Policy: Federal

This policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education focuses on the need to assess students to measure deeper learning. The brief examines state assessments and the potential impact of two consortia, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), and technology on assessing deeper learning. The author also includes recommendations for federal policy, including requiring states to assess deeper learning competencies.

This policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education makes a number of federal policy recommendations that might support states’ comprehensive literacy plans, including: support for college and career ready standards, support for state level literacy teams, support for teacher education and professional development focused on content literacy, and investment in ongoing research and evaluation. Authors argue that major commitments are necessary from state and federal agencies to make substantial improvements in literacy achievement.

This policy brief discusses the impact of digital learning. The author examines the effects of digital learning in state and local programs on student performance and provides recommendations that include implementing the “10 Elements of High-Quality Digital Learning” and National Broadband. This resource may be especially relevant to federal policy makers.

This annotated bibliography, co-authored by the National High School Center and the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center, identifies articles that address high school redesign as it relates to students with disabilities and special education’s role in such initiatives. The articles are organized around the National High School Center’s Eight Elements of High School Improvement: A Mapping Framework to ensure a more comprehensive set of resources that address the key systemic elements of high school improvement.

This report, sponsored by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), provides examples of education technology programs being funded by national, state, district, and local governments. The authors collected data on educational technology programs funded to state educational agencies (SEAs) through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant program.

This report from the Alliance for Excellent Education discusses possible reforms to ESEA using New York City’s Multiple Pathways to Graduation initiative as an example of how to create flexible policy to help high school students graduate college and career ready. The author examines the effects of federal policy on off-track students and provides recommendations that include increased focus on policies that address the needs of off track students and new metrics for school performance that take into account improvements among at risk students.

This Alliance for Excellent Education policy brief, targeted toward federal and state policymakers, argues that remedial college courses are economically inefficient. Costs associated with remedial courses include the cost of the course which is often federally funded through grants, and, because students who enroll in remedial courses are much less likely to graduate, loss of lifetime earnings. The brief argues that reforming high school curriculum and teaching and ensuring vertical alignment through college- and career-readiness are essential and much more cost effective.

This policy brief, sponsored by ARISE Coalition, documents the results of the review of about 200 individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities demonstrating noncompliance. The author provides recommendations that include identifying the diploma type sought in the transition plan, disseminating information about transition and post-secondary programs to students with disabilities and their families; and teaching self-advocacy skills. This resource may be especially relevant to policy makers and special educators.

This issue brief, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses using multiple pathways to prepare students for college and career. The author examines the effects of California’s multiple pathways programs on high school students, concluding that multiple pathways can increase high school graduation rates, engagement, achievement, and college and career readiness. The author also provides recommendations that include addressing federal laws, funding stream structures, and policies that inhibit multiple pathway programs.

This policy brief, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses teacher evaluation systems. The author highlights two existing teacher evaluation systems and offers federal policy recommendations for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), including establishing college- and career- readiness as the mission of K-12 education, establishing standards for teacher competency and developing robust assessment systems that judge teachers against the established standards.