Washington is working to increase educational attainment so that 70 percent of all adults ages 25 to 44 have a postsecondary credential. However, ongoing inequities in education have impeded access to educational opportunities, and some racial groups are further from the statewide goal. Part of the issue is the transition from K-12 to…

In 2013, the Washington Student Achievement Council proposed a statewide goal for educational attainment that called for 70 percent of the state's 25-44 year olds (i.e., early and mid-career residents) to have a postsecondary credential. The goal was adopted by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee. In 2019, the…

This is a technical report of agency actions and legislative recommendations for programs regulated by the state or government-to-government responsibilities that must be met for children aged 3-5. As changes in PreK services affect enrollment in birth-3 and school-age care, impacts on these other programs are vital to alignment work. Partnering…

Senate Bill 6362 (2018) directed the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to "define the duties and responsibilities that entail a 'school day' under the state's statutory program of basic education under RCW [Revised Code of Washington] 28A.150.220 and 28A.150.260." In August 2018, Superintendent of Public…

Despite progress in the number of Washingtonians receiving postsecondary credentials, there are persistent gaps in attainment rates for underrepresented minority groups. Notably, the Hispanic population is the state's second-largest racial/ethnic group, but educational outcomes lag behind their white counterparts. Narrowing these equity gaps…

In 2019, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 5082 (SB 5082), which directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to establish a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee to build upon the work of the previous Social Emotional Learning Indicators (SELI) Workgroup. The purpose of the SEL Advisory Committee is to promote and…

In this critical, qualitative study, we utilized Disability Critical Race Theory and revolutionary mothering to understand how Mothers of Color who have young children with disabilities made meaning of underlying constitutions of competence within schools, and how they conceptualized possibility for justice in early childhood. Findings reveal how…

Based on comprehensive data from the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, this analysis explores short-term training programs, including which providers offer them and in which occupation-specific programs of study; the demographics of those who enroll in programs; and outcomes for program completers or graduates. Given…

States and districts allocate hundreds of billions of dollars annually to fund K-12 schools, and this allocation is largely driven by one calculation: how states count student enrollment. They do this in one of five ways: (1) A single count on a single day; (2) Two counts twice per year; (3) Multiple counts over a period of time; (4) An attendance…

This article outlines the efforts toward racial equity undertaken at the system level in Basic Education for Adults (BEdA) programs in Washington state. These Title II Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs include both adult basic education and English language acquisition (ABE/ELA) students. The work focuses on the alignment of…

Through a case study of two doctoral programs situated in the United States, this essay highlights how doctoral programs designed to prepare leaders in K-16 institutions and other contexts can be "framed around questions of equity, ethics, and social justice to bring about solutions to complex problems of practice" (CPED, 2016; Buss,…

This qualitative investigation explains the ways in which community college decision makers justify the inclusion of international students at three community colleges in the United States. We identify and explain the ways in which decision makers rationalize institutional policy--particularly recruitment strategies and motivations--related to…

In order to build an inclusive economy State leaders have recognized the critical importance of postsecondary attainment in meeting economic and equity goals. Nearly every state has, or is considering a postsecondary education attainment goal, which sets a threshold for the number of people within that state who hold some type of postsecondary…

All Washington's children and youth grow up safe and healthy--thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community. In this first five-year strategic planning cycle, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) will focus on six Strategic Priorities--one relates to equity, three relate to…

Lumina Foundation seeks to increase the proportion of Americans who hold a postsecondary credential to 60 percent by 2025, across all racial, ethnic, immigration, and income groups. Recognizing that this goal cannot be achieved through a focus on traditional-age college students alone, Lumina launched the Adult Promise initiative in 2017. Between…