The Center for American Progress’ K-12 Education team is committed to developing policies for a new education agenda that is rooted in the idea of opportunity for all, with equity in access at the center. This agenda focuses on five key components: (1) applying an explicit race equity lens to policy development; (2) preparing all students for college, civic engagement, and the future workforce; (3) modernizing and elevating the teaching profession; (4) dramatically increasing investments in public schools and improving the equity of existing investments; and (5) bringing a balanced approach to charter school policy.
A modern approach to improving literacy rates in the United States includes applying an explicit equity lens and increasing investment to elevate student outcomes.
The United States can raise academic outcomes, lower youth unemployment, and strengthen its economy by following the leads of Germany, Singapore, and Switzerland in training their youth for in-demand jobs.
Students, parents, schools, and districts need more explicit guidance on how to deal with high school to postsecondary pathway requirements during and in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The federal government must take action in order to address the immediate-, medium-, and long-term fallout from the coronavirus crisis on pre-K, K-12 and higher education.
The Senate’s coronavirus stimulus bill doesn’t do nearly enough to help families and small businesses.
The coronavirus outbreak is forcing school leaders to make difficult decisions; equity should be the priority in plans to support students and continue educational activities if schools need to close.
A new Center for American Progress survey and analysis illustrate the importance of schools communicating different types of information to parents through a variety of communication systems in order to strengthen school-home partnerships and engagement.
The Trump administration’s K-12 education budget eliminates important programs and cuts billions from public schools.
Recent efforts to address the safety of Puerto Rico’s school buildings demonstrate an egregious lack of concern for the U.S. territory’s public school students.
General education teachers must be explicitly taught how to work with all students, including those with disabilities.
Black and Latinx students who earn bachelor’s degrees take longer to graduate, earn more debt, and face more employment challenges than white peers.
Local, state, and national policymakers need to support and cultivate a robust high school civics education.
Enrollment in teacher preparation programs has seen declines, but identifying the problem is only the beginning.
The i3 program’s support for the evaluation and growth of promising innovations should be part of increased investments in educational research and development.
As the Charter Schools Program enters its second quarter-century, federal policymakers should broaden the program’s focus to embrace smart growth policies, help existing charters improve, and address challenges in the charter sector.
