In January 2024, UNCF's Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) published "Adult Learner Initiative External Report," which outlined key findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the Adult Learner Initiative. To supplement and extend that work, Ascendium Education Group collaborated with FDPRI and Lumina Foundation to…

Teacher burnout is a complex and pervasive phenomenon with significant implications for both educators and students. This qualitative research study delves into the intricate interplay of factors contributing to teacher burnout within the context of K-12 schools in Massachusetts. Drawing from foundational theories such as Maslach's burnout model…

In this study, the authors sought to explore superintendents' understandings of the various influences on how their districts implemented a 100% virtual learning experience for students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Understanding these influences allowed the authors to develop a framework for leading redesigns of learning systems in long-term…

In this essay we explore how pernicious social narratives affect schooling and suggest rethinking leadership may ameliorate issues of injustice in education. We reject the idea that school leaders must necessarily be politicians who serve as bureaucratic management-oriented functionaries. We claim instead they are intellectual leaders who might…

Simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) entails significant changes to the FAFSA and the methodology for determining eligibility for federal financial aid for the 2024-25 academic year. The changes to the FAFSA form that were mandated by the Simplification Act delayed implementation and shifted the timeline for…

This mixed-methods study synthesizes Standards-Based Grading (SBG) literature, analyzes 249 Arkansas administrators' survey responses using OLS regressions, and identifies themes through in-vivo coding of qualitative feedback. Results show more SBG support among liberal, elementary-level administrators in larger, economically diverse districts.…

Harnessing changes in funding for a voucher program that subsidizes consumers' use of child care services at private providers, this study quantifies effects on local markets' service capacity and prices. We also estimate how increased funding effects provider entry rate, exit rate, and highly rated provider market share. The evidence shows that…

In spite of all its realized and potential benefits, the rapid and extensive expansion of distance education requires renewed and strengthened attention to student consumer protection. Ensuring quality in distance education requires the careful and deliberate collaboration of many, including states, the federal government, accreditors, higher…

Background: The federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to develop accountability measures in five indicator areas, including the new "school quality or student success" category. States also provide relative weights for each indicator. Research Questions: This new indicator is an opportunity to further develop multiple…

Nebraska's educators know the state's long-term competitiveness depends on continually improving student learning and outcomes for our 300,000+ K-12 students. That's why what they teach in classrooms all over the state is tied closely to content area standards--standards developed by Nebraska educators, approved by the State Board, and reviewed…

The number of high schools offering dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment courses has grown significantly over the past decade. However, gaps in student access and participation persist. This report from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact examines how the use of open educational resources,…

The Evidence to Action project (2019-2021), led by MDRC and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and supported by Arnold Ventures, initiated a body of work designed to disentangle the barriers that exist between research and state-level higher education policy and partnered with state higher education agencies to…

Jobs and the labor market have changed dramatically. The COVID-19 pandemic put millions of people, across all industries, out of work and disproportionately impacted workers of color, women, and workers without a college degree. This toolkit provides a map for how states that are looking to improve credential quality and transparency can use the…

Schools provide many services that aid children's development, well-being, and academic success. Key providers include mental health agencies, social workers, school counselors and nurses, as well as school officials and other employees. Yet quite possibly the most important component of these services--often overlooked--is the parent. This policy…

Civic education is once again at the center of education policy debates. Over the past five years, policy reform has been enacted in 46 states and, with some exceptions, has consisted of states embracing two initiatives: the College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies (C3) and the Civic Education Initiative (CEI). Both initiatives…