Think Twice Weekly Report

APRIL 4, 2026 - APRIL 10, 2026

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


Attendance

Source: AEI
Date: 4/8/26
An Extra Point for Attendance: The Impact of High School Varsity Athletics on Absenteeism

Examining day-level attendance records and varsity participation data for roughly 262,000 Indiana high school students, we find a consistent "double bump" effect of varsity sports participation on attendance: Varsity athletes had better attendance outside their sports seasons than their peers and still lower absence rates during their sports seasons. Athletes also showed substantially lower rates of chronic absenteeism.

Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in Education

Source: CRPE
Date: 4/9/26
Reimagining Learning for the Age of AI

Will AI reinforce existing models of schooling, or will it help us build learning environments that center purpose, relationships, and real-world contributions? This is the question that our inaugural cohort of Think Forward AI Fellows explore in this compendium.

School Choice

Source: EdChoice
Date: 4/10/26
Push and Pull Factors for School Choosers and the Choice Curious

In studying school choice, researchers need to look at two separate yet equally important groups: the families making choices and the educational environments they are choosing. We think of the families as the "demand" side of the choice equation and the educational environment as the 'supply side.'

 

To get a more complex and nuanced picture of the demand side of educational choice we, in partnership with Morning Consult, polled more than 2,100 American parents and asked them a battery of questions about choosing their child's school. The sample had a mix of parents who had switched their child's school at some time in his or her school career, parents who were considering switching, and those that were not interested in switching their child's school.

 

What we uncovered is a fascinating mix of push and pull factors both repelling families from and attracting families to educational environments. Better understanding what parents want (and don't want) and the barriers that get in their way can help those designing choice programs and those helping families navigate them.

School Reform and Restructuring / Student Achievement

Source: PPI
Date: 4/10/26
Inside the Mississippi Marathon

It feels surreal to be a public education advocate from Mississippi these days. After decades of derision, my home state has lately become a cause celebre for dramatically improving our students' reading and math skills, which rocketed Mississippi from the bottom of national rankings to near the top. The resulting think pieces often border on wonder: Pundits have dubbed our story "the Mississippi miracle," as if it must have taken divine intervention for us to do what so many others are failing to do - improve education for kids of all races, incomes, and achievement levels.





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 Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict

Source: Fordham Institute
Reviewed by: Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University

A recent Fordham Institute report surveys more than 5,000 school board members across over 3,000 districts, finding they are disproportionately White, college educated, and often current or former teachers, with politics and beliefs that largely mirror both the U.S. public and their local communities.

In their review of Who's on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict, Arizona State University professors Carrie Sampson and Jeanne M. Powers find the report offers a useful snapshot of board composition, political orientation, and perceptions.



What We're Reading


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



School Finance in the US
By: Kenneth A Shores & Hojung Lee. EdWorkingPaper

This research provides an overview of K-12 public school finance in the United States by tracing how funding systems changed over time, how they operate today, and how well they advance core policy goals.

Testing frequency and student achievement: A systematic review
By: EdWorkingPaper

"This review examined the effects of interventions that change how frequently primary and second-ary students are tested on measures of student achievement and testing anxiety."

The Hidden Costs of Virginia's Data Center Subsidy and How They Undermine Public Schools
By: Anthony Elmo, Anya Gizis, Good Jobs First

"In fiscal year 2024, Virginia's sales and use tax exemption for data centers - abating taxes on their equipment and enabling software, including rebuilds and updates - reduced state sales tax collections by about $1.02 billion. Good Jobs First estimates that about $267 million of that lost state revenue would otherwise have supported K-12 schools."

Dozens of Teacher Pathways Fuel This District's Talent Pipeline
By: Sarah D. Sparks, EdWeek

"But few districts take a more intensive approach to teacher development than Fresno. The 79,000-student district in Central California has more than a dozen different programs to guide and prepare would-be teachers into the field."

Tennessee elementary schools might limit classroom digital device use under pending law
By: Melissa Brown, Chalkbeat

"Tennessee elementary schools could limit classroom digital devices under new legislation aimed at minimizing screen time for young students, even on educational electronic devices."