Center for American Progress

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Education

CAP’s Education Department aims to change America’s approach to early childhood, K-12 education, higher education, and lifelong learning by ensuring equitable access to resources, developing community-centered policies, and promoting the ability to participate fully in an inclusive economy built on a strong democracy.

Students walk to their classrooms at a public middle school in Los Angeles, California, September 10, 2021. (Getty/Robyn Beck/AFP)
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What We're Doing

Modernize and elevate the teaching profession

CAP has identified a series of proposals, including a grant program that would increase recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators in schools with the highest teacher turnover, helping ensure equitable access to great teaching in school districts across the country.

Provide access to quality, affordable child care

CAP has helped shape key child care and preschool policy proposals, many of which are included in the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, and furthered the understanding of child care research, including cost of care, child care deserts, family spending, and workforce participation.

Promote investments in higher education

CAP has advocated for investments in higher education, including better supporting community college and part-time students, boosting the Pell Grant for low-income students, investing in minority-serving institutions, and recognizing the importance of robust student advising and wraparound supports.

Featured Experts

Featured work

Latest

Early Learning in the United States: 2021 Fact Sheet

Early Learning in the United States: 2021

These state fact sheets provide data on access to affordable child care for families, compensation for child care providers, and economic benefits of increased public investment in early learning.

MK Falgout

Fact Sheet: Targeted Grants for Educational Excellence Program Fact Sheet
(An educator teaches integrated math at a high school in Pasadena, California, April 2021.)

Fact Sheet: Targeted Grants for Educational Excellence Program

This fact sheet outlines the details of a proposed grant program that would increase recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators in schools with the highest teacher turnover.

Bayliss Fiddiman, Lisette Partelow

Fixing Graduate School Debt Fact Sheet
Law student graduate Esther Agbaje takes part in the Black Commencement at Harvard University on May 23, 2017. (Getty/Keith Bedford)

Fixing Graduate School Debt

This fact sheet considers accountability-based policy solutions through an equity lens to bring down graduate debt levels.

Viviann Anguiano, Ben Miller

Early Learning in the United States: 2019 Fact Sheet

Early Learning in the United States: 2019

These fact sheets outline the current state of early learning and opportunities for improvement in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Steven Jessen-Howard, Simon Workman

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