Engaging families can reduce political polarization in schools

District partnerships with parents are key to solving heightened political polarization in schools, according to an Aug. 10 brief from The Brookings Institution. From lawsuits to violent incidents at school events and board meetings, national surveys of K–12 educators — including district leaders, principals and […]

NCTQ analyzes state policies to diversify teacher workforce, offers recommendations

Throughout the country, many education leaders cite the importance of diversifying the teacher workforce, but fewer are actually putting policies in place to make it a reality, according to a new study. Researchers from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) examined state recruitment and […]

Research highlights long-term economic impacts of addressing barriers to high school graduation

Addressing the systemic inequities that lead to higher rates of chronic absenteeism and disciplinary infractions and lower high school graduation rates among the most impacted student groups would benefit the children themselves, as well as society as a whole, according to a recent brief from […]

Preparation programs not sufficiently training new educators to teach children how to read

Most programs at the colleges and universities that prepare future elementary teachers still do not fully cover the science of reading, according to a recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Among the nearly 700 teacher preparation programs analyzed, only 25 percent […]

Study examines how one district is improving outcomes for foster youth

Family disruptions, trauma, out-of-home placements and school changes are common experiences among children in foster care, and often result in higher rates of disciplinary problems, grade repetition, special education placement and dropping out of high school, as well as lower academic achievement, and increased barriers […]

New brief compares state early literacy policies

At least 89 bills have been introduced throughout the country this legislative session that address reading instruction, third-grade intervention or literacy in general, according to the Education Commission of the States. According to the commission’s updated 50-State Comparison on K-3 Policies brief, recent legislative activity […]

Developing a diverse teacher workforce will require more effort at the state level

California must establish a clear vision and comprehensive action plan to recruit, prepare and sustain an educator workforce whose diversity reflects the state’s student population, but local educational agencies can’t meet this goal alone, according to a new document. California Educator Diversity Road Map: Community-Informed […]

California must incentivize and support further efforts to expand TK programming

In an effort to expand transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-old children in California by 2025–26, local educational agencies have focused their efforts on developing facilities and ensuring suitable staffing, but state leaders must turn their attention to promoting high-quality teaching and learning if universal TK […]