Over the past decade, the Washington State Legislature has made significant progress in juvenile justice reforms. However, these investments have not been balanced by equal changes in education. This report provides 10 recommendations for the Legislature to reform institutional education in Washington focused on the following: (1) An…

In 2020, the Governor of Washington issued a directive to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and a letter to Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for the agencies to identify near-term administrative efficiencies and longer-term strategies to improve the alignment and integration of…

In 2012 Washington became the 42nd state in the nation to adopt a charter school law. Charter schools in Washington are autonomous public schools operated by a nonprofit organization rather than a school district. As a local education agency, each school must follow many of the same compliance and reporting requirements that traditional districts…

In early May 2020, The Aspen Institute published "Fostering Connectedness in the Pandemic Era: Policy Recommendations to Support Social, Emotional, and Academic Development." The recommendations were developed by a diverse group of education leaders convened to explore the importance of safe and nurturing relationships in school and the…

Every year millions of Americans gain valuable college credit-worthy learning through workplace training, the military, apprenticeships, & professional certifications. Nearly all of this learning goes unrecognized by colleges & universities. Without a consistent way to recognize, reward, and transfer this learning, many people are left…

Work-based learning faces significant changes in delivery in the face of a global pandemic that has severely limited physical access to schools and businesses. These changes have forced school leaders and employers to acknowledge pre-existing inequities that perpetuate historical barriers and racial discrimination and keep marginalized learner…

This report includes the latest information about how investment in early childhood education (ECE) correlates to school success and economic development. Members of state boards of education know that quality experiences have the largest impact on student outcomes. This report outlines quality in ECE, highlighting challenges that every state…

Since the enactment of Public Law 94-142, school districts have struggled to hire and retain required special education personnel (i.e., special education teachers, school psychologists, and related service providers). Data show that shortages of these qualified personnel are even more magnified in rural school districts. Distance education can…

This topic paper details how dual and concurrent enrollment programs can help states overcome workforce readiness and postsecondary access and completion challenges and how governors can strengthen these programs by using their bully pulpit, agenda setting authority and budgetary authority to do so. It concludes with a number of examples of how…

The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) provides oversight of the Washington K-12 education system to ensure that all students have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be become lifelong learners, take advantage of their choice of post-secondary training and education, support themselves and their families, live…

More than 1 million U.S. high schoolers participate each year in dual enrollment, taking college courses that simultaneously fulfill high school graduation requirements and count toward a postsecondary degree or workforce credential. While most systems still have equity gaps in dual enrollment access, 20 percent do not. In "The Dual…

Aspen and the Community College Research Center studied nine dual enrollment programs across three states--Florida, Ohio, and Washington--that have narrowed or closed equity gaps in dual enrollment for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander students. Based on this research, "The Dual Enrollment Playbook" describes the five…

This report provides educators and policymakers with information they can use to celebrate their successes, understand their unique challenges, and set meaningful goals to increase opportunity for all students. It is important to note that while AP® Exams are valid measures of students' content mastery of college-level studies in specific academic…

Through generous support from the Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, USA Funds, and Walmart Foundation, the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research on Education (CARE) teamed up with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) and three AANAPISI campus partners--City College of San Francisco,…

Approximately 50 years ago, "Brown v. Board of Education" was viewed by many as a turning point in American history that crystallized a national movement to eliminate state-enforced racially segregated public education. However, in recent years many parents, educators, and policy makers in education have begun to question whether…