While many historically contingent barriers to individual liberty have been deconstructed, I argue that current education policy continues to maintain a discriminatory educational milieu that constitutes individuals as dis/abled. I describe this current government formulation of educational spaces as Closed Policy. Various contingent environmental…

2025 promises to be a year of transition for North Carolina's children, accompanied by both significant challenges and tremendous opportunities. Local public schools will play a unique and central role as the state contends with leadership changes across all levels of government, rapid technological and economic transformation, and demographic…

The jurisdictions outside the 50 states add a dynamic and diverse set of voices to the conversation surrounding education. This infographic provides an overview of these communities along with resources to support them in closing achievement gaps for all.

Equality in education is a fundamental goal for societies, and educational systems need to provide equal opportunities for all individuals to realize their potential. However, in the current situation, economic, social and cultural differences create inequality of opportunity in education and this is a fundamental problem of education systems.…

This article outlines major developments in higher education policies in terms of massification, diversification and stratification, marketization, and globalization. Although these developments are global, their local instantiations create a diverse backdrop for student affairs and services. By giving examples from different contexts, we…

Since 2006, universities in England that want to charge higher fees to their domestic undergraduates have been required to agree a plan with an access regulator appointed by the government. This article identifies the objective for the regulation as equalising opportunity, then considers its effect, drawing on policy literature, ministerial…

A college degree is the most viable route to economic mobility and security, but significant barriers on the road to and through college still exist, particularly for Black, Latinx, Native American students, and multilingual learners, especially those experiencing poverty. College and career pathways can help remove barriers for students as they…

This article explores a promising new approach to college admissions: direct admissions. Direct admissions bypasses traditional college admissions processes such that students are automatically and proactively admitted to college. There are both state and institutional direct admissions systems. In some state-level programs, all students are…

The college admissions process can be confusing and inconsistent, requiring students to navigate a complex web of information, procedures, and admissions requirements from different postsecondary institutions. All of these require extensive social and cultural capital, which many students do not possess (Klasik 2012). Systemic change in college…

"An Abundance of Caution" is a devastating account of the decision-making process behind one of the worst American policy failures in a century--the extended closures of public schools during the pandemic. In fascinating and meticulously reported detail, David Zweig shows how some of the most trusted members of society--from Pulitzer…

This article examines the complex socio-political factors that hindered the growth of girls' education in northern Ghana during the colonial and early postcolonial periods. While previous research has focused on broader regional disparities between the North and the South, the gendered aspects of educational disparity within the North remain…

It is well within the capacity of a wealthy nation like the United States to provide high-quality education for all its citizens. The resources exist to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to excellent educational opportunities. Yet, in practice, our educational systems, particularly admissions to selective schools, are…

This brief is part of the Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, and Empowering Action initiative. This brief--which draws on a thorough review of existing research, original data analysis, and conversations with institutional leaders and experts--urges college leaders and admissions officials to address longstanding inequities in college access by…

This report is the second in a series that unpacks the barriers to access that families face, the variety of solutions that navigation organizations have developed, and the challenges that limit the reach and impact of those solutions. This series offers recommendations for how to help navigators address these challenges and support more families…

This brief describes kindergarten entry assessments for Spanish-English bilingual students in the United States, exploring the evidence base, policy and recommendations, and considerations for implementation for policymakers. A kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) aims to provide valid and reliable information on children's learning and development…