Discipline Policy

Source: Bellwether

Date: 5/28/25

Evidence for a Purpose: A Research Agenda to Guide Policy Change in Juvenile Justice Education

Every state’s juvenile justice system is meant to rehabilitate young people — and high-quality education is a key part of that goal. Young people who are incarcerated do not lose their rights to educational opportunity and have the same protections as their peers in traditional school settings, including access to interventions like special education services. The reality, however, is quite different. More often than not, juvenile justice education programs do not provide students with meaningful educational opportunity.

Improving education opportunity for incarcerated youth across the U.S. is complex and requires a systems-level understanding of how policy shapes and constrains students’ opportunities and outcomes. Currently, most research describes the problems and very little analyzes the system-level issues that could inform state policy reforms and improve outcomes for young people. Evidence for a Purpose: A Research Agenda to Guide Policy Change in Juvenile Justice Education is a research roadmap for state policymakers, researchers, and program leaders to collaboratively reform and redesign education within the juvenile justice system, led by both evidence and purpose.

School Choice

Source: Reason Foundation

Date: 5/27/25

K-12 open enrollment by the numbers: 2025

K-12 open enrollment lets students transfer to public schools other than their assigned one and is an increasingly popular form of school choice. There are two types of open enrollment: cross-district open enrollment lets students transfer to schools outside their assigned district, and within-district open enrollment lets students transfer to schools other than their assigned one inside their district.

Review of The Enrollment Decline Windfall

Source: EdChoice

Reviewed by: David E. DeMatthews and Jinseok Shin of the University of Texas at Austin

Most U.S. states continue to heavily rely on per-pupil funding models. Accordingly, projections of declining school-aged populations through 2030-combined with the rapid expansion of private school voucher policies-have raised serious concerns about the future adequacy of public school funding. A recent EdChoice report downplays these concerns.

However, in their review of The Enrollment Decline Windfall,David E. DeMatthews and Jinseok Shin of the University of Texas at Austin explain that the report's analysis is fundamentally flawed due to its overly simplistic treatment of a complex issue.

Tracking Trump: His actions to dismantle the Education Department, and more

By: HechingerReprt

This is a week by week look at what Trump is doing in education. The Hechinger Report has compiled the administration’s major education actions and are updating this list as Trump’s second term unfolds.

Skill Building: The Emerging Micro-Credential Movement in K-12 Education

By: Anne Kim, FutureEd

"In Skill Building: The Emerging Micro-Credential Movement in K-12 Education, FutureEd Senior Fellow Anne Kim offers a comprehensive analysis of how these credentials are taking shape in the K-12 landscape. Drawing on interviews with nearly two dozen leaders in the field, the report traces the rise of micro-credentialing, examines how it’s being used in schools, and explores whether it can live up to its promise of transforming the high school experience."

Does Money Matter in Education? (Third Edition)

By: Bruce D. Baker & David Knight, Albert Shanker Institute

"We find, put simply, that it has not only settled the question of whether money matters (it does), but has also let new light shine through on key details, including the kinds of investments that matter, who benefits most from them, and the impressive magnitude and consistency of their impact."

EdWorkingPapers Policy and Practice Series

By: EdWorkingPapers

"The EdWorkingPapers Policy & Practice Series is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world decision-making. Each installment summarizes a newly released EdWorkingPaper and highlights the most actionable insights for policymakers and education leaders."

9 things to know about the big, private-school voucher plan in Republicans' tax bill

By: Cory Turner, NPR

"NPR interviewed researchers, advocates (for and against), tax experts, a mother who relies on vouchers and a public school leader who feels threatened by them - a dozen sources in all. Here's what they say about this federal plan, including the potential risks and benefits."

GreatLakesCenter.org