts’ total revenues, instructional spending per pupil, and efficiency. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of School Choice Is Not Enough: The Impact of Critical Social Justice Ideology in American Education Publication Date May 2, 2023 Authors Zach Goldberg and Eric Kaufmann; Christine Sleeter, California State University Monterey Bay; David Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Manhattan Institute presents results of a survey of U.S. adults aged 18-20 to determine the extent to which eight concepts the report equates with what it calls "critical social justice" (CSJ) theory-which the report frowns upon-are taught in schools. The first of the eight concepts, for instance, is, "America is a systemically racist society." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Assessing the National Landscape of Capital Expenditures for Public School Districts Publication Date April 20, 2023 Authors Kristin Blagg, Fanny Terrones, and Victoria Nelson; Jeffrey M. Vincent, University of California, Berkeley Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report relies primarily on school district annual capital outlay data reported in the U.S. Department of Education's Common Core of Data. It also examines which state policies may promote more progressive investment patterns. Confirming other studies, the report finds that school district capital expenditures vary from year to year and from state to state, that each state has a unique approach and mix of policies governing state support for local capital outlay, and that capital outlay is rarely equal or progressive. The report also finds that states with policies that aim to equalize capital spending are more likely to provide capital outlays for students from low-income backgrounds that are equal to or greater than outlays in wealthier communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Public Education Funding Without Boundaries: How to Get K-12 Dollars to Follow Open Enrollment Students Publication Date April 6, 2023 Authors Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Dr. Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Reason Foundation, a vigorous advocate for choice policies such as vouchers and charter schools, recently published a report advocating for the increased "portability" of school revenues, allowing for "money to follow the students" and, therefore, the expansion of interdistrict choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Effects of High-Performing, High-Turnover Teachers on Long-Run Student Achievement: Evidence From Teach for America Publication Date March 14, 2023 Authors Virginia S. Lovison; Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent paper published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University presents findings from a study examining Teach for America (TFA) teacher turnover and teachers’ contributions to fourth through eighth grade student achievement. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of K-12 Without Borders: Public School Students, Families, and Teachers Shut In by Education Boundaries Publication Date March 2, 2023 Authors Martin F. Lueken and Michael Q. McShane; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University; T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the directors of EdChoice, published by the Manhattan Institute, oversimplifies important equity issues as problems of school zone boundaries. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Ohio EdChoice Program’s Impact on School District Enrollments, Finances, and Academics Publication Date February 21, 2023 Authors Stéphane Lavertu and John J. Gregg; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers the impacts of vouchers as related to competition in Ohio public schools, increased racial segregation, and local district financial resources. It presents these three issues as the chief concerns of voucher critics and finds few harmful impacts. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Equal Is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Equity Across the U.S. and Within Each State | Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts Publication Date February 14, 2023 Authors Ivy Morgan | Indira Dammu, Bonnie O'Keefe, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Education Trust report, Equal is Not Good Enough and an accompanying piece, Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts, evaluate district revenue and school spending per pupil with respect to poverty, race, and language status. They focus on the extent to which states and local districts target sufficient resources fairly to these subgroups of students. They clearly lay out consistent evaluation criteria and conceptual framing, apply appropriate empirical methods with that framing, and provide data visualizations for understanding whether and to what extent states and local districts provide equitable school funding. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The System-Level Effects of Denver's Portfolio District Strategy: Technical Report Publication Date February 7, 2023 Authors Parker Baxter, Anna Nicotera, Erik Fuller, Jakob Panzer, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske; Robert Shand, American University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver claimed that portfolio reforms in the Denver Public Schools led to substantial academic gains for students. As the report’s lead author told the Denver Post, "This study makes clear that the reforms helped students and strengthened the district." A review of the report concludes, however, that claims attributing those gains specifically to the portfolio reforms are not valid. The report analyzes changes in academic performance as measured by test scores and graduation rates versus comparable schools in Colorado over 11 years of the district’s experimenting with the “portfolio” approach to school district management. The portfolio approach includes central-office oversight of different school types (such as charter schools, innovation schools, and district-run schools), with widespread parental choice under a single enrollment system. The model looks to choice, competition, and accountability to drive gains in student performance. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Off Track: An Assessment of Wisconsin's Early Care and Learning System for Young Children Publication Date January 31, 2023 Authors Angela Rachidi; W. Steven Barnett, Rutgers University Research Areas Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Badger report presents data on trends in Wisconsin's ECE system. It then identifies government regulations-particularly those focused on improving teacher-child interactions--as a problem, concluding that those regulations have limited supply, decreased parental choice in providers, and increased costs. Its recommendations include reducing continuous improvement efforts focused on quality while increasing performance accountability (aka testing burdens), consolidating state agencies, and increasing parental control over use of government childcare subsidies. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Empowering Parents with School Choice Reduces Wokeism in Education Publication Date January 24, 2023 Authors Jay P. Greene and Ian S. Kingsbury; Christine Sleeter, California State University Monterey Bay; and T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary In one of the more unusual reports NEPC has ever reviewed, Heritage Foundation authors recently argued for school-choice deregulation by comparing the amount of "wokeness" terminology in parent/student handbooks in U.S. charter schools with the level of charter school regulation in their states. The Heritage report finds that increased manifestations of "woke" terminology are associated with higher state levels of charter school regulation. On this basis, the report concludes that while charter schools represent a safe space away from "woke indoctrination" in public schools, further deregulation and less bureaucracy will allow the charter sector to truly respond to parent desires to avoid "leftist" curriculum. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Autonomous Schools Can Help Solve the Problem Behind the Teacher Shortage Problem Publication Date January 17, 2023 Authors Tressa Pankovits; Charisse Gulosino, University of Memphis; Hajime Mitani, Rowan University Research Areas Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Progressive Policy Institute highlights the emergence of widespread teacher staffing shortages. By describing teacher autonomy as a panacea for reversing the problem, however, the report oversimplifies the issue. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of #StudentsFirst: Empowering Parents to Help Students Regain Lost Learning Publication Date November 22, 2022 Authors Greg R. Lawson; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new Buckeye Institute report recommends sweeping K-12 policy reforms in response to COVID-19 academic disruptions and what the report asserts to be declining confidence in public schools. However, a review of the report criticizes the analysis and cautions against its policy recommendations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Some Assembly Required: How a More Flexible Learning Ecosystem Can Better Serve All Kids and Unlock Innovation Publication Date November 8, 2022 Authors Juliet Squire and Alex Spurrier; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from Bellwether details what its authors call "assembly-based education," a concept described as a hypothetical ecosystem that removes schools as a central education component. A review of the report exposes this concept as unworkable outside of a miraculous private marketplace, and thus a shortsighted attempt to invalidate public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Michigan Student Opportunity Scholarships: Overview and Fiscal Analysis Publication Date July 14, 2022 Authors Ben DeGrow, Martin Lueken; Christopher Saldaña, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Mackinac Center report claims that the proposed Michigan Student Opportunity Scholarship (MSOS) neovoucher program has the potential to create fiscal benefits for the state of Michigan and its school districts. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Addressing Teacher Shortages: Practical Ideas for the Pandemic and Beyond Publication Date May 24, 2022 Authors Ben DeGrow; Ed Fuller, Penn State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary In response to Covid-related teacher shortages, the TNTP think tank (formerly “The New Teacher Project”) released a report with recommendations for district leaders in crafting short- and long-term teacher staffing plans. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Summit Charter Organization Continues to Make Unjustified Claims Publication Date May 10, 2022 Authors Anum Ali Mohammed and Adam Black; Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Summit Public Schools, a charter school organization operating schools in California and Oregon, published Pathways to Success: Exploring the Long-Term Outcomes of Alumni from Summit Public Schools in September 2021, detailing the success of its graduates. A review by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley of Arizona State University examines these questionable assertions made about the performance and life satisfaction of Summit graduates. The report claims that Summit alumni graduated from college at nearly double the national average and self-reported high levels of well-being, fulfillment, and workplace satisfaction. It also reports that alumni from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds now make more than $60,000 per year on average working full time. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of From School Aid to Student Aid: Modernizing K-12 Funding in Michigan Publication Date May 3, 2022 Authors Ben DeGrow; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary In recent years, supporters of school choice have promoted school finance reforms sometimes called "backpack funding," but also called "money follows the child" or "student-based budgeting." Whatever the term used, the idea is facilitate choice by attaching a funded amount to each student, with that payment following the students to their chosen schools. A recent version of this proposal is found in a new report from the Mackinac Center, which provides a six-part recommendation for changes to Michigan's current approach to financing public and charter schools. The report's overarching theme, which is examined in a new review, is to move toward a system where more funding follows the student to either public, charter, or private schools—or to other service providers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Find Documenting Inequitable Patterns in Spending by Parent Teacher Associations, Parent Teacher Organizations, and “Friends of” Fundraising Groups at Illinois Public Schools Publication Date March 29, 2022 Authors Claire Mackevicius; Maia Cucchiara,Temple University Research Areas School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Urban Institute report analyzing the role of Parent Teacher Organizations and similar groups in Illinois echoes and amplifies the existing critique of private fundraising: that it exacerbates inequitable school funding. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Effects of School Choice: Analyzing the Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America Publication Date March 15, 2022 Authors Martin Lueken; Luis A. Huerta and Steven Koutsavlis, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice argues for expansion of policies that publicly fund private schools, contending that private schools could provide equal or better outcomes at lesser cost. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Priced Out of Public Schools: District Lines, Housing Access, and Inequitable Educational Options Publication Date March 1, 2022 Authors Alex Spurrier, Sara Hodges, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Erica Frankenberg, Penn State Research Areas Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Bellwether Education Partners, Priced Out of Public Schools: District Lines, Housing Access, and Inequitable Educational Options, attempts to examine the availability of low-income rental units in school districts to understand whether districts in the largest 200 metropolitan areas are accessible to families in poverty. The report finds nearly 500 examples of borders between two starkly different types of districts: those that are the most and least "accessible" based on the cost of rental housing. It designates these borders between these districts as barriers. After describing the problem, the report recommends a combination of education policy solutions, including expanding school choice, and affordable housing opportunities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Unexamined Rise of Therapeutic Education: How Social-Emotional Learning Extends K-12 Education's Reach Into Students' Lives and Expands Teachers' Roles Publication Date February 21, 2022 Authors Robert Pondiscio; Julia Mahfouz, University of Colorado Denver Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the American Enterprise Institute presents concerns regarding how Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) approaches have imposed ideas and techniques from psychology on classroom practices, and thus have shifted the mission of education away from academic instruction. But a review of the report finds misrepresentations of both the definition and the goals of SEL. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Basic Education Program: How the Volunteer State's Education Funding Formula Doesn't Make the Grade Publication Date February 15, 2022 Authors Ron Shultis and Jason Edmonds; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent policy brief from the Beacon Center of Tennessee describes the state's K-12 finance formula and makes recommendations for reform. According to a new review, however, there is little if any peer-reviewed research to support the brief's findings. In fact, several recent studies present contradictory findings. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Representation of Social Groups in U.S. Educational Materials and Why It Matters Publication Date February 8, 2022 Authors Amanda LaTasha Armstrong; Christine Sleeter, California State University, Monterey Bay Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary New America recently released a report about the value of culturally relevant curriculum in schools. According to a new review, the report is timely and helpful, although some limitations in its analysis weaken an otherwise valid exploration of how to address long-standing issues of racial and gender justice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Equity Elementary: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Staff in Public Schools Publication Date January 25, 2022 Authors Jay P. Greene and James D. Paul; Edward García Fierros, Villanova University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Heritage Foundation report objects to the increasing number of Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) emerging on public school districts’ administrative teams, but it appears to be supporting a conservative agenda rather than guiding policy related to student achievement gaps. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Charter School Funding: Dispelling Myths about EMOs, Expenditure Patterns, & Nonpublic Dollars Publication Date January 18, 2022 Authors Angela K. Dills, Patrick J. Wolf, Corey A. DeAngelis, Jay F. May, Larry D. Maloney, and Cassidy Syftestad Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary The latest in a series of reports from the University of Arkansas Department of Education unconvincingly attempts to show that charter schools are inequitably funded compared to public district schools. The report, Charter School Funding: Dispelling Myths about EMOs, Expenditure Patterns, & Nonpublic Dollars, runs into several major problems according to Dr. Mark Weber of Rutgers University and the New Jersey Policy Perspective in the latest NEPC review. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of How to Regulate Critical Race Theory in Schools: A Primer and Model Legislation Publication Date December 14, 2021 Authors James Copland; Kevin D. Brown, Indiana University Maurer School of Law Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Manhattan Institute recently released a report that manufactures a case against Critical Race Theory (CRT), building on a foundation of right-wing talking points. The report offers model legislation as a tool for countering schools’ purported CRT-inspired indoctrination. It contends that CRT is the foundation of a widespread effort by public schools to forcibly indoctrinate students and teaching staff to support an anti-conservative, anti-civil rights, anti-White, and anti-American agenda. However, as Professor Brown explains, the report’s errant conclusions were derived from misleading anecdotal evidence and a misrepresentation of important literature. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Suspended Reality: The Impact of Suspension Policy on Student Safety Publication Date December 7, 2021 Authors Will Flanders and Ameillia Wedward; Kathryn E. Wiley, University of Colorado Boulder; Kate Somerville, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Climate & Student Support Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) report suggests a relationship between school suspension rates and some students' perceptions of safety in Milwaukee schools. Its conclusion-which was examined in a new review-claims a causal chain that begins with unpunished misconduct in schools and ends with disruptive classroom environments that harm primarily African American students. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Ohio's Lost Einsteins: The Inequitable Outcomes of Early High Achievers Publication Date December 2, 2021 Authors Scott Imberman; Eunice Han, Yongmei Ni, University of Utah Research Areas Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Thomas B. Fordham Institute report examines the achievement growth of Ohio's "early high achievers," some of whom are identified as gifted and talented (GT). Its conclusion-which was examined in a new review-was that closing the "gifted identification gap" can help to close the "excellence gap." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Accountability and Private-School Choice Publication Date November 15, 2021 Authors Nicole Stelle Garnett; Jack Schneider, University of Massachusetts Lowel Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Manhattan Institute addresses the question of how private school voucher programs should be regulated, asking the important question of what accountability mechanisms will safeguard taxpayer dollars if private schools are to receive public funds. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Education Savings Accounts: How ESAs Can Promote Educational Freedom for New York Families Publication Date November 9, 2021 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Manhattan Institute promotes Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) by presenting a scenario whereby taxpayer expense would fall if the program motivated families to move children from public schools funded by the state to private schools funded primarily by families. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Charter School Funding: Support for Students with Disabilities Publication Date September 2, 2021 Authors Cassidy Syftestad, Patrick J. Wolf, Wendy Tucker, and Lauren Morando Rhim; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent brief from the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas erroneously asserts that charter schools are shortchanged of funding for students with disabilities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Florida Versus Kentucky: School Choice Improves Public School Performance, Too Publication Date July 15, 2021 Authors Samuel E. Abrams and Steven J. Koutsavlis; Sam Abrams and Steven Koutsavlis, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Kentucky's Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions claims, with little supporting evidence, that trends from the 1990s to 2019 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that choice programs catalyze significant educational improvement. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Effect of Constitutional Provisions on Education Policy and Outcomes Publication Date June 22, 2021 Authors Scott Dallman, Anusha Nath and Filip Premik; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Effect of Constitutional Provisions on Education Policy and Outcomes, a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, examines the potential effects of amending education clauses contained in states' constitutions. The apparent intent of the Federal Reserve Bank report is to provide an empirical justification for amending the education clause of Minnesota's constitution. Specifically, the report lays out four independent empirical analyses in an attempt to advance a theory of action for improving education quality. This theory of action asserts that amending these education clauses to include strong language regarding a legislative duty to fund schools leads to increased citizen leverage, potential judicial intervention, and adopted legislation-all of which lead to better school quality and student outcomes. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Education Freedom and Student Achievement: Is More School Choice Associated with Higher State-Level Performance on the NAEP? Publication Date June 15, 2021 Authors Patrick J. Wolf, Jay P. Greene, Matthew Ladner, and James D. Paul; T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia; Joel Malin, Miami University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent brief from the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas is being used by voucher advocates to argue that increasing school choice can spur broad test score improvements. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Drawbacks of Universal Pre-K: A Review of the Evidence Publication Date April 20, 2021 Authors Max Eden Research Areas Early Childhood Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Manhattan Institute recently published a brief, The Drawbacks of Universal Pre-K: A Review of the Evidence, which reviews evidence relating to both means-tested and universal early childhood care and education programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Harnessing Micro-Credentials for Teacher Growth: A National Review of Early Best Practices Publication Date April 8, 2021 Authors Melissa Tooley and Joseph Hood; Elena Aydarova, Auburn University Research Areas Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary New America recently published a report, Harnessing Micro-Credentials for Teacher Growth: A National Review of Early Best Practices, that champions ways that micro-credentials have been used to allow teachers to move up the career ladder, receive higher pay, or renew their licenses. The report, along with an accompanying implementation guide, offers recommendations for how to implement and integrate micro-credentials into states’ human resources systems. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Youth Engagement in Collective Impact Initiatives: Lessons from Promise Neighborhoods Publication Date March 30, 2021 Authors Jessica Shakesprere, Mica O'Brien, and Eona Harison; Dana Mitra, Penn State University Research Areas Community Schools; Governance & Public Education; General / Needs Review Publication Type Think Twice Summary When youth engage in collective-impact strategies, they have the potential to strengthen the design, implementation, and outcomes of school decision-making. A recent Urban Institute report takes up this important topic, examining what youth engagement initiatives look like within a broader reform structure. It presents a continuum of youth involvement-focused on issues of support, input, and leadership. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Capitalism in the 1619 Project Publication Date March 23, 2021 Authors Samuel Gregg; Seth Rockman, Brown University Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary Recently, the Heritage Foundation published a report, Capitalism in the 1619 Project, seeking to disqualify the 1619 Project curricular materials as insufficiently celebratory of American capitalism. The report primarily asserts that the 1619 Project overstates slavery’s importance to U.S. economic history. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Language Counts: Supporting Early Math Development for Dual Language Learners Publication Date March 2, 2021 Authors Brandon Lewis, Melissa Steel King, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis, University of New Mexico Research Areas General / Needs Review; Equity & Civil Rights; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary Bellwether Education Partners recently published a report that establishes the need to focus on the mathematics education of young Dual Language Learners (DLLs). The report provides a useful resource for policymakers and practitioners. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of School Accountability-Past, Present, and Future: Findings and Recommendations for State and District Policymakers Publication Date February 9, 2021 Authors Chester E. Finn, Jr.; Gail L. Sunderman, Maryland Equity Project Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Hoover Institution's Education Success Initiative argues that state and federal officials should retain what it calls "results-based" accountability systems that use standardized assessments of students followed by consequences for not meeting performance goals. But it does not provide the evidence needed to support that contention. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Toward Equitable School Choice Publication Date February 4, 2021 Authors Paul E. Peterson; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report from the Hoover Institution’s Education Success Initiative purports to offer evidence-based guidance for policymakers in shaping more equitable outcomes from school choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Religious Charter Schools: Legally Permissible? Constitutionally Required? Publication Date January 26, 2021 Authors Nicole Stelle Garnett; Derek Black, University of South Carolina School of Law Research Areas Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Manhattan Institute recently published a report concluding that the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue requires states to grant charters to religious organizations, including those that intend to deliver an explicitly religious curriculum that teaches religion as truth. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release

School Funding Review of The Economic Impact from Colorado's Choice to Participate in the "Education Freedom Tax Credit" Provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Publication Date May 21, 2026 Authors Thomas Young and Jimena Sanchez; Joydeep Roy, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Common Sense Institute recently published a report declaring large potential benefits of the federal education tax-credit voucher program created through President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. However, the report's claims about the improvements the program would create for Colorado are unlikely to materialize. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of NEPC Review: Estimating the LongRun Impact of a Universal ESA Program in Mississippi Publication Date February 24, 2026 Authors Martin Lueken and Michael Q. McShan; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice estimates the long-term economic returns of a universal education savings account (ESA) policy in Mississippi. ESA policies provide taxpayer dollars to households that decline to send their children to public schools, allowing those funds to be used for private school tuition or other educational expenses. As ESAs and similar school choice programs expand rapidly across the country, rigorous research is essential to inform sound, evidence-based policymaking. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Outmatched: Special Education Can't Solve Problems Rooted in the Education Delivery System Publication Date January 22, 2026 Authors Ashley Jochim and Alexander Kurz; Federico Waitoller, University of Illinois Chicago Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary While special education in the United States has advanced civil rights and educational equity, persistent concerns about inequity, labeling, and segregation remain. A recent Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) report proposes a dramatic restructuring of special education, arguing that rising identification rates and persistent achievement gaps stem from a general education system built for uniformity rather than diversity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of A State-Level Perspective on School Spending and Educational Outcomes Publication Date December 11, 2025 Authors Sarah Reber and Gabriela Goodman; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A large and growing body of high-quality research shows that increased school funding positively affects student outcomes. Yet, as compared to the effect of school funding reported in an authoritative meta-analysis, a new Brookings Institution report examining this relationship finds a much smaller (although still positive) effect. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of ESA's in Arizona: Q3 2025 Report Publication Date December 4, 2025 Authors Glenn Farley; David Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) addresses two important policy questions about Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program: 1) how much the ESA program will cost in the upcoming year, and 2) what the demographic characteristics of ESA users are by household income and race/ethnicity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Wisconsin's Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program Publication Date October 28, 2025 Authors School Choice Wisconsin; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary As one of the nation's longest-running private school voucher initiatives, Wisconsin's program has drawn decades of research interest. A recent report from a think tank called School Choice Wisconsin considers the cost-effectiveness of voucher-receiving schools in Racine, Milwaukee, and across the state. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Let's Get Ready! Educating All Americans for Success Publication Date October 14, 2025 Authors Ryan Pfleger Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction; School Funding; General / Needs Review; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary In late July, the National Governors Association released a report urging states to transform schools into stronger drivers of economic competitiveness. The report recommends that governors build public dashboards to track outcomes, align schools with workforce needs, and evaluate programs based on graduates' earnings potential. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Factbook: 2025 Edition Publication Date September 4, 2025 Authors Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary As enrollment in school privatization programs grows, right-wing ideological think tanks such as EdChoice have continued to argue that school vouchers and education savings accounts (ESAs) strengthen public school finances. Its Fiscal Factbook purports to find that voucher programs do not harm public school finances. The data presented in the report, however, fail to support its assertion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Apples to Apples: The Definitive Look at School Test Scores in Milwaukee and Wisconsin for 2024 Publication Date June 10, 2025 Authors Will Flanders; Benjamin Shear, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) examines publicly available test score data from Spring 2024 in Wisconsin to investigate the relative effectiveness and cost of school choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Enrollment Decline Windfall Publication Date May 8, 2025 Authors Ben Scafidi, EdChoice; David E. DeMatthews and Jinseok Shin of the University of Texas at Austin Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Most U.S. states continue to heavily rely on per-pupil funding models. Accordingly, projections of declining school-aged populations through 2030—combined with the rapid expansion of private school voucher policies—have raised serious concerns about the future adequacy of public school funding. A recent EdChoice report downplays these concerns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Persistence of Religious Discrimination in Publicly Funded Pre-K Programs Publication Date May 1, 2025 Authors Nicole Stelle Garnett, Tim Rosenberger, and J. Theodore Austin; Joshua Weishart, Suffolk University Law School Research Areas Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Manhattan Institute asserts that many religious pre-K providers are being unconstitutionally excluded from publicly funded education programs that remain open to other private schools. But incomplete research and methodological flaws render the report of relatively little value to policymakers or the public. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Testing Theories of Why: Four Keys to Interpreting US Student Achievement Trends Publication Date April 24, 2025 Authors Nat Malkus; Chris Domaleski, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent American Enterprise Institute report does a good job of identifying and describing long-term trends in student performance using national and international assessment data. However, a review finds that the report then falls short in its attempts to analyze and understand the factors driving these trends. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Thousands Served: Students with Disabilities in Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Programs Publication Date April 8, 2025 Authors School Choice Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty; Maria M. Lewis, Pennsylvania State University; Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Scholars, advocates, and policymakers have long expressed the concern that many private schools receiving taxpayer subsidies through voucher programs would fail to serve children with disabilities. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, in collaboration with School Choice Wisconsin, recent published a report challenging those concerns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Making the Grade: Accounting for Course Selection in High School Transcripts with Item Response Theory Publication Date March 25, 2025 Authors Kenneth A. Shores and Sanford R. Student; Michael Russell, Boston College Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; General / Needs Review; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The role of standardized test scores in college admissions is evolving, with many institutions shifting away from the SAT and ACT. In their absence, high school GPA has become the primary indicator of college readiness, though it doesn't account for course difficulty. A new Annenberg Institute report introduces "Transcript Strength," a measure designed to adjust GPA based on course rigor. While promising, the report acknowledges the approach requires further research and development. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Effects of School Choice: The Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America Through FY 2022 Publication Date February 10, 2025 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The expansion of voucher programs, which provide taxpayer-financed subsidies for families enrolling students in private schools, has prompted a debate about their fiscal impact. A recent EdChoice report argues that these programs do not negatively affect public school finances and actually save taxpayers substantial sums of money. Today's review explains how this argument rings hollow. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era Publication Date January 28, 2025 Authors Sofoklis Goulas; Sally A. Nuamah, Northwestern University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report argues that post-pandemic enrollment declines will inevitably force districts to make the controversial decision to close some schools. Embracing this possibility, it provides dual criteria of substantial declines in enrollment and chronic low performance as indicators of which schools should be closed first, naming nearly 500 specific schools that meet the criteria. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. Publication Date January 21, 2025 Authors Krista Kaput, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Clive Belfield; Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review these findings and recommendations are not well-supported. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Pennsylvania's Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the Commonwealth Publication Date November 12, 2024 Authors Rachel Langan; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Commonwealth Foundation report praises Pennsylvania's tax credit scholarship programs, which create private-school vouchers funded through tax-credited donations. The report argues in favor of the programs' expansion, but it has at least three major shortcomings. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Reality of Switchers Publication Date May 2, 2024 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report from the voucher-advocacy group EdChoice takes issue with the overwhelming evidence establishing that most users of vouchers under recent expansions of these policies have never attended public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Public Education at a Crossroads: A Comprehensive Look at K-12 Resources and Outcomes Publication Date April 9, 2024 Authors Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Clive Belfield, City University of New York Research Areas School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A growing and persuasive body of research has established the causal relationship between school funding and academic outcomes. The reality that money matters is not in serious dispute. But a new report from the Reason Foundation uses some superficial comparisons to try again to muddy the waters. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of K-12 School Choice Calculator Publication Date March 19, 2024 Authors Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new calculator from two voucher-advocacy organizations is offered as a tool to assist state policymakers and choice advocates in providing more accurate estimates of the expenses of adopting publicly financed private-school choice (i.e., voucher) programs. But several factors suggest it should be used with caution and caveats. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Still a Good Investment: Charter School Productivity in Nine Cities Publication Date January 23, 2024 Authors Alison H. Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay F. May, and Larry D. Maloney; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas has maintained, in an ongoing series of reports, that charter schools suffer from inequitable funding compared to public district schools. Their latest output extends this argument, claiming that despite receiving less revenue, charters achieve better results on standardized tests, making them the more cost-effective choice. However, the same methodological flaws identified in earlier reports continue, and worsen, in this one. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Cost-Effectiveness of Wisconsin's Private School Choice Programs Publication Date December 12, 2023 Authors Stephen Kotok, St. John’s University; Stephen Kotok, St. John's University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from School Choice Wisconsin claims that Wisconsin's voucher programs are highly "productive," achieving better academic outcomes at lower costs than public schools. A closer examination, however, calls into question the validity of these assertions. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The 123s of School Choice: What the Research Says About Private School Choice Programs in America, 2023 Edition Publication Date October 12, 2023 Authors EdChoice; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The 2023 (fifth) edition of a semi-regular EdChoice report about school-choice studies is billed as an updated overview of the varied and often contested research on outcomes in voucher-like programs that provide public funding for private schools. But like earlier editions, it uses flawed methods that tally certain voucher studies finding impacts on any subgroup, even if there was no effect on most students. There is little to no accounting for the studies’ sampling, quality, generalizability, or other important factors. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit: Economic Analysis Publication Date September 26, 2023 Authors Greg S. Griffin and Lisa Kieffer; David Knight, University of Washington Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts examines the monetary costs and benefits of the state's Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (QEEC), a voucher policy that provides a public subsidy for families to pay for private school tuition. A review of the report, however, contradicts its claim that the policy provides a net fiscal benefit to the state budget. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of As a Matter of Fact: National Charter School Study III 2023 Publication Date September 7, 2023 Authors Margaret E. Raymond, James L. Woodworth, Won Fy Lee, and Sally Bachofer; Joseph J. Ferrare University of Washington Bothell Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Funding; Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary In a recent report, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) examined charter school students' year-to-year test score growth over four years, and across 31 states. The report shows very small differences favoring charter schools and has been repeatedly trumpeted by charter school advocates as having policy significance-as weighing in favor of charter school expansion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Is Education Funding in America Still Unequal? Publication Date September 5, 2023 Authors Adam Tyner; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Thomas B. Fordham Institute recently released a report claiming that the problems of inequality and inadequacy of public school funding have largely been solved. This is incorrect, according to a review of the report. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Do Charter Schools Drain Resources From Traditional Public Schools? Publication Date May 18, 2023 Authors David Griffith; Huriya Jabbar, University of Texas at Austin Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers whether charter schools increase or decrease traditional public school districts’ total revenues, instructional spending per pupil, and efficiency. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Assessing the National Landscape of Capital Expenditures for Public School Districts Publication Date April 20, 2023 Authors Kristin Blagg, Fanny Terrones, and Victoria Nelson; Jeffrey M. Vincent, University of California, Berkeley Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report relies primarily on school district annual capital outlay data reported in the U.S. Department of Education's Common Core of Data. It also examines which state policies may promote more progressive investment patterns. Confirming other studies, the report finds that school district capital expenditures vary from year to year and from state to state, that each state has a unique approach and mix of policies governing state support for local capital outlay, and that capital outlay is rarely equal or progressive. The report also finds that states with policies that aim to equalize capital spending are more likely to provide capital outlays for students from low-income backgrounds that are equal to or greater than outlays in wealthier communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Public Education Funding Without Boundaries: How to Get K-12 Dollars to Follow Open Enrollment Students Publication Date April 6, 2023 Authors Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Dr. Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Reason Foundation, a vigorous advocate for choice policies such as vouchers and charter schools, recently published a report advocating for the increased "portability" of school revenues, allowing for "money to follow the students" and, therefore, the expansion of interdistrict choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Ohio EdChoice Program’s Impact on School District Enrollments, Finances, and Academics Publication Date February 21, 2023 Authors Stéphane Lavertu and John J. Gregg; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers the impacts of vouchers as related to competition in Ohio public schools, increased racial segregation, and local district financial resources. It presents these three issues as the chief concerns of voucher critics and finds few harmful impacts. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Equal Is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Equity Across the U.S. and Within Each State | Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts Publication Date February 14, 2023 Authors Ivy Morgan | Indira Dammu, Bonnie O'Keefe, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Education Trust report, Equal is Not Good Enough and an accompanying piece, Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts, evaluate district revenue and school spending per pupil with respect to poverty, race, and language status. They focus on the extent to which states and local districts target sufficient resources fairly to these subgroups of students. They clearly lay out consistent evaluation criteria and conceptual framing, apply appropriate empirical methods with that framing, and provide data visualizations for understanding whether and to what extent states and local districts provide equitable school funding. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of #StudentsFirst: Empowering Parents to Help Students Regain Lost Learning Publication Date November 22, 2022 Authors Greg R. Lawson; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new Buckeye Institute report recommends sweeping K-12 policy reforms in response to COVID-19 academic disruptions and what the report asserts to be declining confidence in public schools. However, a review of the report criticizes the analysis and cautions against its policy recommendations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Summit Charter Organization Continues to Make Unjustified Claims Publication Date May 10, 2022 Authors Anum Ali Mohammed and Adam Black; Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Summit Public Schools, a charter school organization operating schools in California and Oregon, published Pathways to Success: Exploring the Long-Term Outcomes of Alumni from Summit Public Schools in September 2021, detailing the success of its graduates. A review by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley of Arizona State University examines these questionable assertions made about the performance and life satisfaction of Summit graduates. The report claims that Summit alumni graduated from college at nearly double the national average and self-reported high levels of well-being, fulfillment, and workplace satisfaction. It also reports that alumni from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds now make more than $60,000 per year on average working full time. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of From School Aid to Student Aid: Modernizing K-12 Funding in Michigan Publication Date May 3, 2022 Authors Ben DeGrow; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary In recent years, supporters of school choice have promoted school finance reforms sometimes called "backpack funding," but also called "money follows the child" or "student-based budgeting." Whatever the term used, the idea is facilitate choice by attaching a funded amount to each student, with that payment following the students to their chosen schools. A recent version of this proposal is found in a new report from the Mackinac Center, which provides a six-part recommendation for changes to Michigan's current approach to financing public and charter schools. The report's overarching theme, which is examined in a new review, is to move toward a system where more funding follows the student to either public, charter, or private schools—or to other service providers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Find Documenting Inequitable Patterns in Spending by Parent Teacher Associations, Parent Teacher Organizations, and “Friends of” Fundraising Groups at Illinois Public Schools Publication Date March 29, 2022 Authors Claire Mackevicius; Maia Cucchiara,Temple University Research Areas School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Urban Institute report analyzing the role of Parent Teacher Organizations and similar groups in Illinois echoes and amplifies the existing critique of private fundraising: that it exacerbates inequitable school funding. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Basic Education Program: How the Volunteer State's Education Funding Formula Doesn't Make the Grade Publication Date February 15, 2022 Authors Ron Shultis and Jason Edmonds; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent policy brief from the Beacon Center of Tennessee describes the state's K-12 finance formula and makes recommendations for reform. According to a new review, however, there is little if any peer-reviewed research to support the brief's findings. In fact, several recent studies present contradictory findings. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Charter School Funding: Support for Students with Disabilities Publication Date September 2, 2021 Authors Cassidy Syftestad, Patrick J. Wolf, Wendy Tucker, and Lauren Morando Rhim; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent brief from the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas erroneously asserts that charter schools are shortchanged of funding for students with disabilities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Effect of Constitutional Provisions on Education Policy and Outcomes Publication Date June 22, 2021 Authors Scott Dallman, Anusha Nath and Filip Premik; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Effect of Constitutional Provisions on Education Policy and Outcomes, a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, examines the potential effects of amending education clauses contained in states' constitutions. The apparent intent of the Federal Reserve Bank report is to provide an empirical justification for amending the education clause of Minnesota's constitution. Specifically, the report lays out four independent empirical analyses in an attempt to advance a theory of action for improving education quality. This theory of action asserts that amending these education clauses to include strong language regarding a legislative duty to fund schools leads to increased citizen leverage, potential judicial intervention, and adopted legislation-all of which lead to better school quality and student outcomes. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Capitalism in the 1619 Project Publication Date March 23, 2021 Authors Samuel Gregg; Seth Rockman, Brown University Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary Recently, the Heritage Foundation published a report, Capitalism in the 1619 Project, seeking to disqualify the 1619 Project curricular materials as insufficiently celebratory of American capitalism. The report primarily asserts that the 1619 Project overstates slavery’s importance to U.S. economic history. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Unleashing Educational Opportunity: The Untapped Potential of Expanded Tax Credit Scholarships Publication Date October 22, 2020 Authors Corey DeAngelis; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A Commonwealth Foundation report argues that expanding a program that uses tax credits to create vouchers for private schooling can lead to large economic gains for the state of Pennsylvania. Such gains would result from two purported benefits: increased lifetime earnings for those attending private schools on vouchers, and reduced social costs associated with crime. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Are Charter Schools Safer Than District-Run Schools? Evidence from Pennsylvania | Review of Effects of Charter School Competition on District School Budgeting Decisions: Experimental Evidence from Texas Publication Date June 9, 2020 Authors Corey A. DeAngelis | Corey A. DeAngelis and Christian Barnard; Bruce Fuller, University of California, Berkeley Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The first study describes how rates of reported low-incidence student infractions are lower in charters, on average. Analyses that include some statistical controls continue to yield results favorable to charters. The author concludes, “The public charter school sector advantages suggest that increasing access to public charter schools in Pennsylvania could improve school climate outcomes for students.” The second report aims to show that competition from the opening of an imagined nearby charter school can increase principals’ preference for budget autonomy and change how they allocate campus budgets to differing positions and instructional resources. The authors assert that their study offers “experimental evidence” that “anticipated charter school competition has large negative effects on school leaders’ reported spending on certain categories of support staff.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of A Roadmap to Fix Arizona School Finance: Steering the Grand Canyon State Toward Fairness and Innovation in K-12 Education Publication Date April 14, 2020 Authors Christian Barnard; David R. Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report begins by describing how Arizona's lowest-income school districts receive less funding from state and local sources than higher-income school districts. As is the case in many states, Arizona's school districts with lower property wealth have higher tax rates and generate less revenue than higher property wealth school districts. The report then sets forth the 16 far-ranging policy recommendations that its author argues will improve the "transparency, equity, and effectiveness of Arizona's school finance system. . ." Collectively, these recommendations would amount to a fundamental overhaul of Arizona's school finance system. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Call for Lawmakers to Loosen School Advertising Restrictions Overlooks Real Costs to Students Publication Date November 19, 2019 Authors Peter Murphy; William S. Koski, Stanford Law School Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Empire Center recently released a brief making the persuasive legal case that current policy and legal guidance from state education officials in New York severely restricts the ability of school districts to allow any form of commercial advertising. Because of this, the brief argues, it is more difficult than it should be for these districts to raise revenues from advertising, sponsorships, and naming rights deals Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report about Homeschooling Overreaches on Claims Publication Date November 7, 2019 Authors Kerry MacDonald; Robert Kunzman, Indiana University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Cato Institute recently released a report arguing that homeschoolers should support school choice proposals because greater educational freedom empowers parents to provide richer learning opportunities for their children. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Manhattan Institute Report Fails to Muster Solid Evidence to Support Vouchers Publication Date October 22, 2019 Authors Ashley Rogers Berner, Johns Hopkins University; Joel Westheimer, University of Ottawa Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Manhattan Institute report argues that the idea of what constitutes a "public" school should be expanded to include private schools that receive public funding. The report also contends that public funding for education should in fact be divided between traditional district public schools, charter schools, and private schools, with funding decisions based on student enrollment. Expansion of funding, it concludes, will result in greater choice for all students and will improve the quality of education. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Click the button below and signup to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter Schools and District Enrollment Loss Do Charter Schools Cause Fiscal Distress in School Districts Do the Costs of California Charter Schools Outweigh the Benefits Publication Date May 30, 2019 Authors Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), based at the University of Washington, Bothell, recently released a series of three policy briefs on the financial impact of charter schools on nearby school districts in California. The briefs are intended to inform ongoing debates over charter school financing and expansion in the state of California. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Effects of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program on College Enrollment and Graduation: An Update Publication Date March 28, 2019 Authors Matthew Chingos, Tomas Monarrez, and Daniel Kuehn; Jaekyung Lee, of the University at Buffalo, SUNY Research Areas General / Needs Review; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Urban Institute has been widely trumpeted as documenting college attainment benefits for students receiving a neovoucher through the Florida Tax Credit scholarship program. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Report Advocating for More Charter School Facilities Funding Offers Scarce Rationale for Doing So Publication Date March 12, 2019 Authors Mark Weber, Rutgers Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from Bellwether Education Partners contends that more funding should be given for charter school facilities. Focusing on a series of Idaho case studies, the report argues that charter schools are unfairly denied funding for the construction and renovation of their school buildings. These arguments, while focused on Idaho in this particular report, have been made with regard to charter school policies across the U.S. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Click the button below and signup to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Everything You Know About State Education Rankings Is Wrong/Fixing the Currently Biased State K-12 Education Rankings Publication Date November 27, 2018 Authors Stan J. Liebowitz and Matthew L. Kelly; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary Click the button below and signup to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Money for Nothing: The Relationship Between Various Types of School Spending and Academic Outcomes Publication Date October 11, 2018 Authors Will Flanders; William J. Mathis Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Money for Nothing lacks a theoretical or practical base and uses superficial and inaccurate methods that render it useless for policymaking purposes. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Fiscal and Education Spillovers from Charter School Expansion Publication Date October 4, 2018 Authors Matt Ridley and Camille Terrier; Clive Belfield Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The paper reaches three key findings. First, due to a subsidy provided by Massachusetts law, per-pupil expenditures in the impacted public schools increased as charter schools expanded. Second, these districts appeared to respond to competitive pressures from charter schools by moving funding to inputs directly related to instruction. Third, test scores in math and English language arts in the existing public schools increased very slightly. All three of these impacts, however, disappear after six years of initial charter school expansion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Student-Centered State Funding: A How-to Guide for State Policymakers Publication Date January 9, 2018 Authors Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) attempted to illustrate and explain how state policymakers could design fairer and more transparent state funding systems where monies ‘follow the child’ through parental choice. The school finance systems promoted in the report allow for all state and local tax dollars to flow freely to local district, charter, or private and religious schools. The central premise of the report is: “that adopting ‘student-centered’ funding to enable parental choice of schools necessarily leads to a fairer and more transparent system for financing children’s schooling.” Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter School Funding: Inequity in New York City Publication Date October 11, 2017 Authors Larry D. Maloney and Patrick J. Wolf; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY) Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Department of Education Reform (EDRE) at the University of Arkansas claimed that charter schools in NYC were not being fairly funded because of a funding gap favoring district schools. The authors of the report also asserted that certain co-located schools had fiscal advantages over other charters. Unfortunately, an academic review of the report finds it to be dated and of little use for policymakers or researchers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Tax-Credit Scholarship Audit: Do Publicly Funded Private School Choice Programs Save Money? Publication Date August 24, 2017 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Luis A. Huerta and Steven Koutsavlis, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A 2016 report from EdChoice asserted that tax credit scholarship programs through Scholarship Tuition Organizations (STOs) have saved state treasuries billions of dollars since 1998. Twenty-one programs in 17 states now distribute scholarships to students via STO tax credit programs sometimes called “neovouchers.” The programs allow individuals and corporations to contribute to a nonprofit organization that distributes the money in the form of scholarships. According to the authors of the report, states can save money as a result of students leaving public schools and entering private schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Hidden Money: The Outsized Role of Parent Contributions in School Finance Publication Date June 15, 2017 Authors Catherine Brown, Scott Sargrad, and Meg Benner; Maia Cucchiara, Temple University Research Areas General / Needs Review; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) investigated private fundraising by parent groups, a source of inequality in education that receives scant attention. The report called on district leaders to take actions to address funding disparities between wealthy and low-income schools. The report found that while affluent students receive additional funding for additional resources from parent groups, low-income students (disproportionately children of color) must spend public dollars to obtain the same resources. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Squeezing the Public School Districts: The Fiscal Effects of Eliminating the Louisiana Scholarship Program / Two recent papers from the Department of Education Reform (DER) at the University of Arkansas predicted the budgetary consequences of ending the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP). The two closely allied papers concluded that terminating the LSP would not relieve pressure on public spending in Louisiana. The first paper uses an economic model to conclude that terminating the LSP would increase costs. While, the second paper confirms the findings from the first paper and advances that the findings would apply to almost all school districts in Louisiana. Publication Date September 29, 2016 Authors Corey A. DeAngelis & Julie R. Trivitt; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Two recent papers from the Department of Education Reform (DER) at the University of Arkansas predicted the budgetary consequences of ending the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP). The two closely allied papers concluded that terminating the LSP would not relieve pressure on public spending in Louisiana. A new review of the papers says that the findings are reasonable, but they fail to make a convincing case. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release ESEA Reauthorization: How Can We Build upon No Child Left Behind’s Progress for Students with Disabilities in a Reauthorized ESEA Publication Date June 8, 2015 Authors Chelsea Straus; Edward Fierros & Katherine Cosner, Villanova University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) links benchmarks for inclusion in state testing and stringent accountability with improved educational outcomes for students with disabilities. While noting that causal claims could not be made, the report then proceeded to try to convince readers of exactly such claims. The report compared 2000 to 2013 NAEP test scores along with NCES national-level data and found increased test scores, decreased dropout rates, and increased graduation rates for students with disabilities, as well as improved outcomes for Black and Hispanic students with disabilities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Federal School Finance Reform: Moving Toward Title I Funding Following the Child Publication Date November 6, 2014 Authors Katie Furtick & Lisa Snell; Gail L. Sunderman, University of Maryland Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report provided an overview of federal Title I funding, and attempted to examine problems with current funding. The report highlights two bills introduced during the 113th U.S. Congress, which promote portability – allowing funding to follow the child. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands Department of Education Reform (DER) at the University of Arkansas Publication Date May 20, 2014 Authors Meagan Batdorff, Larry Maloney, Jay F. May, Sheree T. Speakman, Patrick J. Wolf, Albert Cheng; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The authors of the report claim large and growing inequities between district funding provided through state, local, federal and other sources and charter school revenues from those same sources, even after accounting for differences in student needs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Economic Benefits of New York City’s Public School Reforms, 2002-2013 Publication Date March 31, 2014 Authors Robert J. Shapiro, Sonecon, Inc. & Kevin A. Hassett, American Enterprise Institute (AEI); Sean P. Corcoran, New York University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary An estimated $74 billion impact was attributed to the reforms (based on earnings of students who graduated under the reforms – who might not have otherwise – and on property values). The report assumes that higher graduation rates and charter school availability increased residential property values in the city. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Should Charter Schools Pay Rent? Implications for Staffing and Growth Publication Date February 20, 2014 Authors Stephen Eide; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report from the Manhattan Institute examined the potential impact of requiring co-located charter schools to pay rent in NYC. The report reflects concerns of charter advocates and operators regarding potential policy changes under Bill de Blasio, New York's new mayor. The report claims that charging rent to co-located charters in NYC would have triggered an average budget deficit of 10.7 percent at those schools. The report also proposes that paying rent could cripple the co-located charters' growth in NYC. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Weighted Student funding for California Publication Date June 18, 2013 Authors Dr. Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Reason Foundation, a Libertarian think tank, recently issued a brief on California Gov. Jerry Brown’s school finance reform plan, which endorses Brown’s proposal and then uses it to advance its own ideas for reducing the role of school districts and for giving school principals greater autonomy over spending. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release New York State Special Education Enrollment Analysis Center on Reinventing Public Education Publication Date December 6, 2012 Authors Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report finds that differences in charter and district school special education enrollment rates are far smaller than is claimed in recent federal reports and other literature. It finds disparities between elementary and secondary enrollment patterns, and variation among charter authorizers. The report argues against one-size-fits-all 'enrollment targets.' Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Spend Smart: Fix Our Broken School Funding System Publication Date April 14, 2011 Authors Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report asserts that the Connecticut system for public school funding is broken and should be fixed by adopting a very simple weighted student funding formula where the money follows the student to whatever type of school he/she attends. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release An Analysis of Arizona Individual Income Tax-credit Scholarship Recipient's Family Income, 2009-10 Publication Date November 18, 2010 Authors Casey D. Cobb, University of Connecticut Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report attempts to counter claims made by two AZ newspapers that the state's tuition tax credit voucher program has failed to increase private school access for low-income families. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools Publication Date May 5, 2010 Authors Vaughn Altemus, University of Vermont Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report contends that the figures most commonly associated with spending on K-12 public education do not include all relevant expenditures, and that the real costs are much higher than reported. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Fix the City Schools: Moving All Schools to Charter-Like Autonomy Publication Date April 15, 2010 Authors Katrina E. Bulkley, Montclair State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report argues for the decentralization of urban school districts and cites increased student achievement in post-Katrina New Orleans as support for city schools moving toward a "portfolio" of schools model. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Private Schooling in the U.S.: Expenditures, Supply, and Policy Implications Publication Date August 18, 2009 Authors Bruce D. Baker Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary This policy brief makes the case for schools across the country to put an end to policies that cast off students into unchallenging, low-track classrooms. The authors recommend a clear process for the phasing out of curricular stratification in grades K-10, beginning with the lowest track and granting meaningful access to AP and IB courses to all students. The brief includes model statutory language to implement its recommendations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Private Schooling in the U.S.: Expenditures, Supply, and Policy Implications Publication Date August 18, 2009 Authors Bruce D. Baker Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Policy Brief Summary Click the button below and signup to receive the latest news and information from The Great Lakes Center. We value your privacy and do not share email addresses with any other organizations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Impacts After Three Years Publication Date May 21, 2009 Authors Martin Carnoy, Stanford University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report finds that after three years, students in the D.C. voucher program showed modestly higher reading scores, but no significant difference in math scores when compared with a control group of students who didn’t get vouchers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Weighted Student Formula Yearbook 2009 Publication Date May 13, 2009 Authors Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report examines 14 city school systems and one statewide one - Hawaii- that the report presents as reflecting "best practices" in implementing what it calls Weighted Student Funding reforms. The report is based on two underlying premises: (1) school budgets should be allocated directly to schools within a district, with the amount based on each child's needs; and (2) school principals should have full discretion on how to allocate those funds. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Fiscal Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 2009 Update Publication Date April 27, 2009 Authors Christopher Lubienski, University of Illinois Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report examines issues concerning the funding formula used for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and finds that it generates a net savings to taxpayers in Wisconsin but imposes a large fiscal burden on taxpayers in Milwaukee. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release When Private Schools Take Public Dollars: What’s the Place of Accountability in School Voucher Programs? Publication Date April 15, 2009 Authors Ernest House, University of Colorado at Boulder Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary This report examines the opinions of experts who are school choice advocates regarding accountability issues for private schools that accept public monies (vouchers). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox!

The Latest: Avoiding the Supreme Court’s Religious Charter-School Trap: Governance Change for the New Legal Era Read it GLC Publications List Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation (National Council on Teacher Quality, June 2026) Publication Date August 11, 2026 Authors Elena Aydarova, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas Teacher Workforce; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary This review examines a National Council on Teacher Quality report on elementary teacher preparation for reading instruction and concludes that its recommendations are not supported by rigorous evidence. The review argues that the report relies on outdated research, flawed methodology, and apparent conflicts of interest, and cautions policymakers against using it to guide teacher preparation or literacy policy. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Navigating the Math Wars: A Practical Guide to the Divides and Debates Influencing Math Instruction Publication Date July 28, 2026 Authors Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce; Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary The review examines current debates over math instruction and argues that a report intended to clarify them instead reinforces polarization and lacks sufficient nuance about classroom practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Sifting Through the Mississippi Evidence Publication Date July 14, 2026 Authors Gregory Camilli, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Early Childhood; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary New review uses Progressive Policy Institute report as starting point to try to better understand the impact of literacy reforms and other factors that may have influenced the state's NAEP fourth-grade reading scores. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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 Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Economic Impact from Colorado's Choice to Participate in the "Education Freedom Tax Credit" Provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Publication Date May 21, 2026 Authors Thomas Young and Jimena Sanchez; Joydeep Roy, Teachers College, Columbia University Research Areas School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Common Sense Institute recently published a report declaring large potential benefits of the federal education tax-credit voucher program created through President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. However, the report's claims about the improvements the program would create for Colorado are unlikely to materialize. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Beyond Race: What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap Publication Date May 12, 2026 Authors Will Flanders; Jaekyung Lee, University at Buffalo Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) highlights stark achievement gaps between White and Black students in Wisconsin, particularly in elementary-level English language arts and reading. While the report deserves credit for bringing attention to this important issue, its analysis is incomplete and misleading. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict Publication Date March 26, 2026 Authors David M. Houston and Michael T. Hartney; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report surveys more than 5,000 school board members across over 3,000 districts, finding they are disproportionately White, college educated, and often current or former teachers, with politics and beliefs that largely mirror both the U.S. public and their local communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of NEPC Review: Estimating the LongRun Impact of a Universal ESA Program in Mississippi Publication Date February 24, 2026 Authors Martin Lueken and Michael Q. McShan; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Funding; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from EdChoice estimates the long-term economic returns of a universal education savings account (ESA) policy in Mississippi. ESA policies provide taxpayer dollars to households that decline to send their children to public schools, allowing those funds to be used for private school tuition or other educational expenses. As ESAs and similar school choice programs expand rapidly across the country, rigorous research is essential to inform sound, evidence-based policymaking. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation Publication Date January 29, 2026 Authors Christopher Cleveland, Brown University; Joshua Almes, Brown University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent New America report argues that states can advance educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. While the analysis has some methodological limitations, it offers policymakers a useful framework for understanding how existing district lines shape unequal access to resources. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Outmatched: Special Education Can't Solve Problems Rooted in the Education Delivery System Publication Date January 22, 2026 Authors Ashley Jochim and Alexander Kurz; Federico Waitoller, University of Illinois Chicago Research Areas Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary While special education in the United States has advanced civil rights and educational equity, persistent concerns about inequity, labeling, and segregation remain. A recent Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) report proposes a dramatic restructuring of special education, arguing that rising identification rates and persistent achievement gaps stem from a general education system built for uniformity rather than diversity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of A State-Level Perspective on School Spending and Educational Outcomes Publication Date December 11, 2025 Authors Sarah Reber and Gabriela Goodman; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A large and growing body of high-quality research shows that increased school funding positively affects student outcomes. Yet, as compared to the effect of school funding reported in an authoritative meta-analysis, a new Brookings Institution report examining this relationship finds a much smaller (although still positive) effect. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of ESA's in Arizona: Q3 2025 Report Publication Date December 4, 2025 Authors Glenn Farley; David Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) addresses two important policy questions about Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program: 1) how much the ESA program will cost in the upcoming year, and 2) what the demographic characteristics of ESA users are by household income and race/ethnicity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Wisconsin's Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program Publication Date October 28, 2025 Authors School Choice Wisconsin; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary As one of the nation's longest-running private school voucher initiatives, Wisconsin's program has drawn decades of research interest. A recent report from a think tank called School Choice Wisconsin considers the cost-effectiveness of voucher-receiving schools in Racine, Milwaukee, and across the state. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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? Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Let's Get Ready! Educating All Americans for Success Publication Date October 14, 2025 Authors Ryan Pfleger Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction; School Funding; General / Needs Review; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary In late July, the National Governors Association released a report urging states to transform schools into stronger drivers of economic competitiveness. The report recommends that governors build public dashboards to track outcomes, align schools with workforce needs, and evaluate programs based on graduates' earnings potential. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Directional Signals: A New Analysis of the Evolving Private School Choice Landscape Publication Date September 30, 2025 Authors Bella DiMarco; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary In recent years, at least a dozen states have created private school choice (aka voucher) programs that are universal—placing few or no restrictions on wealth or other factors that might limit which families can participate. A FutureEd report examines the expansion of such programs, and provides a generally useful, up-to-date compilation of basic facts and trends around universal voucher programs in 10 states. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Factbook: 2025 Edition Publication Date September 4, 2025 Authors Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary As enrollment in school privatization programs grows, right-wing ideological think tanks such as EdChoice have continued to argue that school vouchers and education savings accounts (ESAs) strengthen public school finances. Its Fiscal Factbook purports to find that voucher programs do not harm public school finances. The data presented in the report, however, fail to support its assertion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Apples to Apples: The Definitive Look at School Test Scores in Milwaukee and Wisconsin for 2024 Publication Date June 10, 2025 Authors Will Flanders; Benjamin Shear, University of Colorado Boulder Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) examines publicly available test score data from Spring 2024 in Wisconsin to investigate the relative effectiveness and cost of school choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Enrollment Decline Windfall Publication Date May 8, 2025 Authors Ben Scafidi, EdChoice; David E. DeMatthews and Jinseok Shin of the University of Texas at Austin Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Most U.S. states continue to heavily rely on per-pupil funding models. Accordingly, projections of declining school-aged populations through 2030—combined with the rapid expansion of private school voucher policies—have raised serious concerns about the future adequacy of public school funding. A recent EdChoice report downplays these concerns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Persistence of Religious Discrimination in Publicly Funded Pre-K Programs Publication Date May 1, 2025 Authors Nicole Stelle Garnett, Tim Rosenberger, and J. Theodore Austin; Joshua Weishart, Suffolk University Law School Research Areas Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Manhattan Institute asserts that many religious pre-K providers are being unconstitutionally excluded from publicly funded education programs that remain open to other private schools. But incomplete research and methodological flaws render the report of relatively little value to policymakers or the public. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Testing Theories of Why: Four Keys to Interpreting US Student Achievement Trends Publication Date April 24, 2025 Authors Nat Malkus; Chris Domaleski, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent American Enterprise Institute report does a good job of identifying and describing long-term trends in student performance using national and international assessment data. However, a review finds that the report then falls short in its attempts to analyze and understand the factors driving these trends. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Thousands Served: Students with Disabilities in Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Programs Publication Date April 8, 2025 Authors School Choice Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty; Maria M. Lewis, Pennsylvania State University; Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Scholars, advocates, and policymakers have long expressed the concern that many private schools receiving taxpayer subsidies through voucher programs would fail to serve children with disabilities. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, in collaboration with School Choice Wisconsin, recent published a report challenging those concerns. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Making the Grade: Accounting for Course Selection in High School Transcripts with Item Response Theory Publication Date March 25, 2025 Authors Kenneth A. Shores and Sanford R. Student; Michael Russell, Boston College Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; General / Needs Review; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The role of standardized test scores in college admissions is evolving, with many institutions shifting away from the SAT and ACT. In their absence, high school GPA has become the primary indicator of college readiness, though it doesn't account for course difficulty. A new Annenberg Institute report introduces "Transcript Strength," a measure designed to adjust GPA based on course rigor. While promising, the report acknowledges the approach requires further research and development. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Fiscal Effects of School Choice: The Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America Through FY 2022 Publication Date February 10, 2025 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The expansion of voucher programs, which provide taxpayer-financed subsidies for families enrolling students in private schools, has prompted a debate about their fiscal impact. A recent EdChoice report argues that these programs do not negatively affect public school finances and actually save taxpayers substantial sums of money. Today's review explains how this argument rings hollow. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Are Education Programs for High Achievers Inherently Inequitable? Publication Date February 4, 2025 Authors Brandon L. Wright; Margaret Thornton, Rowan University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report analyzes several perceived threats to educational opportunities for students who score well on standardized tests and class grades. It contends that these threats come from those who are overly concerned about "equity" and who seek to undermine programs designed for these high-achieving students. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era Publication Date January 28, 2025 Authors Sofoklis Goulas; Sally A. Nuamah, Northwestern University Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report argues that post-pandemic enrollment declines will inevitably force districts to make the controversial decision to close some schools. Embracing this possibility, it provides dual criteria of substantial declines in enrollment and chronic low performance as indicators of which schools should be closed first, naming nearly 500 specific schools that meet the criteria. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. Publication Date January 21, 2025 Authors Krista Kaput, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Clive Belfield; Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review these findings and recommendations are not well-supported. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? Publication Date December 10, 2024 Authors Jay Carter and Leonardo Restrepo; James Noonan, Salem State University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Urban Institute report examines proposed legislation in North Carolina that would add a "proportionality score" to the state accountability system, measuring how closely a school’s racial demographics match those of the surrounding county. James Noonan of Salem State University reviewed School Segregation on School Report Cards: Who Are We Grading Anyway? and found it to be logical but somewhat under-explained. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Searching for the Tipping Point: Scaling up Public School Choice Spurs Citywide Gains Publication Date December 3, 2024 Authors Tressa Pankovits; David R. Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Progressive Policy Institute report purports to examine the impact of charter schools on the achievement of students who remain enrolled in district-run public schools. Based on the data in the report, however, it shows only a weak relationship between the presence of charter schools and increases in achievement for all students, which contradicts the report's claims. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Reassessing ESSA Implementation: An Equity Analysis of School Accountability Systems Publication Date November 20, 2024 Authors Nicholas Munyan-Penney, Abigail Jones, and Shayna Levitan; Derek Gottlieb, University of Northern Colorado Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary EdTrust recently published a report using what it calls an "equity analysis" to critique states' accountability plans, recommending several steps states might take to improve their systems. But a new review explains how that report rehashes old arguments for the original No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Pennsylvania's Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the Commonwealth Publication Date November 12, 2024 Authors Rachel Langan; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Commonwealth Foundation report praises Pennsylvania's tax credit scholarship programs, which create private-school vouchers funded through tax-credited donations. The report argues in favor of the programs' expansion, but it has at least three major shortcomings. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Systemwide and Intervention-Specific Effects of Denver Public Schools' Portfolio District Strategy on Individual Student Achievement Publication Date November 7, 2024 Authors Parker Baxter, Anna Nicotera, David Stuit, Margot Plotz, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske; Robert Shand, American University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver attempts to assess the effect of a "portfolio district strategy" on student performance in the Denver Public Schools. As was the case with its 2022 predecessor (reviewed here), advocates for portfolio reforms have trumpeted the new study as showing that this "portfolio" package of reforms has a positive and large impact on student outcomes. The review, however, concludes that the study lacks the ability to so definitively link Denver's improved outcomes to these particular reforms. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Ohio Charter Schools After the Pandemic: Are Their Students Still Learning More Than They Would in District Schools? Publication Date September 24, 2024 Authors Stephane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Fordham Institute report contends that the state's charter schools have outperformed traditional public schools and implies that they merit continued or expanded state investment. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Helping Families Navigate the Changing Education Landscape Publication Date September 10, 2024 Authors Colleen Hroncich and Jamie Buckland; Huriya Jabbar, University of Southern California Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Cato Institute report describes how Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), the newest form of private-school voucher, have the potential to transform education by giving families increased options for tailoring their child's education, especially with the guidance of special consultants along the way. A review of that report, however, determines that it fails to provide useful evidence to support its conclusions and its recommendation that the cost of these "choice navigators" should be included as an eligible expense. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Broken Pipeline: Advanced Education Policies at the Local Level Publication Date July 18, 2024 Authors Adam Tyner; Eunice S. Han, University of Utah Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Thomas B. Fordham Institute report describes current policies and practices at the district level across the U.S. that are designed to provide what the report calls advanced and gifted education. A review of the report determines, however, that its conclusions and policy suggestions lack validity. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of 'So Hard, but So Rewarding:' How School System Leaders are Scaling up Strategic School Staffing Models Publication Date July 11, 2024 Authors Lisa Chu, Lydia Rainey, & Steven Weiner; Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Stonehill College Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary Following the pandemic, pervasive challenges have plagued the teaching profession, including teacher shortages, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and attrition. A new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education proposes what it calls "strategic school staffing models" as a solution, though its evidence for this conclusion is lacking. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Did the Emergence of Ohio Charter Schools Help or Harm Students Who Remained in District Schools? Publication Date June 20, 2024 Authors Stéphane Lavertu; Bryan Mann, University of Kansas Research Areas Charter Schools; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary Legislatures across the United States continue to pass policies to add or expand school choice. Within this context, the Fordham Institute, an advocate of school choice expansion, has published a report asserting that charter schools have not negatively affected students in traditional public schools. However, a review of this report finds that though it could contribute to the conversation, its conclusions are highly misleading. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Reality of Switchers Publication Date May 2, 2024 Authors Martin F. Lueken; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new report from the voucher-advocacy group EdChoice takes issue with the overwhelming evidence establishing that most users of vouchers under recent expansions of these policies have never attended public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Public Education at a Crossroads: A Comprehensive Look at K-12 Resources and Outcomes Publication Date April 9, 2024 Authors Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Clive Belfield, City University of New York Research Areas School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A growing and persuasive body of research has established the causal relationship between school funding and academic outcomes. The reality that money matters is not in serious dispute. But a new report from the Reason Foundation uses some superficial comparisons to try again to muddy the waters. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of K-12 School Choice Calculator Publication Date March 19, 2024 Authors Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new calculator from two voucher-advocacy organizations is offered as a tool to assist state policymakers and choice advocates in providing more accurate estimates of the expenses of adopting publicly financed private-school choice (i.e., voucher) programs. But several factors suggest it should be used with caution and caveats. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Still a Good Investment: Charter School Productivity in Nine Cities Publication Date January 23, 2024 Authors Alison H. Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay F. May, and Larry D. Maloney; Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas has maintained, in an ongoing series of reports, that charter schools suffer from inequitable funding compared to public district schools. Their latest output extends this argument, claiming that despite receiving less revenue, charters achieve better results on standardized tests, making them the more cost-effective choice. However, the same methodological flaws identified in earlier reports continue, and worsen, in this one. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Cost-Effectiveness of Wisconsin's Private School Choice Programs Publication Date December 12, 2023 Authors Stephen Kotok, St. John’s University; Stephen Kotok, St. John's University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from School Choice Wisconsin claims that Wisconsin's voucher programs are highly "productive," achieving better academic outcomes at lower costs than public schools. A closer examination, however, calls into question the validity of these assertions. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of From Surviving to Thriving: K-12 Choice and Opportunity for Rural Texas Students and Teachers Publication Date December 7, 2023 Authors Matthew Ladner and Jason Bedrick; Amanda Potterton of the University of Kentucky, Annah Rogers of the University of West Alabama, and Jeanne Powers of Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Heritage Foundation recently published a report that claims increased competition has improved academic achievement in Arizona's rural public schools and that similar policies will be good for rural Texas. However, a review finds several flaws in the report's reasoning and methodology. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Small Class Sizes for Improving Student Achievement in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review Publication Date November 21, 2023 Authors Trine Filges, Christoffer Scavenius Sonne-Schmidt, and Bjørn Christian Viinholt Nielsen; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A 2018 report from Campbell Collaboration, analyzing research literature estimating the impact of class size reduction on reading and math achievement, has recently been gaining renewed attention, thanks in part to a Washington Post piece by Michael Bloomberg. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Integrating Housing and Education Solutions to Reduce Segregation and Drive School Equity and When Good Parents Go to Jail: The Criminalization of Address Sharing in Public Education Publication Date November 14, 2023 Authors Megan Gallagher, Rachel Lamb, Alexa Kort, and James Carter | Tim DeRoche, Hailly T.N. Korman, and Harold Hinds; Andrene J. Castro, Virginia Commonwealth University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary The first report, Integrating Housing and Education Solutions to Reduce Segregation and Drive School Equity, specifically focuses on inequitable school resources and educational outcomes tied to residential and school segregation. The second report, When Good Parents Go to Jail: The Criminalization of Address Sharing in Public Education, similarly locates school and residential boundaries as drivers of educational inequities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The 123s of School Choice: What the Research Says About Private School Choice Programs in America, 2023 Edition Publication Date October 12, 2023 Authors EdChoice; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The 2023 (fifth) edition of a semi-regular EdChoice report about school-choice studies is billed as an updated overview of the varied and often contested research on outcomes in voucher-like programs that provide public funding for private schools. But like earlier editions, it uses flawed methods that tally certain voucher studies finding impacts on any subgroup, even if there was no effect on most students. There is little to no accounting for the studies’ sampling, quality, generalizability, or other important factors. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit: Economic Analysis Publication Date September 26, 2023 Authors Greg S. Griffin and Lisa Kieffer; David Knight, University of Washington Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts examines the monetary costs and benefits of the state's Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (QEEC), a voucher policy that provides a public subsidy for families to pay for private school tuition. A review of the report, however, contradicts its claim that the policy provides a net fiscal benefit to the state budget. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction Publication Date September 19, 2023 Authors Christie Ellis, Shannon Holston, Graham Drake, Hannah Putman, Abigail Swisher, and Heather Peske; Paul Thomas, Furman University Research Areas Curriculum & Instruction; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) evaluates more than half of the elementary teacher preparation programs in the U.S., to gauge their effectiveness in reading instruction. A review finds, however, that the report lacks the rigor necessary to adequately inform policy or practice. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of As a Matter of Fact: National Charter School Study III 2023 Publication Date September 7, 2023 Authors Margaret E. Raymond, James L. Woodworth, Won Fy Lee, and Sally Bachofer; Joseph J. Ferrare University of Washington Bothell Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; School Funding; Charter Schools Publication Type Think Twice Summary In a recent report, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) examined charter school students' year-to-year test score growth over four years, and across 31 states. The report shows very small differences favoring charter schools and has been repeatedly trumpeted by charter school advocates as having policy significance-as weighing in favor of charter school expansion. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Is Education Funding in America Still Unequal? Publication Date September 5, 2023 Authors Adam Tyner; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Thomas B. Fordham Institute recently released a report claiming that the problems of inequality and inadequacy of public school funding have largely been solved. This is incorrect, according to a review of the report. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Think Again: Do Charter Schools Drain Resources From Traditional Public Schools? Publication Date May 18, 2023 Authors David Griffith; Huriya Jabbar, University of Texas at Austin Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers whether charter schools increase or decrease traditional public school districts’ total revenues, instructional spending per pupil, and efficiency. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of School Choice Is Not Enough: The Impact of Critical Social Justice Ideology in American Education Publication Date May 2, 2023 Authors Zach Goldberg and Eric Kaufmann; Christine Sleeter, California State University Monterey Bay; David Garcia, Arizona State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Manhattan Institute presents results of a survey of U.S. adults aged 18-20 to determine the extent to which eight concepts the report equates with what it calls "critical social justice" (CSJ) theory-which the report frowns upon-are taught in schools. The first of the eight concepts, for instance, is, "America is a systemically racist society." Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Assessing the National Landscape of Capital Expenditures for Public School Districts Publication Date April 20, 2023 Authors Kristin Blagg, Fanny Terrones, and Victoria Nelson; Jeffrey M. Vincent, University of California, Berkeley Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The report relies primarily on school district annual capital outlay data reported in the U.S. Department of Education's Common Core of Data. It also examines which state policies may promote more progressive investment patterns. Confirming other studies, the report finds that school district capital expenditures vary from year to year and from state to state, that each state has a unique approach and mix of policies governing state support for local capital outlay, and that capital outlay is rarely equal or progressive. The report also finds that states with policies that aim to equalize capital spending are more likely to provide capital outlays for students from low-income backgrounds that are equal to or greater than outlays in wealthier communities. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Public Education Funding Without Boundaries: How to Get K-12 Dollars to Follow Open Enrollment Students Publication Date April 6, 2023 Authors Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Dr. Mark Weber, Rutgers University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Reason Foundation, a vigorous advocate for choice policies such as vouchers and charter schools, recently published a report advocating for the increased "portability" of school revenues, allowing for "money to follow the students" and, therefore, the expansion of interdistrict choice programs. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release The Effects of High-Performing, High-Turnover Teachers on Long-Run Student Achievement: Evidence From Teach for America Publication Date March 14, 2023 Authors Virginia S. Lovison; Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent paper published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University presents findings from a study examining Teach for America (TFA) teacher turnover and teachers’ contributions to fourth through eighth grade student achievement. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of K-12 Without Borders: Public School Students, Families, and Teachers Shut In by Education Boundaries Publication Date March 2, 2023 Authors Martin F. Lueken and Michael Q. McShane; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University; T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the directors of EdChoice, published by the Manhattan Institute, oversimplifies important equity issues as problems of school zone boundaries. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The Ohio EdChoice Program’s Impact on School District Enrollments, Finances, and Academics Publication Date February 21, 2023 Authors Stéphane Lavertu and John J. Gregg; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers the impacts of vouchers as related to competition in Ohio public schools, increased racial segregation, and local district financial resources. It presents these three issues as the chief concerns of voucher critics and finds few harmful impacts. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Equal Is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Equity Across the U.S. and Within Each State | Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts Publication Date February 14, 2023 Authors Ivy Morgan | Indira Dammu, Bonnie O'Keefe, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Bruce Baker, University of Miami Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Education Trust report, Equal is Not Good Enough and an accompanying piece, Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts, evaluate district revenue and school spending per pupil with respect to poverty, race, and language status. They focus on the extent to which states and local districts target sufficient resources fairly to these subgroups of students. They clearly lay out consistent evaluation criteria and conceptual framing, apply appropriate empirical methods with that framing, and provide data visualizations for understanding whether and to what extent states and local districts provide equitable school funding. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of The System-Level Effects of Denver's Portfolio District Strategy: Technical Report Publication Date February 7, 2023 Authors Parker Baxter, Anna Nicotera, Erik Fuller, Jakob Panzer, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske; Robert Shand, American University Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; Governance & Public Education Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver claimed that portfolio reforms in the Denver Public Schools led to substantial academic gains for students. As the report’s lead author told the Denver Post, "This study makes clear that the reforms helped students and strengthened the district." A review of the report concludes, however, that claims attributing those gains specifically to the portfolio reforms are not valid. The report analyzes changes in academic performance as measured by test scores and graduation rates versus comparable schools in Colorado over 11 years of the district’s experimenting with the “portfolio” approach to school district management. The portfolio approach includes central-office oversight of different school types (such as charter schools, innovation schools, and district-run schools), with widespread parental choice under a single enrollment system. The model looks to choice, competition, and accountability to drive gains in student performance. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Off Track: An Assessment of Wisconsin's Early Care and Learning System for Young Children Publication Date January 31, 2023 Authors Angela Rachidi; W. Steven Barnett, Rutgers University Research Areas Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary The Badger report presents data on trends in Wisconsin's ECE system. It then identifies government regulations-particularly those focused on improving teacher-child interactions--as a problem, concluding that those regulations have limited supply, decreased parental choice in providers, and increased costs. Its recommendations include reducing continuous improvement efforts focused on quality while increasing performance accountability (aka testing burdens), consolidating state agencies, and increasing parental control over use of government childcare subsidies. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Empowering Parents with School Choice Reduces Wokeism in Education Publication Date January 24, 2023 Authors Jay P. Greene and Ian S. Kingsbury; Christine Sleeter, California State University Monterey Bay; and T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary In one of the more unusual reports NEPC has ever reviewed, Heritage Foundation authors recently argued for school-choice deregulation by comparing the amount of "wokeness" terminology in parent/student handbooks in U.S. charter schools with the level of charter school regulation in their states. The Heritage report finds that increased manifestations of "woke" terminology are associated with higher state levels of charter school regulation. On this basis, the report concludes that while charter schools represent a safe space away from "woke indoctrination" in public schools, further deregulation and less bureaucracy will allow the charter sector to truly respond to parent desires to avoid "leftist" curriculum. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Autonomous Schools Can Help Solve the Problem Behind the Teacher Shortage Problem Publication Date January 17, 2023 Authors Tressa Pankovits; Charisse Gulosino, University of Memphis; Hajime Mitani, Rowan University Research Areas Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent report from the Progressive Policy Institute highlights the emergence of widespread teacher staffing shortages. By describing teacher autonomy as a panacea for reversing the problem, however, the report oversimplifies the issue. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of #StudentsFirst: Empowering Parents to Help Students Regain Lost Learning Publication Date November 22, 2022 Authors Greg R. Lawson; David S. Knight, University of Washington Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability Publication Type Think Twice Summary A new Buckeye Institute report recommends sweeping K-12 policy reforms in response to COVID-19 academic disruptions and what the report asserts to be declining confidence in public schools. However, a review of the report criticizes the analysis and cautions against its policy recommendations. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Some Assembly Required: How a More Flexible Learning Ecosystem Can Better Serve All Kids and Unlock Innovation Publication Date November 8, 2022 Authors Juliet Squire and Alex Spurrier; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A report from Bellwether details what its authors call "assembly-based education," a concept described as a hypothetical ecosystem that removes schools as a central education component. A review of the report exposes this concept as unworkable outside of a miraculous private marketplace, and thus a shortsighted attempt to invalidate public schools. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Michigan Student Opportunity Scholarships: Overview and Fiscal Analysis Publication Date July 14, 2022 Authors Ben DeGrow, Martin Lueken; Christopher Saldaña, University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Areas School Choice & Vouchers Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Mackinac Center report claims that the proposed Michigan Student Opportunity Scholarship (MSOS) neovoucher program has the potential to create fiscal benefits for the state of Michigan and its school districts. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Addressing Teacher Shortages: Practical Ideas for the Pandemic and Beyond Publication Date May 24, 2022 Authors Ben DeGrow; Ed Fuller, Penn State University Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; Teacher Workforce Publication Type Think Twice Summary In response to Covid-related teacher shortages, the TNTP think tank (formerly “The New Teacher Project”) released a report with recommendations for district leaders in crafting short- and long-term teacher staffing plans. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release "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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Summit Charter Organization Continues to Make Unjustified Claims Publication Date May 10, 2022 Authors Anum Ali Mohammed and Adam Black; Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary Summit Public Schools, a charter school organization operating schools in California and Oregon, published Pathways to Success: Exploring the Long-Term Outcomes of Alumni from Summit Public Schools in September 2021, detailing the success of its graduates. A review by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley of Arizona State University examines these questionable assertions made about the performance and life satisfaction of Summit graduates. The report claims that Summit alumni graduated from college at nearly double the national average and self-reported high levels of well-being, fulfillment, and workplace satisfaction. It also reports that alumni from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds now make more than $60,000 per year on average working full time. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of From School Aid to Student Aid: Modernizing K-12 Funding in Michigan Publication Date May 3, 2022 Authors Ben DeGrow; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University Research Areas School Funding Publication Type Think Twice Summary In recent years, supporters of school choice have promoted school finance reforms sometimes called "backpack funding," but also called "money follows the child" or "student-based budgeting." Whatever the term used, the idea is facilitate choice by attaching a funded amount to each student, with that payment following the students to their chosen schools. A recent version of this proposal is found in a new report from the Mackinac Center, which provides a six-part recommendation for changes to Michigan's current approach to financing public and charter schools. The report's overarching theme, which is examined in a new review, is to move toward a system where more funding follows the student to either public, charter, or private schools—or to other service providers. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release Review of Find Documenting Inequitable Patterns in Spending by Parent Teacher Associations, Parent Teacher Organizations, and “Friends of” Fundraising Groups at Illinois Public Schools Publication Date March 29, 2022 Authors Claire Mackevicius; Maia Cucchiara,Temple University Research Areas School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights Publication Type Think Twice Summary A recent Urban Institute report analyzing the role of Parent Teacher Organizations and similar groups in Illinois echoes and amplifies the existing critique of private fundraising: that it exacerbates inequitable school funding. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release 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. Download the Policy Brief Read the Press Release sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Behind the Curtain: Assessing the Case for National Standards Summary This report argues that national curriculum standards will have a very limited effect on education reform and concludes that universal school choice (free market model) is the best way to reform education. Publication Date April 21, 2010 Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Curriculum & Instruction; Assessment & Accountability Authors William J. Mathis, University of Colorado, Boulder Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release National Standards Report Makes a Leap Too Far April 21, 2010 Cato report accurately critiques national standards movement, but makes unsupported leap to free-market solutions, review finds EAST LANSING, Mi., (April 21, 2010) – A recent Cato Institute report even-handedly and correctly highlights flaws in the push for national curriculum standards. But its leap from those findings to the solution of a free-market education system is unfounded. In a Think Twice review released today, William Mathis examines the recent Cato report Behind the Curtain: Assessing the Case for National Standards . Dr. Mathis is managing director of the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The Cato report identifies two significant criticisms of the national "common core" standards push that has been endorsed by President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The first is that there is no strong consensus about the content of such standards. Second, and more important, there is little or no evidence that such standards promote improved achievement in student learning. Mathis notes the report's relatively balanced presentation of the case for and against standards. "The report's review of the current political situation on national standards is succinct and generally fair," he writes. "The arguments for national standards are accurately provided. The weak direct evidence in favor of national standards is reported and the scarcity of relevant findings is noted." Evidence on the effectiveness of standards-based accountability can be interpreted in various ways, Mathis notes, but he concludes that Cato's skeptical treatment "is fairly presented." The report falls apart, Mathis writes, when it makes an unsupported "leap to free-market solutions" for education. "The literature review supporting this assertion is thin (a half page), and the sources used are limited." So is the entire section of the report devoted to "support for educational freedom" (school choice). While couched as a research presentation, the work falls short of research standards. "As a critique of the national standards movement, the report serves a valuable purpose," Mathis concludes. But to go from there to claiming that free-market education is the logical next step "is the equivalent of saying that since elephants can't fly, frogs will." Find William Mathis's review and a link to the Cato report on the web at: www.greatlakescenter.org About The Think Twice Project The Think Twice project provides the public, policy makers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected think tank publications. It is a collaboration of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is funded by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. ### The mission of the Great Lakes Center is to improve public education for all students in the Great Lakes region through the support and dissemination of high quality, academically sound research on education policy and practices. Visit the Great Lakes Center Web Site at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org Contact: William J. Mathis (802) 383-0058; William.Mathis@colorado.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Review of Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation Summary A recent New America report argues that states can advance educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. While the analysis has some methodological limitations, it offers policymakers a useful framework for understanding how existing district lines shape unequal access to resources. Publication Date January 29, 2026 Research Areas Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights Authors Christopher Cleveland, Brown University; Joshua Almes, Brown University Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release An NEPC Review funded by the Great Lakes Center Key Takeaway: New America report offers a helpful starting point for policy discussions focused on redistricting to address fiscal and demographic inequities across districts. GRAND RAPIDS, MI (JANUARY 29, 2026) - A recent New America report argues that states can advance educational equity by redrawing school district boundaries to reduce within-state fiscal and demographic disparities. While the analysis has some methodological limitations, it offers policymakers a useful framework for understanding how existing district lines shape unequal access to resources. Christopher Cleveland and Joshua Almes of Brown University reviewed Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation . Their review assesses how well the report meets its goals, and it identifies areas where additional research could strengthen the discussion. The report models three redistricting strategies: a "blank-slate" approach that creates new districts from Census tracts, a county-aligned approach that uses county boundaries, and targeted mergers of existing districts. Compared with current district maps, all three models increase equity in access to local property tax revenue and improve racial and economic integration, with the blank-slate approach producing the largest gains. Cleveland and Almes do point to the need for further analysis, particularly to incorporate real-world constraints and to compare redistricting with other equity-focused reforms. Yet they conclude that the report successfully positions district boundaries as a meaningful policy lever and prompts informed discussion of strategies to advance educational equity. Find the review, written by Christopher Cleveland and Joshua Almes, at: https://www.greatlakescenter.org Find Redrawing the Lines: How Purposeful School System Redistricting Can Increase Funding Fairness and Decrease Segregation , authored by Zahava Stadler and Jordan Abbott and published by New America, at: https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/redrawing-the-lines-school-system-redistricting-increase-funding-fairness-decrease-segregation/ NEPC Reviews ( https://nepc.colorado.edu/reviews ) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: https://www.greatlakescenter.org . The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice is to support and disseminate high-quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform. Visit the Great Lakes Center website at GreatLakesCenter.org Contacts Michelle Renee Valladares Christopher Cleveland Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back State Policy Report Card Summary This report assigned letter grades to states based on its preferred policies regarding school choice, defined contribution pension programs, private vouchers, test-based accountability and centralized control of public schools. Publication Date February 20, 2013 Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Authors Sherman Dorn, University of South Florida Ken Libby, University of Colorado Boulder Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release Agenda Drives Education Report Card Review of StudentsFirst "report card" finds little or no usefulness as an examination of existing policy or as guidance for future policy EAST LANSING, Mich. (Feb. 20, 2013) – "Report cards" that grade states on their education policies assign rankings that vary tremendously, depending on the political ideology of the grader, according to a new review released today. As a result, every state has been assigned a "D" or "F" by at least one of these report cards in the past few years, and almost every state can claim an "A" or "B" grade from another report card. Sherman Dorn, professor of education at the University of South Florida, and Ken Libby, doctoral student at the University of Colorado Boulder, reviewed the State Policy Report Card from StudentsFirst; an organization founded and headed by Michelle Rhee, the former Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools. They discovered great variation in grading results as part of their broader examination of the overall genre of state report cards. The review was produced by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. The StudentsFirst report card assigned letter grades to states based on whether state policies matched the advocacy group's policy preferences in 24 areas that include school choice, test-based accountability, and greater centralization of school governance. "As is common with the 'grading the states' genre, the report card is designed to provide a simple news hook in the 'grade,'" the reviewers observe. In describing how this process works, Dorn and Libby point readers to several news organizations that published stories upon the newest report card's release. Dorn and Libby continue: "While the relative rankings are predictable, based on the organization's stated policy goals, the exercise of assigning grade labels to states is a political act designed to advance a particular agenda rather than a serious academic exercise." Moreover, the proliferation of such state "grades" has had the effect of undermining the news value of such reports, as comparisons among various such reports show that all but three states can point to an "A" or "B" from some such assessment, while every state also has received Ds or Fs. The report card might be considered useful as a compilation of policies by state, the reviewers write. If clearly explained and based on criteria that advance student learning, state grading exercises can provide useful summaries of a given state's strengths and weaknesses. However, as with the new StudentsFirst report card, when the data collected for rating purposes has a narrow scope and is merely shorthand for an advocacy position, it has little or no usefulness as an examination of existing policy or as guidance for future policy. Find State Policy Report Card published by StudentsFirst on the web at: http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/ Find the review by Sherman Dorn and Ken Libby on the GLC website: http://www.greatlakescenter.org Think Twice, a project of the National Education Policy Center, provides the public, policymakers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. The project is made possible by funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and practice The review is also available on the National Education Policy Center website: http://nepc.colorado.edu/newsletter/2013/02/review-Students-First-Grades --###-- The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is to support and disseminate high quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform. Visit the Great Lakes Center Web Site at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org . Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/greatlakescent . Find us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesCenter. Contact: Sherman Dorn, (813) 974-9482, dorn@usf.edu Dan Quinn, (517) 203-2940, dquinn@greatlakescenter.org Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Review of Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. Summary A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review these findings and recommendations are not well-supported. Publication Date January 21, 2025 Research Areas Charter Schools; School Funding Authors Krista Kaput, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Clive Belfield; Queens College, City University of New York Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release Report Does Not Provide Useful Comparisons of Funding Between Charters and District Schools An NEPC Review funded by the Great Lakes Center Key Takeaway: Bellwether report fails to offer a rigorous or methodical investigation of funding allocations and disparities. GRAND RAPIDS, MI (January 21, 2025) - A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review these findings and recommendations are not well-supported. In his review of Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. , Clive Belfield of Queens College, City University of New York determines that the report's oversimplistic analyses account for the unfounded conclusions. Using tabulations of funding across charter and public schools to describe funding disparities in DC from 2022 to 2025, the report finds that the district's public schools are more generously funded-that they have access to additional funding streams, received extra pandemic funding, have more capital funding, and pay teachers much higher salaries. Although these tabulations themselves appear to be accurate, there is no proof that charter schools are underfunded in relation to their services and needs-or that they should, in fact, be funded at the same dollar amounts as public schools. Schools in these two sectors are responsible for providing different services and serving different students, and they often receive resources from different sources. In sum, the report does not apply a valid method of comparison and thus provides no way to determine if DC charter schools are funded at the "right level" or what that level should be. As a result, Professor Belfield concludes, it is of limited use to policymakers-except perhaps within the district as an introductory or preliminary study. Find the review, by Clive Belfield, at: https://www.greatlakescenter.org Find Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C. , written by Krista Kaput, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess and published by Bellwether, at: https://bellwether.org/publications/resource-realities/ NEPC Reviews ( https://nepc.colorado.edu/reviews ) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: https://www.greatlakescenter.org Clive Belfield (718) 997-5440 clive.belfield@qc.cuny.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back How Can States Make School Voucher Systems More Accountable, Accessible, and Transparent? 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. Publication Date October 3, 2024 Research Areas Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding Authors Joshua Cowen and Ryan D. Nowak, Michigan State University Publication Type Policy Brief Download the Policy Brief Press Release Bringing More Accountability, Access, and Transparency to School Voucher Systems Key Takeaway: Policy brief examines the research evidence behind vouchers and the current status of voucher legislation in several key states, proposing evidence-based policy recommendations. GRAND RAPIDS, MI (October 3, 2024) - Between 2021 and 2024, more than 20 states passed new laws that created or expanded programs providing taxpayer subsidies for private school tuition. These voucher and voucher-like plans include three main approaches: direct appropriations to voucher programs, "education savings accounts" to pay for tuition and other educational expenses, and tax credits for private donations that fund tuition with diverted state revenue. To date, independent research has documented serious negative outcomes of such programs, yet the prevalence and size of the programs continues to grow. This suggests that evidence alone is insufficient to compel lawmakers to reject voucher schemes, particularly where those systems already exist. 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. The brief examines features associated with these three areas of voucher policies across a subset of states. The examined states’ voucher systems vary from brand new (Arkansas and Iowa), to recently expanded (Arizona, Florida, Indiana and Ohio), to older (Wisconsin). The brief also reviews the extent to which legislation in these states provides for new, independent evaluation of their programs. Focusing on the significant differences among these voucher policies allows the authors to identify opportunities for systemic improvement. To move these voucher systems toward evidence-based practice, the authors conclude with several policy recommendations related to the assessment, access, and transparency as well as research and evaluation of school voucher systems. These recommendations detail the steps that should be taken when policymakers design legislation for private schools accepting public monies, calling for legislation that better serves children, parents, and the taxpayers bearing the cost of private voucher school funding. Find H ow Can States Make School Voucher Systems More Accountable, Accessible, and Transparent? , by Joshua Cowen and Ryan D. Nowak, at: https://greatlakescenter.org This policy brief was made possible in part by the support of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice ( https://greatlakescenter.org ). The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, sponsors research, produces policy briefs, and publishes expert third-party reviews of think tank reports. NEPC publications are written in accessible language and are intended for a broad audience that includes academic experts, policymakers, the media, and the general public. Our mission is to provide high-quality information in support of democratic deliberation about education policy. We are guided by the belief that the democratic governance of public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence and support a multiracial society that is inclusive, kind, and just. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu Joshua Cowen: (517) 355-2215 jcowen@msu.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back The Turnaround Challenge: Why America’s Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Students Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools Summary This report puts forth an ambitious proposal aimed at getting chronically underachieving schools to improve academic achievement. Publication Date April 24, 2008 Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education Authors Patrick McQuillen, Boston College Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release Turnaround Report is Commendable, Even with Weaknesses Review praises, but raises concerns with, ambitious proposal for worst-performing schools EAST LANSING, Mich. (April 24, 2008)—A new report recommends a series of sweeping changes to turn around America’s worst-performing schools. A Think Twice review of the report commends it for offering meaningful ideas on school reform, but warns that the proposed plan may be overly optimistic regarding timelines, relies too much on punitive sanctions, may be too costly to support and overlooks active student participation in the reform process. The report, The Turnaround Challenge: Why America’s Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Student Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools , was published by the Mass Insight Education & Research Institute. The Turnaround Challenge was reviewed for the Think Twice project by Professor Patrick McQuillan of Boston College. This new report arrives at a time when schools around the country are facing the most serious sanctions in the No Child Left Behind Act. By the 2009-2010 school year, the report notes, five percent of the 100,000 public schools in the United States are likely to be assigned for “restructuring” in order to increase academic achievement. The Turnaround Challenge proposes one plan for such restructuring. The report describes a restructuring plan which allows schools more authority and autonomy in such things as hiring, evaluating and replacing staff; implementing proven research-based education strategies; partnership development at the local and state levels; and creating networks of schools and districts to share best practices. McQuillen credits the report for its thorough review of existing research and school reform which acknowledges both positive and negative findings. However, he raises concerns which include the fact that the report says little about the important role of students as reform participants; that it may be cost prohibitive ($250,000 to $1 million a year per school) as well as require additional government oversight to carry out its recommendations; that it sets an “overly optimistic” goal for “significant achievement gains” within two years of implementation; and that it relies “a bit too much on unproven negative sanctions” alongside its recommendation for incentives for reform. Find the complete review by Patrick McQuillen as well as a link to TheTurnaround Challenge at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org . About the Think Tank Review Project The Think Twice project provides the public, policy makers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected think tank publications. It is a collaboration of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is funded by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. ### The mission of the Great Lakes Center is to improve public education for all students in the Great Lakes region through the support and dissemination of high quality, academically sound research on education policy and practices. Visit the Great Lakes Center website at: http://www.greatlakescenter.org Contact: Patrick McQuillan, (617) 552-0676; mcquilpa@bc.edu Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More

< Back Review of Student Assessment During COVID-19 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. Publication Date October 29, 2020 Research Areas Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI Authors Laura Jimenez; Gene V Glass, San José State University, William J. Mathis, University of Colorado Boulder Publication Type Think Twice Download the Policy Brief Press Release More Latitude, Fewer Mandates Required for Student Assessment in Current Times An NEPC Review funded by the Great Lakes Center Key Takeaway: Center for American Progress report issues a tone-deaf call for expanded assessment. EAST LANSING, MI (October 29, 2020) - 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. Gene V Glass of San José State University, William J. Mathis of the University of Colorado Boulder, and David C. Berliner of Arizona State University reviewed Student Assessment During COVID-19 and found it to be, in the current backdrop of the pandemic, ill-timed, tone deaf and disruptive. 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. Though the report contends this will ensure greater equity in the time of the pandemic, supposedly through the addition of the new measures, this approach remains unproven. Taking little heed of past attempts at multivariable, test-based accountability schemes, the report endorses this less-than-successful approach, citing only to studies that do not address the complexity of the undertaking or the effects of its implementation. Considering the massive disruption now occurring in schools and the limited utility of standardized tests even in ordinary times, state agencies and local districts are too hard-pressed by fiscal and time demands and the ramping up of health costs to consider these additional and costly programs of dubious value. For these reasons, the reviewers conclude, the CAP proposal is badly timed, unrealistic, and inappropriate for dealing with the exigencies arising from the pandemic. Find the review, by Gene V Glass, William J. Mathis, and David C. Berliner, at: https://www.greatlakescenter.org/ Find Student Assessment During COVID-19, written by Laura Jimenez and published by Center for American Progress, at: https://cdn.americanprogress.org/content/uploads/2020/09/09063559/COVID-Student-Assessment1.pdf?_ga=2.166859322.509167313.1603332006-695044446.1546624010 NEPC Reviews ( http://thinktankreview.org ) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu/ About The Great Lakes Center research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform. Contact: William J. Mathis: (802) 383-0058, wmathis@sover.net Gene V Glass: gvglass@gmail.com Previous Next sign up for emails Get the latest K-12 education policy research delivered straight to your inbox! Read More