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Center on Education Policy Newsletter
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Latest Publications
What’s on the horizon for education policy?
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: February 26, 2018
CEP’s executive director highlights four areas – ESSA implementation, school choice, career and technical education, and funding – that are likely to dominate the federal education policy debates in 2018. Read the column here.
Planning for Progress: After the Tests: How States Share Assessment Data
Author(s): Matthew Frizzell, Diane Stark Rentner, and Nancy Kober
Published: February 8, 2018
A special report in the Planning for Progress series, this report highlights states’ efforts to share assessment results with principals, teachers, and parents. The report is based on responses to a 2017 survey that asked state education leaders about efforts to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, as well as other CEP research, including teacher focus groups and national surveys of teacher and district leaders.
New Tax Plan Provides Little Cheer for Education
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: January 22, 2018
CEP Executive Director explains how the new tax plan will impact K-12 and postsecondary education. Read the column here.
Planning for Progress: States Reflect on Year One Implementation of ESSA
Author(s): Diane Stark Rentner, Matthew Frizzell, and Nancy Kober
Published: December 11, 2017
Based on a fall 2017 survey of officials from 45 state education agencies, this report highlights early state efforts to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act. The report highlights states’ views on ESSA’s shift in control from the federal government to states and school districts regarding accountability and school improvement activities; stakeholder involvement in state plan development; state capacity to implement ESSA requirements; and the U.S. Department of Education’s assistance in implementing ESSA. The report also addresses the impact of the proposed elimination of Title II-A funding, and support among states for a federal private school voucher program using ESSA funds.
Market-Based Education, Inequality, and Accountability in Chile: Perspectives from a Workshop
Author(s): Maria Ferguson and Nancy Kober
Published: December 1, 2017
In summer 2017, the Center on Education Policy and the Dean and faculty from the Graduate School of Education at the George Washington University joined a group of Chilean education researchers to discuss the impact of Chile’s education voucher system on equity and socioeconomic integration. This captures the major discussion points and key findings from that meeting.
Standing up for Good Research
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: November 27, 2017
CEP Executive Director discusses the need for high-quality research to provide empirical evidence as part of the policy cycle. Read the column here.
Primary and Secondary Education in Azerbaijan: Policy Considerations for the 21st Century
Author(s): Matthew Braun, Christina Davis, Sevinj Mammadova, Anne Matthews
Published: November 1, 2017
In June 2017, the dean of the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development and several doctoral students met with Azerbaijani educational stakeholders in Baku, Azerbaijan to discuss ways to improve that country’s education system. This summary report provides the Azerbaijan Ministry of Education with a set of policy options to consider as it
Little Evidence and Big Consequences: Understanding Special Education Voucher Programs
Author(s): Matthew Braun
Published: October 31, 2017
This report examines the characteristics of state special education voucher programs along with the evidence base on their impact, effectiveness, and quality. The report, which finds that the program characteristics differ considerably across states and that the research is small, dated, and often funded by voucher proponents, identifies major questions and concerns about these programs that have yet to be fully addressed by researchers or policymakers.
3 Ways Congress Can Support Public Education
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: October 23, 2017
CEP Executive Director suggests that Congress needs to provide leadership in three education issues: DACA, oversight of for-profit colleges, and the civic role of public education. Read the column here.
Could American Support for Public Education be Slipping?
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: September 24, 2017
CEP Executive Director comments on the 2017 PDK poll. Read the column here.
Maria Ferguson on NPR's Hear & Now
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: September 13, 2017
NPR's Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson talks with Maria Ferguson, executive director of the Center on Education Policy at George Washington University, about whether more time in the school day improves learning.
Click here for audio and highlights
A New Push for Integrating College and Career Preparation?
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: August 29, 2017
CEP Executive Director discusses the latest PDK Poll finding that most Americans support classes that teach job or career skills. Read the column here.
Building Competencies for Careers
Author(s): Matthew Frizzell, Matthew Braun, Maria Ferguson, Diane Stark Rentner, & Nancy Kober
Published: May 31, 2017
This report draws on information from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to better understand the value of deeper learning competencies in the labor market. O*NET uses surveys of employees and occupational experts to determine the important characteristics and requirements of more than 900 occupations. CEP researchers and other experts “linked” the knowledge, skills, abilities and work styles required for a diverse sample of 300-plus O*NET occupations to the deeper learning competencies as defined by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The report finds that students will be better prepared for fast-growing jobs if they develop academic mindsets, learn how to communicate effectively, and take an analytical approach to solving problems.
Based on this report, CEP, Alliance for Excellent Education, and Council for a Strong America held a webinar on August 23, 2017. Participants in the webinar discussed the relevance of the key findings of the report as they pertain to increasing career readiness for students across the country. Participants included Maria Ferguson of CEP, General Mike Hall of Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, Sam Whiting of Boeing, and host Jason Amos of Alliance for Excellent Education.
The shape of the Federal Role in Education
Author(s): Maria Ferguson
Published: May 1, 2017
CEP Executive Director explains the powers and limits of federal education policymakers under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Read the column here.
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