Think Twice Weekly Report

MAY 11, 2024 - MAY 17, 2024

The Think Twice Weekly Report compiles public education-related policy reports, research and articles of interest to policymakers, educators and stakeholders. This list is not exhaustive but is meant to highlight recent reports that may be used to support or undermine the work of our subscribers in supporting public schools. We encourage you to take a moment to scan these reports and determine if they may be used by policy makers to assist or erode your mission.




Policy Reports


Accountability and Testing, Technology

Source: Applied Measurement in Education
Date: 2/2/2024
Don't Test After Lunch: The Relationship Between Disengagement and the Time of Day That Low-Stakes Testing Occurs

This study investigated the association between disengagement and the time-of-day testing occurred for a widely used low-stakes, computer-adaptive achievement test in grades 2-8. Disengagement was measured using two indicators: response time effort (RTE) and performance decline. Results showed clear evidence for a time-of-day effect for RTE, with the prevalence of students exhibiting low RTE (<.90) tripling during the school day in Math, and nearly doubling in Reading. In contrast, the prevalence of significant performance decline showed little change across time of day. Reasons for differences in results for the two disengagement indicators are discussed.


Education and the Workplace

Source: Brookings
Date: 5/16/2024
How US employers and educators can build a more nimble education system with multiple paths to success

"A growing chasm between the education system and labor markets in the U.S. is making it harder for employers to find and retain qualified talent, and it also is stunting the career and education options available for Americans without a college degree. Minor tweaks will not address the scale of the chasm. If the country seeks to activate more of its homegrown talent to continue innovating and competing on a global scale, it will need an all-hands-on-deck approach to be successful. Incentivizing and empowering employers to be more active in the education system is a critical first step toward achieving quality work-based learning at the necessary scale. The U.S. must re-engineer its systems so that more employers are incentivized and empowered to do this.

 

This report maps out a new role for employers in the U.S. education and training systems. It starts from the employer perspective to identify enabling policies and infrastructure. We draw from promising practices in several states and countries that are leading the way in aligning education and employment systems. Brookings Metro has convened teams of leaders in education, commerce, economic development, and workforce development for over two years in three states-Alabama, Indiana, and Colorado-to understand their work on scaling earn-and-learn opportunities. Insights from this community of practice have informed this report as well."


Homeschooling

Source: Brookings
Date: 5/16/2024
Why did schools lose students after COVID-19?

"Key takeaways:
- The share of students attending traditional public schools in 2022-23 was about 4 percentage points below pre-pandemic enrollment (2019-20).
- Public school enrollment losses are not fully explained by changes in population, charter school enrollment, or private school enrollment, suggesting that many families have chosen to homeschool after the pandemic.
- This analysis uses family satisfaction data and targeted interviews of home-educators to explore factors behind families' decisions to homeschool."


School Finance and Funding

Source: Bellwether
Date: 5/16/2024
Leveling the Landscape: An Analysis of K-12 Funding Inequities Within Metro Areas

"To support policymakers, advocates, and other education leaders, Bellwether has published three briefs examining federal funding for special education that may be most helpful when read in the following order:
1. How Do School Finance Systems Support Students With Disabilities?
2. What are the Major Policy and Funding Components of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?
3. What are the Core Funding Components of the "Grants to States" Funding (IDEA Part B, Section 611) in IDEA?
These briefs are part of our larger Splitting the Bill series that explains the nuts and bolts of state education finance. While the other briefs in the series focus on state education finance policy, our special education funding briefs highlight the prominent role of federal policy and funding in shaping how states and public school systems provide services for special education students."


Reports Reviewed


GLC seeks to ensure that policy briefs impacting education reform are based on sound, credible academic research. Below are reviews conducted with GLC support.



Review of The Reality of Switchers

Source: EdChoice
Reviewed by: Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University

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.

In his review of The Reality of Switchers, Michigan State University professor Joshua Cowen highlights the lack of credible research literature and the absence of an accepted methodology used by EdChoice to arrive at its conclusions.




What We're Reading


Research and articles that we want to highlight for subscribers as potential resources:



4th Circuit denies Maryland parents suing over LGBTQ+ curriculum opt-outs

By: Naaz Modan, K-12 Dive

Muslim, Jewish and Christian parents suing Maryland's Montgomery County Board of Education for the ability to opt their children out of elementary school LGBTQ+ lessons were denied Wednesday by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision upholds a lower district court's decision to deny the parents a preliminary injunction.


40 Years After 'A Nation at Risk,' Using Schools as Local Laboratories

By: Eric Bettinger, The 74

Smaller classes, increased teaching time & other innovations work - but scaling local experiments has been difficult.


70 years later: Exploring the impact of Brown v. Board of Education

By: K-12 Dive

The landmark 1954 school desegregation decision reshaped the education landscape, but the path to progress hasn't been smooth.


Rapid guessing on tests increases after lunch, study finds

By: Steven L. Wise, Megan R. Kuhfeld & Marlit Annalena Lindner, Taylor & Francis Online

This study investigated the association between disengagement and the time-of-day testing occurred for a widely used low-stakes, computer-adaptive achievement test in grades 2-8. Disengagement was measured using two indicators: response time effort (RTE) and performance decline. Results showed clear evidence for a time-of-day effect for RTE, with the prevalence of students exhibiting low RTE (<.90) tripling during the school day in Math, and nearly doubling in Reading. In contrast, the prevalence of significant performance decline showed little change across time of day. Reasons for differences in results for the two disengagement indicators are discussed.


How Do Vouchers Defund Public Schools? Four Warnings and One Big Takeaway

By: Josh Cowen, Shanker Institute

Over the past two years, school voucher systems and other related schemes that divert taxpayer revenue toward private K-12 tuition have passed state legislatures at unprecedented rates. Although these recent bills became law only, for the most part, in red states, their supporters include a handful of Democrats in other parts of the country as well. And all of this comes despite a decade of evidence that vouchers have led to some of the steepest declines in student achievement on record.