Think Twice Weekly Report

 
NOVEMBER 8 - NOVEMBER 14, 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


Economics, Poverty

Source: FutureEd
Date: 11/4/25
How Inequality Works: The Public Policy Barriers to Social Mobility in Urban America

Education is a powerful engine of opportunity, but it often cannot overcome the broader structural barriers that shape children's lives. Across the nation, policies in housing, health care, education, employment, banking, criminal justice, and the social safety net intersect in ways that reinforce disadvantage and limit economic mobility for millions of Americans. In How Inequality Works: The Public Policy Barriers to Social Mobility in Urban America, FutureEd Senior Fellow Josh Anderson offers a comprehensive analysis of how these systems interact to hold students and families in poverty. Drawing on decades of social science research, the report examines the policy mechanisms that perpetuate inequity, explores how disadvantage compounds over a lifetime, and highlights the need for coordinated, cross-sector solutions to expand opportunity.

Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in Education

Source: CRPE
Date: 11/13/25
Districts and AI: Early Adopters Focus More on Students in 2025-26

Far too many high-achieving, low-income (HALO) students fall off the education track and never reach top colleges and universities. But what can be done to keep more of them on college-going pathways? To shed light, this study examines the educational experiences and outcomes of high-achieving students in Ohio. Conducted by Stéphane Lavertu, the analysis finds that the advanced learning opportunities available to HALO students matter greatly when it comes to their likelihood of attending four-year colleges.


Higher Education

Source: EdTrust
Date: 11/13/25
Laying the Groundwork: Building a Policy Roadmap for Massachusetts Public Higher Education

By 2031, nearly 75% of jobs in Massachusetts are projected to require education beyond high school, making college and career training essential to the Commonwealth's economic future. Yet too many students-especially those from underserved communities-face deep and persistent barriers to enrollment, retention, and completion, leaving them without the opportunities they need to succeed in higher education and the workforce.

 

To address these challenges, EdTrust in Massachusetts-in partnership with the Collaborative for Higher Education Access & Opportunity (CHEAO)-released a new report, "Laying the Groundwork: Building a Policy Roadmap for Massachusetts Public Higher Education." Developed in collaboration with leading researchers, policy advocates, and practitioners from the Hildreth Institute, OneGoal, Latinos for Education, MassINC, and uAspire, the report outlines a strategic blueprint to expand access, improve student outcomes, and strengthen the state's public higher education system.


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 Wisconsin's Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program

Source: School Choice Wisconsin
Reviewed by: Bruce Baker, University of Miami

As one of the nation's longest-running private school voucher initiatives, Wisconsin's program has drawn decades of research interest. A recent report from a think tank called School Choice Wisconsin considers the cost-effectiveness of voucher-receiving schools in Racine, Milwaukee, and across the state.

University of Miami professor Bruce Baker reviewed Wisconsin's Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program, which claims that Wisconsin's voucher-receiving schools are far more cost effective than public district schools. Baker found the report's conclusions to be not just flawed, but completely wrong.



What We're Reading


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



Federal policies risk worsening an already dire rural teacher shortage

By: Ariel Gilreath, The Hechinger Report

In Halifax County, North Carolina, 101 of 156 teachers are international. A new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas could effectively slam the door on future hires


School vouchers row: Local Islamic leaders hit back at Uthmeier's 'Sharia law' claim

By: Natalie La Roche Pietri, WLRN

"Islamic leaders in South Florida have pushed back against Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's claims that tax-payer funded vouchers for private Islamic schools violate Florida law and pose a national security threat."


States' lawsuit over Trump cuts to teacher grants survives

By: Erik Uebelacker, Courthouse News Service

"A federal judge on Thursday rejected the Trump administration's bid to broadly dismiss a lawsuit challenging its $600 million cuts to federal grants allocated for recruiting and training teachers."


Immigration enforcement appears to hurt test scores, and not just for immigrant students: study

By: Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat

"Florida students take state standardized tests three times a year, allowing researchers to see how students were doing before and after immigration enforcement increased under the Trump administration. The analysis found that each percentage point increase in immigration enforcement intensity reduced Spanish-speaking students' scores on state tests by an amount equivalent to about 10 to 15 points on the SAT."


These teachers survived school shootings. Now they're offering support to others.

By: Sammy Caiola, Chalkbeat

A national crisis intervention team they launched this week plans to visit campuses after mass shootings and provide one-on-one phone and email support to teachers in need."