Classroom Teaching and Learning

Source: Pioneer Institute

Date: 4/23/26

Charter School Toolkit: A Practical Plan for Returning to Academic Excellence

After years during which too many charter public schools turned away from the rigorous academic practices that made them the nation's most successful urban education reform, the sector should return to the proven model that closed achievement gaps, according to a new "Charter School Toolkit" published by Pioneer Institute.

Early Childhood Education

Source: AEI

Date: 4/22/26

Real Choice and Market Demand for Early Learning Options: A Virginia Case Study

"Effective classroom management determines how much time is available for teaching - and how engaged students are in learning. Yet too many teachers enter the classroom underprepared to manage student behavior, not because the knowledge doesn't exist, but because their preparation programs didn't give it to them. When teacher prep programs equip aspiring teachers with the knowledge and skills to create engaging and supportive classrooms, teachers are far more likely to foster a community where all students can learn and thrive. NCTQ's new Classroom Management Framework details the three areas of classroom management - grounded in research and aligned to the field - that give new teachers a solid foundation for understanding and responding to student behavior, and establishing clear expectations in the classroom. Within each focus area, we break down the actions teacher prep programs should take to ensure their candidates are well-prepared in classroom management."

School Finance and Funding

Source: Urban Institute

Date: 4/24/26

Which Students and Staff Positions Might Be Most at Risk with Changes to Federal Spending on K-12 Education?

"Several policy proposals and changes have created uncertainty for federal revenue for K-12 schools. This essay looks at school-district-level data on specific federal funding streams - including title revenue, revenue for students with disabilities, and school-based nutrition revenue - to understand how these funding sources are correlated with district characteristics and staffing per pupil. I relate these results to previous research on how districts spend specific federal funding streams."

School Finance and Funding / Higher Education

Source: CAP

Date: 4/20/26

Stabilizing and Strengthening State Funding for Public Higher Education After the Big Beautiful Bill

"Despite steep federal funding cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill, states can continue to support public higher education by creating progressive state tax revenue streams and strengthening rainy day funds to support postsecondary student success and degree completion."

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.

GreatLakesCenter.org