Evidence is mounting that women in academia have disproportionately been affected by the pandemic. Recent research points to new gender gaps in productivity and publishing, with fewer women publishing articles and manuscripts. And in addition to these professional challenges, women in academia are also facing unique personal challenges during the…

This paper traces the origins of the educational system's widespread inability (despite outstanding exceptions) to achieve its most widely agreed goal -- i.e. to nurture and recognise the wide range of talents pupils possess. Among the reasons for this neglect is the absence of a shared framework for thinking about the nature, development, and…

Policymakers and educators continue to grapple with issues of persistent achievement gaps in student performance at third grade and beyond. As they do, they look for ways to create a more seamless system of education that is "connected from one stage to the next -- reducing the chances that students will be lost along the way or require…

California's K-12 funding and instructional policies for English learners (ELs) have changed significantly over the past 2 decades, including new requirements for instructional materials specific to ELs statewide and a new school funding system that funds ELs at a higher rate. These major policy shifts held the potential to change student learning…

The annual Performance Accountability Report (PAR) serves as an important mechanism by which public colleges and universities in Maryland are held accountable. Through a performance accountability plan, institutions are required to establish and maintain performance standards, and use metrics to assess their effectiveness in tackling institutional…

The 2020 U.S. census revealed that Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations are among the fastest growing in the nation, with 24 million Asian American and 1.6 million NHPI residents. Despite a long history of anti-Asian sentiment and racism in the U.S., Asian American and NHPI students have been harmfully…

This article discusses how middle and high school inner-city and rural students can increase their academic achievement and self-efficacy in STEM classes using The Digital Curriculum, a program that incorporates digital technology, software, and a design project. This curriculum, which integrates socially relevant content, gives students a chance…

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…

Ten years ago, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) shifted K-12 funding in California, directing more dollars to districts with high-need students--English Learner, low-income, and/or foster youth. This policy brief examines concerns over the flexibility LCFF gave districts to spend their money and provides data regarding: (1) how additional…

America has learned from No Child Left Behind that focusing on equity demands that we look and more than test scores alone or they quickly become all that matters. That approach overlooks other aspects of a child's life that are critical. The new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes this lesson and encourages states and districts to…

In this paper, problems with the philosophy and research relating to various interpretations of 'closing the gap' are used to open up a discussion of, and illustrate, the process whereby a narrow interpretation of 'science' and neglect of systems thinking result in the generation of huge amounts of dangerous and misleading misinformation and…

In "Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Promising Practices for African American Male Students," I take us on a journey into teachers' perceptions of the impact of implementing culturally responsive pedagogical (CRP) practices on the student learning outcomes of African American male students. The book also helps to identify teachers'…

At the conclusion of an academic year upended by pandemic and wrenching racial injustice, the California Community Colleges takes pride in what it has accomplished while committing to action that will result in lasting change. This year the colleges brought the largest higher education system in the country from offering less than a quarter its…

To assess education progress in the early grades and identify achievement gaps, this study examined reading achievement data for kindergarten and grade 1 students in two districts in Illinois: District U-46 (Elgin Area Schools) and District 186 (Springfield Public Schools). Drawing on a different reading assessment in each district, the study team…

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has assisted 23 states and territories in their efforts to scale high-quality work-based learning programs since 2016. Rhode Island has been engaged with the Policy Academy on Scaling Work-Based Learning since 2017 -- the same year that state policymakers launched an initiative aimed at…