In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, some advocates and philanthropists are shifting their focus and energy from the federal level to the state and local level in the hopes of maintaining the momentum of gains made by the Obama administration. Since the nation's founding, states and the school districts they created have been in the…

There is a constant push and pull between state and the federal governments to find the right balance of federalism. By applying this "push-pull" framework to higher education, this brief looks at past policy interventions and how this framework can help to understand the free college movement.

Arizona has played a large part in the development and implementation of policy that directly inhibits equity of opportunity for the English learner (EL) population, the largest and most damaging of which came out of legislation passed due to the "Flores v. Arizona" case which concluded in 2015. This research article seeks to critically…

The term "Almajiri" in Nigeria is used to describe those children or youths who left their hometowns in search for Islamic education. Unlike pre-colonial Nigeria, the "Almajiri" system of education flourished and recorded exceptional accomplishment in literacy and social services, but today the system is faced with a myriad of…

Finland has been widely regarded as one of the most successful education systems in the world. However, recent trends suggest that Finland's considerable achievements may be at risk. The country's performance in international student assessments has been declining over the past decade, as gaps among student groups and levels of school segregation…

In this paper, we note the contrasting positions occupied by social and financial capital in state and federal education policy and compare their relative impacts on student learning. To make such a comparison, we analyzed data from a representative sample of Michigan's elementary schools using multilevel structural equation modeling to examine…

With the cost of college soaring and the national six-year completion rate below 60 percent, the federal government's support for higher education faces heightened scrutiny. What kind of regulation and accountability should Congress impose on Washington's hefty funding of Pell grants and subsidized loans? As legislators turn their attention to…

To promote success among all students, schools hire an array of support staff, professional personnel, and administrators. The majority of a school's budget is dedicated to personnel costs, so when the Legislature cuts education funding, they are also cutting staff. However, changes in staffing have not been consistent over time or within staffing…

This handbook aims at helping policy makers and social partners to look at the issues involved in financing work-based learning programmes--programmes that are part of formal vocational education and training and combine learning in the workplace with learning in the classroom--and to make better choices between the policy options that face them…

While there are multiple types of programs subsidizing private education--including traditional vouchers, tax credit scholarships, and education savings account programs--they all share a common economic effect: diverting public money away from public schools to subsidize private education. The Center for American Progress believes that public…

For 14 years, the "Education Next" annual survey has tracked American opinion on education policy. This year's survey, administered in May 2020, provides an early look at how the experiences of the past few months as the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools nationwide may shape Americans' views on education policy going forward. The survey's…

Education Commission of the States (ECS) conducted interviews with members of the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) in six states to gather insights into current and critical state policy issues. This summative paper outlines the findings of these interviews, which took place between May and July 2021. The interviews also gathered input…

The Florida state profile consisted of interviews with five participants from three National College Attainment Network (NCAN) member organizations in the state. It was evident that leaders in Florida were focused on workforce efforts, specifically career and technical education (CTE) and rapid credentialization, with all three organizations…

Three National College Attainment Network (NCAN) member organizations (a total of seven individuals) participated in interviews regarding postsecondary access and attainment policy in Ohio. Interviewees identified several policy priorities in the state--notably, FAFSA completion and college affordability. These policy issues and emerging trends…

The subject of public charter schools and students with disabilities is both important and sensitive. These students have the potential to benefit greatly from the smaller size and specialized focus of many public charter schools, but questions persist regarding whether all or even most charters are as receptive to enrolling students with…