Think Twice Weekly Report

APRIL 25, 2026 - MAY 1, 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


Education Policy and Policymaking

Source: AEI
Date: 4/29/26
Sketching a New Conservative Education Agenda, Fifth Edition

Key Points
The fifth edition of Sketching a New Conservative Education Agenda features terrific contributions from a range of conservative educators, scholars, and activists.
A hallmark project of AEI's Conservative Education Reform Network, the volume explores policy proposals and educational innovations from across the education spectrum - from K-12 to workforce development.
This project reflects CERN's commitment to building a big-tent conservative community focused on advancing practical, forward-looking solutions for America's students and families.

Higher Education

Source: AEI
Date: 4/30/26
Beyond "Do No Harm": The Next Era of Value-Based Accountability Policy

This report argues that the next phase of federal higher education accountability should build, in time, on the foundation the OBBBA established by introducing a more nuanced measure of value that incorporates price and, therefore, serves as a proxy for return on investment. By using this model, policymakers could better align incentives with student success and ensure that the system delivers not just access, affordability, and completion but genuine economic opportunity.

Reading Instruction

Source: Fordham Institute
Date: 4/29/26
From the Teacher's Desk: A Science of Reading Progress Report

In recent years, states and districts have made a concerted effort to align early elementary school instruction with "the science of reading." But how much progress has actually been made?

 

To find out, Fordham researchers David Griffith and Brian Fitzpatrick analyzed results from a nationally representative survey of K-3 teachers - developed by Fordham and fielded by RAND - that examined their knowledge of reading science and its relationship to the policies that shape instruction.

 

The takeaway: Progress is real, but incomplete.

School Finance and Funding

Source: Urban Institute
Date: 4/27/26
Federal Safety Net Reforms and School Funding Formulas

States have long used measures of student poverty to allocate additional funding to school districts. These measures typically reflect those used for free and reduced-price meals offered through the National School Lunch Program. Over the past two decades, many states have replaced or supplemented free and reduced-price meal eligibility with direct certification, which automatically certifies students for free school meals if they participate in safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. But federal changes to the social safety net under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will not only tighten state budgets but decrease student eligibility for these safety net programs, thus lowering direct certification counts. Given the interdependence of free meal eligibility and student poverty measures, any reduction in direct certification will require students to fill out school meal applications or alternative income forms, something that is often associated with stigma, and will show up as lower rates of student need in state funding formulas, even when actual student need has not declined.

School Finance and Funding

Source: Urban Institute
Date: 4/28/26
How Medicaid Helps Fund K-12 Education

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.




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.