Think Twice Weekly Report

Pollitics, Policy, and School Practices

Source: Center of American Progress

Date: 8/17/2023

K-12 Education Is Vital to Success of Biden Administration’s Investment Agenda

This issue brief outlines why state and local governments must coordinate with K-12 schools in order for the implementation of this historic legislation to be as effective and equitable as possible. These schools can serve as valuable partners in apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs; career and technical education; and dual-enrollment programs that provide training for the emerging and growing industries funded by these three laws.

School Choice

Source: Heritage Foundation

Date: 8/15/2023

From Surviving to Thriving: K–12 Choice and Opportunity for Rural Texas Students and Teachers

Rural students in Arizona enjoy far more education choice options than rural students in any other state. Education has flourished in rural areas under Arizona’s robust choice environment just as much as in the remainder of the state. The data could not be clearer: Rural students with expanded opportunities thrive, as do their teachers and communities. A one-size-fits-all education system in fact fits few students and teachers, whereas a pluralistic and diverse system of schools fits more students and teachers. When families have many options to choose from, district schools will have a strong incentive to improve. If Texas lawmakers empower their educators to create new schools, educators will rise to the challenge, both inside and outside the school system.

Teacher Employment and Retention

Source: EdChoice

Date: 8/14/2023

Priorities of State and Local Governments From 1994 to 2022: K-12 Public Schools have been the Major Employment Priority

This report, and its accompanying dashboard present the employment priorities of state and local governments in the United States from fiscal year (FY) 1994 to FY 2022.

School Safety

Source: Learning Policy Institute

Date: 8/9/2023

Safe Schools, Thriving Students: What We Know About Creating Safe and Supportive Schools

This report summarizes the prevalence and effectiveness of strategies to improve student safety in schools. States, districts, and schools can look to existing research to understand more about the effectiveness of proposed strategies and the potential risk of unintended consequences.

Early Childhood Education

Source: Early Childhood Education Institute, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa

Date: 12/2022 and 8/2023

Kindergarten through Grade 3 Outcomes Associated with Participation in High-Quality Early Care and Education: A RCT Follow-Up Study

A study (first released in December 2022 Education Sciences and release more widely in early August) is adding to a growing body of research indicating that high-quality early care and learning programs can positively impact children for years into the future. But there is one caveat: Children need to be enrolled early, in infancy or early toddlerhood, to reap these benefits.

Think Again: Do Charter Schools Drain Resources From Traditional Public Schools?

Source: Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Reviewed by: Huriya Jabbar, University of Texas at Austin

The report references most of the relevant literature and fairly assesses the evidence. However, it makes claims and policy recommendations that are untested empirically and unwarranted based on the research. For example, it concludes that districts' higher expenditures in a charter environment are due to policies protecting traditional public schools from revenue fluctuations caused by charter competition. In doing so, it fails to consider other possible explanations, such as charters strategically enrolling relatively few students who are particularly costly to educate.

Why schools across America are building teacher housing

By: Emma Hurt, AXIOS

In a desperate effort to combat a chronic teacher shortage and a housing affordability crunch, school districts across the country are getting into a new industry: homebuilding.

GreatLakesCenter.org