FutureEd at Georgetown

Back-to-school season is in full swing -- in my house, we're still getting used to new routines, and my guess is that's true for families and schools across the US. There's always a few big issues that rise to the top of national ed policy conversations, and at FutureEd at Georgetown, we've picked four topics for our Fall 2024 Policy Watch List that we're watching eagerly. 1. Chronic Absenteeism. Progress on this critical issue is varied, and we're carefully tracking as states begin to release 23-24 numbers. We also need to address the fact that states aren't required to release data from the previous school year before the new one starts! Because we have to dig into numbers on this. For example, Montgomery County Public Schools reports an improvement in their chronic absenteeism rates, but they also point out that the improvement is entirely in elementary and middle schools. MoCo high schools, overall, got worse. Nuance will be key here, both in looking at numbers and considering solutions. 2. Life Beyond ESSER. We're not as focused on the fiscal cliff - though that matters! - as much as we are on places where schools and districts are reallocating permanent funds to maintain impactful programs started w/ESSER dollars. High-impact tutoring, we're looking at you! Scott Muri, Ed.D. and his team in Ector County ISD are, perhaps not surprisingly, leaders here, keeping their successful tutoring work going with regular budget allocation for this year. 3. Private school choice. It's happening in 33 states, programs in those states are growing, and more states are considering proposals in upcoming leg sessions. We're digging deep on this - look for a big report in the coming weeks from us! - to understand how policy design choices influence access to, opportunity within, and participation in these new programs. 4. High school reform. Are we closer than ever to making real progress with all the work on pathways and competency, or will the chance to truly reform the American high school experience slip through our fingers? And in light of yesterday's tragic school shooting, safety must be part of this work too. We're looking at national work like Laura Slover's measurement work, and watching local attempts like XQ Institute's ongoing work in several DC high schools. What's on your list? Or who should we be talking with in order to better understand these topics? https://lnkd.in/e6Z7fNSP

Exciting news for supporters of high-impact tutoring (like us!), and no surprise that the excellent research coming out of National Student Support Accelerator is helping fuel these kinds of philanthropic decisions.

Participating in the Harvard Strategic Data Project was a foundational experience in my early career that continues to pay dividends. From the early days when it was just the 8 of us -- Gretchen Guffy, Hella Bel Hadj Amor, Andy Baxter, Whitney Allgood, PhD, Greg G., and others -- to now seeing the community of experts and leaders committed to using data to improve outcomes for students has been a privilege to watch unfold. In 2008, I was young and naive enough to believe that using data in smart ways was enough to change the world. In 2024, I'm experienced enough to know that this is actually true. The path isn't always straightforward, and much of the data-focused work this network conducts flies under the radar. Rhode Island's innovative data dashboards - work led by other SDP alumni, and that I wrote about for FutureEd at Georgetown earlier this month - is yet another proof point that this work is not just important, but critical. My gratitude to the team at SDP for this lovely profile, and for selecting me as a member of the Alumni Advisory Board! Rhode Island report here: https://lnkd.in/ea35McMY

We couldn't agree more that Commissioner Infante-Green and Rhode Island Department of Education are leading the way on chronic absenteeism. Our new report "Team Sport" tells the story of Rhode Island's statewide approach to getting students back in school every day. Leadership--that of the Commissioner, of Governor McKee, of mayors and district leaders--is a key part of this work. The second pillar, as Julia Rafal-Baer mentions, is data. Making it public, helping district and school leaders understand how to use it, and embedding tools within the dashboard that help school leaders connect with families and students are just some of the strategies that Rhode Island is using to turn data into action. Looking forward to more great work from RI as the new school year gets underway. Read our report here: https://lnkd.in/eeWm5uxa

According to the latest federal data, states and school districts have spent 85% of their ESSER funds overall. They have until September to obligate the remaining funds, with a liquidation deadline of January 2025, and March 2026 for those with approved extensions. https://lnkd.in/dw9gVTQU

Like all states, Rhode Island's chronic absenteeism spiked during the pandemic. But under Gov. Dan McKee's leadership, the state's absenteeism rates are now at their lowest since the pandemic began. By leveraging real-time attendance data and fostering a collective approach, Rhode Island has successfully united school and district leaders, mayors, hospital systems, and businesses in addressing this challenge. “Rhode Island’s success in bringing students back to school is both a model for other states and a testament to the power of political leadership, data, and community-wide collaboration to address challenges in the education sector,” writes Policy Director Liz Cohen. Read more about Rhode Island’s pioneering response in our new report. https://lnkd.in/eeWm5uxa

As people review Kamala Harris on education, it's important to understand how her views evolved from the classic punitive stance on truancy to a more informed, whole-child understanding of how to address chronic absenteeism. Former associate director Phyllis Jordan told the story thoughtfully in this piece. https://lnkd.in/dcEqSz4

While debates rage about how teachers and students should be using artificial intelligence in the classroom, the folks at The Urban Assembly, Inc. are teaching AI systems to scan classroom videos in search of exemplary teacher-student interaction. "This gives us the opportunity to get more feedback to more teachers and to do it with the same number of coaches that we have now," says David Adams. Learn more about the potential of AI to improve teacher coaching in our latest Q&A: https://lnkd.in/e2DMt8pr

Tristan Denley has been called the "Johnny Appleseed of dev-ed reform." From Tennessee to Georgia, and now Louisiana, Denley has pushed aside traditional multi-semester remedial classes and rolled out corequisite education at scale. But nationally, reform has stalled. What will it take to get it back on track? Our latest report insists faculty must engage deeply in the unfinished work of reforming remedial education. For this and other key strategies to complete the job, read the report: https://lnkd.in/gid3Zvnp 

Tristan Denley has been called the "Johnny Appleseed of dev-ed reform." From Tennessee to Georgia, and now Louisiana, Denley has pushed aside traditional multi-semester remedial classes and rolled out corequisite education at scale. But nationally, reform has stalled. What will it take to get it back on track? Our latest report insists faculty must engage deeply in the unfinished work of reforming remedial education. For this and other key strategies to complete the job, read the report: https://lnkd.in/gid3Zvnp