Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in Education

Source: AEI

Date: 4/23/25

Transforming Education and Training in the Age of Advanced AI Reasoning Tools

This report describes some aspects of the AI tools that are already present in the context of education and training but are far from being embraced by the educational establishment in any meaningful way. It addresses the major shifts-in official policy and attitude-needed in the educational landscape. It explores how instant and ubiquitous expert-level assistance can redefine learning pathways, how tight feedback loops can revolutionize skill acquisition, how education can be truly personalized, how the emphasis on "just-in-case" versus "just-in-time" skills must be recalibrated, how testing can evolve for fairness and rigor, and how credentialing processes must become more flexible.

Equity and Social Justice

Source: EdTrust

Date: 4/22/25

Why Environmental Justice Is Educational Justice

Climate change is amplifying existing inequities that disproportionately affect students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities. Addressing these inequities and educating students about climate change should be a priority, as extreme weather events - such as flooding, extreme heat or cold, severe storms, and wildfires - that disrupt school operations and undermine student learning are becoming more common. What's more, these students - many of whom lack consistent access to clean air and water and safe housing - are at greater risk of exposure to pollution that can worsen asthma and other health issues. They're increasingly and understandably anxious about the climate crisis - as the stakes are high and they will likely bear the brunt of it - and want to know what they can do about it.

. . .

We recognize how environmental injustices can impact communities and schools and outline six principles that are crucial for advancing climate justice in education. By focusing on these principles, state and district education leaders, decision-makers, and schools can meet the needs and aspirations of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds and contribute to a more just and resilient world.

Math Education

Source: Fordham Institute

Date: 4/23/25

Calculus or Statistics: Does it Matter?

State policymakers can use funding policies to expand access to dual enrollment programs, particularly for underrepresented students. Sharing the Cost: Insights From States Funding Dual Enrollment to Expand Access examines six dual enrollment programs across four states - California, Idaho, Minnesota, and Texas. This report analyzes each program's funding structures - including how costs are shared across states, community colleges, K-12 districts, and students - as well as student participation and attainment outcomes. It also highlights policies shared across multiple case study states. It concludes with four recommendations for state policymakers, advocates, education leaders, and other stakeholders seeking to increase access to and participation in dual enrollment programs

School Choice

Source: EdNext

Date: 4/23/25

How Much Capacity Do Public Schools in Kansas REALLY Have?

In a new policy brief, I document that some desirable Kansas public school districts appear to be self-reporting capacity to serve transfer students at numbers significantly below their excess building capacity. But the brief's real contribution is that it describes specific and extremely low-cost proposals that states could implement to give many more students the opportunity to transfer to public schools their families believe are better for their educational and social development-even when these public schools are located across district lines.

Teacher Employment and Retention

Source: Brookings

Date: 4/21/25

A Bad Commute: Travel Time to Work Predicts Teacher Turnover and Other Workplace Outcomes

Research suggests that longer commute times may increase employee turnover probabilities by increasing stress and reducing job attachment and embeddedness. Using administrative data from a midsized urban school district, we test whether teachers with longer commute times are more likely to transfer schools or exit the district. Both descriptively and in regression results employing multiple fixed effects, we find that teachers with longer commutes are more likely to transfer schools within the district. Regression results show that each 5-minute increase in one-way commute time predicts an increase in transfer probability of 0.8 to 1.0 percentage points over most of the commute time distribution. We also find evidence that teachers with the longest commutes (i.e., 40+ minutes each way) have higher district exit probabilities. Moreover, teachers with longer commute times are absent from work more frequently and receive lower observation ratings. We discuss potential implications for local human resources policy and practice.

Vouchers

Source: Urban Institute

Date: 4/22/25

The Effects of Ohio's EdChoice Voucher Program on College Enrollment and Graduation

EdChoice students were substantially more likely to enroll in college than students who remained in public schools (64 versus 48 percent). The differences in college enrollment were especially large at four-year colleges (45 versus 30 percent) and selective colleges (29 versus 19 percent). The enrollment impacts were strongest for male students, Black students, students with below-median test scores before leaving public school, and students from the lowest-income families.

Review of Testing Theories of Why: Four Keys to Interpreting US Student Achievement Trends

Source: American Enterprise Institute

Reviewed by: Chris Domaleski, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment

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.

In his review of Testing Theories of Why: Four Keys to Interpreting US Student Achievement Trends, Chris Domaleski of the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment explains that the report identifies four major trends: (1) student performance peaked in the early 2010s before declining, (2) lower-performing students have seen the sharpest declines, (3) achievement gaps in the U.S. are widening more than in other countries, and (4) similar declines appear in adult literacy and numeracy scores. The report also attempts to challenge implicit theories, such as the idea that recent declines are solely due to the pandemic or that all students are affected uniformly.

Trump targets AI, school discipline in new executive orders

By: Anna Merod, K12Dive

The AI task force "will be expected to encourage AI literacy and proficiency by integrating AI into K-12 education, offering comprehensive AI training for teachers, and developing early exposure to AI concepts to create an "AI-ready workforce and the next generation of American AI innovators."

Schools push career ed classes 'for all,' even kids heading to college

By: Javeria Salman, The Hechinger Report

"As backlash to 'college for all' grows, a new 'CTE for all' model blossoms. Backers say it engages students and prepares them for the future, but others worry it comes at a cost."

Department of Education policy targeting DEI and other race-related school programs is likely unconstitutional, judge rules

By: Tierney Sneed, Kristin Chapman and Shania Shelton, CNN

"US District Judge Landya McCafferty said in a scathing opinion that the administration's policy, laid out by the Department of Education in a letter to educators earlier this year, was "textbook viewpoint discrimination," likely violating the First Amendment's Free Speech protections."

Which Organizations' Contracts at the Education Department Have Been Terminated by DOGE?

By: Emma Kate Fittes & Maya Riser-Kositsky, EdWeek Market Brief

"EdWeek Market Brief is tracking cuts to federal projects and research by the Department of Government Efficiency"

School Vouchers are "A Bad Deal:" New Bilingual Video Series for Rural Families

By: Schott Foundation

This is a new bilingual video explainer about school vouchers focused on immigrant and rural families, produced by NYU Metro Center. Migrant Equity Southeast, HEAL Together and the Schott Foundation. The video features parents and students speaking directly about their experiences in public schools, together with explanations of the damage that school vouchers do to students and families, especially in rural communities.

GreatLakesCenter.org