The National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness provides a roadmap to guide America out of the worst public health crisis in a century. It outlines an actionable plan across the federal government to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including twelve initial executive actions issued by President Biden on his first two days…

Transforming K-12 education systems to meet the new economic, civic, and cultural demands of global society requires a modern teacher workforce. Specifically, it requires a teacher workforce with the knowledge, skills, and systems of support to be successful in student-centered, competency-based, and diverse learning environments. This brief: (1)…

The federal child nutrition programs provide assistance to schools and other institutions in the form of cash, commodity food, and administrative support (such as technical assistance and administrative funding) based on the provision of meals and snacks to children. The programs provide financial support and/or foods to the institutions that…

Every winter, during the second week of February, tribal college presidents, student representatives, and a myriad of others passionate about tribal education trek out to Washington, DC to visit Capitol Hill for National Tribal College Week. This week, also referred to as the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Winter Meeting, is…

The funding of public elementary and secondary schools in the United States involves a combination of local, state, and federal government revenues. State and local governments generally provide over 90% of the revenue available for public elementary and secondary education on an annual basis, with the federal government providing the remainder.…

COVID-19 has provided the impetus for Congress to implement reforms, many of which are long overdue. Policymakers should take the necessary steps to restore educational autonomy to states and reduce federal regulations and compliance. This "Backgrounder" outlines six reforms that federal policymakers can undertake to free school leaders…

At $14 billion, the investment in operating support for higher education institutions from the coronavirus relief bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is the largest one-year federal infusion of funds going straight to colleges since the Great Recession. Yet it's nowhere close to enough. Many states have already…

Accurate and complete data can empower college choices, promote student success, and inform federal, state and institutional policies. Yet existing postsecondary student data systems are disconnected, duplicative and incomplete. "A Blueprint for Better Information: Recommendations for a Federal Postsecondary Student-Level Data Network"…

The "FY 2022 Annual Performance Plan" (i.e., fiscal year (FY) 2022 APP) is required by the "Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010," and guidance for its development is provided by the Office of Management and Budget's Circular No. A-11, Part 6. The "U.S. Department of Education's Strategic Plan…

Through this plan, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) Office of Inspector General (OIG), affirms and advances their long-standing commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce and workplace environment that will help ensure that the work they produce is accessible to the diverse public they serve. This plan aligns with the goals…

In this manuscript, I examine the new Trump administration and its US policy agenda. In particular, I am concerned with the administration's embrace of unilateralism, imperialism and authoritarianism, supported by White Nationalism and audacious lying. I offer a few things for social justice educators to consider as well as a call for action and…

The Aurora Institute's 2020 Federal Policy Priorities are an equity-driven and future-focused set of recommendations designed to ensure the nation's education system is fit for purpose. The priorities are intentionally constructed to support moving states and localities forward from their current state of education to future systems capable of…

The purpose of the U.S. Department of Education's (Department's) fiscal year (FY) 2021 "Agency Financial Report" (AFR) is to inform Congress, the President, other external stakeholders, and the American people on how the Department used the federal resources entrusted to it to advance the mission of the Department to promote student…

Nationally, student debt has doubled between 2009 and 2019 and is now hovering around $1.7 trillion. The impact that student debt financing is having on borrowers of color is harmful and unsustainable. It is also widening the already significant racial wealth gap. The pandemic is likely to only exacerbate these inequities as people of color and…

Emergency room (ER) visits for 12- to 17-year-olds suspected of attempting suicide increased 31 percent during the pandemic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This trend was especially pronounced for girls, whose ER visits after suspected attempts were 50.6 percent higher in the winter of 2021 than during the…