Education, K-12

The Center for American Progress 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.

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Fact Sheet: 3 Trends in K-12 Assessments Across the Country Fact Sheet
Student running down sidewalk; school bus in distance

Fact Sheet: 3 Trends in K-12 Assessments Across the Country

Reforms of state assessment systems could measure student learning more accurately and effectively, providing educators the information they need to close achievement gaps.

Allie Pearce

House Republican Budget Threatens Public Education and Opportunity for Young People Article
Empty elementary school classroom

House Republican Budget Threatens Public Education and Opportunity for Young People

House Republican leadership’s proposed funding bill would vastly cut support for economically disadvantaged students and eliminate important programs in the K-12 education, youth workforce development, and higher education spheres.

Challenges and Opportunities of Providing Free School Meals for All Report
Three elementary students sit and compare lunches at a cafeteria table.

Challenges and Opportunities of Providing Free School Meals for All

The Center for American Progress’ community conversations with a Colorado school district illustrate how offering no-cost school meals is critical for students’ success and opportunities.

Allie Pearce, Anona Neal

Community-Based Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence in Schools Article
Photo shows an empty basketball court facing a one-story white school, with a chainlink fence between the camera lens and the basketball court

Community-Based Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence in Schools

In addition to efforts from state and federal lawmakers, schools and communities have a critical role to play in addressing school gun violence through prevention and intervention approaches.

Allie Pearce, Akilah Alleyne

How To Make Schools Safer Without Additional Physical Security Measures Report
Photo shows several students walking in front of a colorful mural.

How To Make Schools Safer Without Additional Physical Security Measures

The newly enacted Bipartisan Safer Communities Act can help schools and districts create safer learning environments without resorting to implementing measures that harden schools.

Emily Katz, Roby Chatterji, Akilah Alleyne

Teacher Preparation Shortcuts Won’t Solve the Teacher Shortage Article
Photo shows an empty classroom with chairs stacked on top of the desks.

Teacher Preparation Shortcuts Won’t Solve the Teacher Shortage

Recently passed legislation that reduces training requirements for teachers will harm student learning, weaken the profession, and ignore the systemic issues that have long contributed to teacher shortages.

Loren Welles

Why K-12 Teachers and Their Students Need Investments in Child Care Article
Teacher standing while helping student seated at desk

Why K-12 Teachers and Their Students Need Investments in Child Care

To meet the caregiving needs of the K-12 educator workforce and the developmental needs of the youngest students, the United States needs sustained, significant federal investments in the accessibility and affordability of high-quality child care.

Emily Katz

The Alternative Teacher Certification Sector Outside Higher Education Report
Photo shows a group of adults seated around tables in a classroom.

The Alternative Teacher Certification Sector Outside Higher Education

Enrollment continues to grow in alternative teacher certification programs operated outside of colleges, but the number of students completing these programs is declining.

Jacqueline E. King, Jessica Yin

Beyond Acronyms Past Event
High school students in a semi-circle from New York City in conversation.

Beyond Acronyms

Honoring the Complex Experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities in K-12 Education

Prioritizing Racial Equity in Student Mental Health Spending Report

Prioritizing Racial Equity in Student Mental Health Spending

States and school districts have rightly prioritized student mental health as they start to spend pandemic recovery dollars, but they must do more to ensure that funding also promotes racial equity.

Abby Quirk

Proposed Priorities for the School Pulse Panel Data Collection Sign-On Letter

Proposed Priorities for the School Pulse Panel Data Collection

In these comments, the Alliance for Excellent Education and partners provide recommendations to the School Pulse Panel Data Collection to advance shared educational equity priorities through federal, state, and local policy and advocacy.

Center for American Progress and partners

Proposed Changes to the Mandatory Civil Rights Data Collection Sign-On Letter

Proposed Changes to the Mandatory Civil Rights Data Collection

In these comments, the Center for American Progress suggests revisions to the Civil Rights Data Collection to get the data necessary to address equity gaps in education.

Center for American Progress and partners

Q&A With CAP’s New Senior Vice President for Education, Jesse O’Connell Article

Q&A With CAP’s New Senior Vice President for Education, Jesse O’Connell

Jesse O'Connell, the new senior vice president for Education at the Center for American Progress, talks about the opportunities this moment offers to improve early childhood, K-12, and higher education in the United States.

Jesse O’Connell

Education Policies Need To Address the Unique Needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities Report
A group of young (1st grade) Asian students dressed in colorful traditional clothing, standing in front of a microphone. They are holding sheets of light yellow paper, performing folk poetry for the Hmong American Day celebration at the state capitol.

Education Policies Need To Address the Unique Needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

The Center for American Progress is conducting new research that uplifts the lived experiences in public education of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. This research will advance CAP’s ongoing work to apply an explicit racial equity lens to K-12 education policymaking.

Roby Chatterji, Jessica Yin

Co-Sponsoring Legislation To Advance Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive School Climates Sign-On Letter

Co-Sponsoring Legislation To Advance Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive School Climates

Led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, this letter urges members of Congress to co-sponsor the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, the Keeping All Students Safe Act, the Protecting our Students in Schools Act, the Safe Schools Improvement Act, and the Ending PUSHOUT Act.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, partners

Retaining and Fostering Diverse Schools Program in the FY 2022 Budget Sign-On Letter

Retaining and Fostering Diverse Schools Program in the FY 2022 Budget

Led by the National Coalition on School Diversity, this letter advocates for the inclusion of the Fostering Diverse Schools program in the fiscal year 22 budget.

The National Coalition on School Diversity, partners

Supporting the Strength in Diversity Act (H.R. 729) Sign-On Letter

Supporting the Strength in Diversity Act (H.R. 729)

Led by the National Coalition on School Diversity, this letter expresses support for the Strength in Diversity Act.

The National Coalition on School Diversity, partners

Budget Reconciliation Must Support a Quality Education for All Students Report
Third grade students take part in class at Julia A. Stark Elementary School in Stamford, Connecticut, on March 10, 2021.

Budget Reconciliation Must Support a Quality Education for All Students

Ensuring a quality education for America’s students during the COVID-19 pandemic will require a range of federal and state supports, as well as efforts to build a robust economy that works for everyone.

Khalilah M. Harris, Jessica Yin, Arohi Pathak, 3 More Laura Dallas McSorley, Marshall Anthony Jr., Jill Rosenthal

Future of Testing in Education: Artificial Intelligence Report

Future of Testing in Education: Artificial Intelligence

Technology and artificial intelligence can vastly improve the types of assessments teachers use to guide students in their learning.

Laura Jimenez, Ulrich Boser

Future of Testing in Education: The Way Forward for State Standardized Tests Report

Future of Testing in Education: The Way Forward for State Standardized Tests

There are valid criticisms about the current structure of state standardized testing in schools; the solution is not to get rid of these assessments but rather to design them differently.

Laura Jimenez, Ulrich Boser

How To Ensure Equitable Access to Great Teaching Report
 (The Los Angeles Unified School District interim superintendent spends time with a kindergarten student to celebrate the first day of in-class instruction at an elementary school in Los Angeles, August 2021.)

How To Ensure Equitable Access to Great Teaching

The Center for American Progress proposes a new grant program to address the working conditions that contribute to job dissatisfaction and high turnover among the nation’s K-12 teachers in order to increase equal access to highly qualified teachers.

Bayliss Fiddiman, Lisette Partelow

The Secretary’s Proposed Priorities for Discretionary Grants Programs Article

The Secretary’s Proposed Priorities for Discretionary Grants Programs

In these comments, the Center for American Progress provides support for the secretary’s six proposed priorities and offers some additional recommendations to further strengthen them.

The Center for American Progress

How Students Can Help Build Better Education Policy Report
 (A student raises a hand during a seventh and eighth grade math tutoring workshop in Fullerton, California, November 2014.)

How Students Can Help Build Better Education Policy

The Education Department has an opportunity to reimagine the policymaking process by committing to incorporating student voice.

Ashley Jeffrey, Sadie Bograd

Social and Emotional Supports for Educators During and After the Pandemic Report
 (Two female teachers are pictured in an empty classroom talking and bent forward looking at a laptop screen; picture is taken from the other side of a door with a glass pane with a

Social and Emotional Supports for Educators During and After the Pandemic

As K-12 districts and schools plan for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that providing social and emotional supports for educators is a key part of the conversation.

Megan Ferren

Recommending the Reestablishment of Five White House Initiatives Sign-On Letter

Recommending the Reestablishment of Five White House Initiatives

In this letter, Khalilah Harris recommends that the Biden administration reestablish five White House initiatives housed in the Department of Education.

Khalilah M. Harris

Remote Learning and School Reopenings: What Worked and What Didn’t Report
 (A high school freshman returns to campus for the first time since schools closed due to the coronavirus, as students return for in-person instruction at a high school in Long Beach, California, March 2021.)

Remote Learning and School Reopenings: What Worked and What Didn’t

As the United States recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and schools return to in-person learning in the fall, it is key that educators learn from the successes of the past year and avoid making the same mistakes.

Megan Ferren

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