Think Twice Weekly Report
May 31 - June 6, 2025
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
Teacher Education & Preparation
Source: Learning Policy Institute
Date: May 2025
Successful Teacher Residencies: What Matters and What Works
"This report includes program descriptions and cross-case findings related to key program characteristics that are commonly found in effective residencies, plus additional programming considerations that emerged from our case studies. We suggest several strategies for sustaining and strengthening residencies, both at the program level and through state and federal policies."
Math Education
Source: NCTQ
Date: 6/3/25
State of the States: Five Policy Levers to Improve Math Instruction
Strong math skills open doors to higher earnings, college opportunities, and the fastest-growing careers. If we want students to succeed, we need to better prepare and support our elementary teachers in math instruction. Here's how!
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 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.
What We're Reading
Research and articles that we want to highlight for subscribers as potential resources:
Trump administration appeals pause on Education Department cuts to SCOTUS
By: Kara Arundel, K-12Dive
The U.S. Department of Justice asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday for an immediate pause on a court order that the U.S. Department of Education reinstate nearly 1,400 employees fired during a mass workforce reduction in March. The Justice Department's appeal calls the lower court's order an "unlawful remedy" and says the injunction "causes irreparable harm to the Executive Branch."
Trump team pauses new student visa interviews as it weighs expanding social media vetting
By: Nahal Toosi, Politico
A delay in setting up new J-1 visa appointments could impact school district hiring. There were almost 6,800 J-1 teachers in US schools in 2023.
Most new voucher recipients didn't come from an NC public school, new data shows
By: Emily Walkenhorst and Destinee Patterson, WRAL
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction found 6,710 recipients of the voucher, called an Opportunity Scholarship, this year attended a public school in the state last year. At the same time, the number of Opportunity Scholarships the state is funding rose from 32,549 during the 2023-24 school year to 80,325 during the 2024-25 school year.
Federal Voucher System - Like Florida's - Would Divert Funding to Private Schools and Home-Schoolers
By: Norín Dollard, PhD and Esteban Leonardo Santis, PhD, Florida Policy Institute
The reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes a federal tax credit voucher that would provide taxpayer-funded scholarships to pay for tuition at private schools and for home-schooled students. This $5-billion tax credit would divert funding that would otherwise go into federal coffers. This part of the reconciliation bill would make vouchers available to students in every state, even in those states where voters have opposed them like Kentucky, Colorado, and Nebraska, most recently.
Education Department misses key deadline for delivering statistics report
By: Jill Barshay, The Hechinger Report
For nearly 160 years, the federal government has been producing a statistical report on the condition and progress of education. In 2002, as part of the Education Sciences Reform Act, Congress gave the Education Department an annual deadline for that report: June 1. But no "Report on the Condition of Education" was delivered by June 1 of this year, the first time the Education Department has failed to meet this statutory obligation.
About the Think Twice think tank review project
The goal of the Think Twice project is to provide the public, policymakers and the press with timely academically sound reviews of selected think tank publications. The Think Twice project is funded by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. The reviews that are part of this project are expert third-party reviews produced by the National Education Policy Center.
About the Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice
The Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is an independent nonprofit organization supported by education stakeholders across the country. The mission of the Great Lakes Center is to support and disseminate high quality research and review of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for us by those who advocate for education reform.
