America’s Growing Demand for Information Technology and Computer Science

Excel in Ed and Code.org have teamed up to bring a new report focusing on the demand of the U.S. workforce for graduates skilled in information technology and computer science. Companies are struggling to find workers with information technology (IT) and computer science (CS) skills to fill hundreds of thousands of jobs.  While the demand Read more about America’s Growing Demand for Information Technology and Computer Science[…]

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Achieve’s Graduating Ready Data Explorer

Achieve’s Data Explorer seeks to provide clear information about high school pathways, graduation requirements, and the differences across states. The site includes the details of the options and requirements for graduation in every state.  As you dig into the data, you’ll see that states are offering an increasing variety of graduation options and pathways to Read more about Achieve’s Graduating Ready Data Explorer[…]

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Low-Hanging Fruit: How Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Coursework is Leveling the Playing Field

PIE Network members in Colorado, North Carolina, and Washington State recently shared details about automatic enrollment policies (also known as academic acceleration), which ensure that students with qualifying test scores in a particular subject are automatically enrolled in advanced coursework in the same subject area. As a result, more students who have proven they’re ready Read more about Low-Hanging Fruit: How Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Coursework is Leveling the Playing Field[…]

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To Usher In an ‘Age of Agility’ in Education, We Must Talk Less About Schools – and More About Students

Writing for The 74, Beth Hawkins recently reviewed innovations that shake up the high school to college pipeline emerging from the symposium celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Center on Reinventing Public Education. Excerpts of the piece appear below: The symposium explored ways in which the traditional concept of school could be challenged, pushing particularly Read more about To Usher In an ‘Age of Agility’ in Education, We Must Talk Less About Schools – and More About Students[…]

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49 of 50 States Now Enable Competency-Based Education

The Aurora Institute (previously iNACOL) released the updated CompetencyWorks map, a snapshot of K-12 competency education state policy across the United States. Since 2012, iNACOL’s CompetencyWorks initiative has published an annual snapshot map of the United States, categorizing states into levels at which their policy environments and state activities support competency-based education. In 2012, nearly Read more about 49 of 50 States Now Enable Competency-Based Education[…]

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Associate Degrees and Certificates are More Valuable Than you may Think

As its name suggests, the middle-skills pathway sits between a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree. There are a wide variety of credentials associated with this pathway, but certificates and associate degrees are the most popular. In general, associate degrees include a mix of general education courses and career preparation, while certificates are almost Read more about Associate Degrees and Certificates are More Valuable Than you may Think[…]

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Early College High Schools May Pay for Themselves in the Long Run

Some solutions in education are expensive. Take early college high schools, which give students a head start on their college degrees but cost about $3,800 extra per student. Are they worth it? New research suggests that these schools might actually pay for themselves in long-term benefits to both students and the public as a whole. Read more about Early College High Schools May Pay for Themselves in the Long Run[…]

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Retaining Teachers: Fostering Conditions Where Talent Thrives

Over the last year, Education Evolving published a series of blog posts focused on the growing problem of teacher turnover, and uplifting the stories of schools, strategies, programs, and leaders that buck the trend.  This series has now wrapped up. Check out some of the top posts: Why Teachers Leave: What the Data Say How Read more about Retaining Teachers: Fostering Conditions Where Talent Thrives[…]

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Solutions to Build a 21st Century Connected Credentialing System

As automation, AI, and other technological advances continue to disrupt jobs, more Americans will need to upgrade their skills throughout their lives to stay competitive. Right now, however, the postsecondary credentialing system is fragmented. It doesn’t acknowledge or connect the learning that happens through different sources of education–from school to work to the military. And Read more about Solutions to Build a 21st Century Connected Credentialing System[…]

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In Case You Missed It!

February Issue Brief: Dual Enrollment

Whether you call it early college high school, dual enrollment, or college acceleration, the line is blurring between high school and college, and for good reason. Students who earn college credit in high school are more likely to graduate high school as well as earn a four-year degree, and they do so earlier in life Read more about February Issue Brief: Dual Enrollment[…]

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Three State Policy Priorities to Give Every Student Effective, Diverse Teachers

When it comes to ensuring every student gets great teachers, state governments play a crucial and underappreciated role. Without access to the right data, school systems will struggle to match the supply and demand for new teachers. Without certification policies that prioritize student impact over paper credentials, too many talented people will be shut out Read more about Three State Policy Priorities to Give Every Student Effective, Diverse Teachers[…]

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Debunking the Myth of Seat-Time: A National Analysis of Seat-Time Requirements for Credit

Time-based systems, also known as “seat-time” requirement systems, still form the basis of today’s traditional schools. The prevailing assumption has been that state policies for seat-time requirements constrict schools and hinder attempts to innovate. However, far more flexibility exists than originally thought. New research by ExcelinEd examining seat-time requirements for awarding credit and graduation reveals Read more about Debunking the Myth of Seat-Time: A National Analysis of Seat-Time Requirements for Credit[…]

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Dual Enrollment Access Policy Snapshot

A new policy scan from Education Commission of the States reveals the incredible growth of dual enrollment policies across the nation. Because dual enrollment programs offer advanced learning opportunities to high schoolers and can lower the cost of college for students and families, state policymakers have been looking at ways to expand access to these Read more about Dual Enrollment Access Policy Snapshot[…]

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Eight lessons we learned from education research in 2019

Writing for Chalkbeat, Matt Barnum has compiled eight lessons the sector has learned from education research in 2019. Excerpts of his piece appear below: Education research is hard to keep up with, and often enough, it’s hard to even understand. It seems like there are more caveats than clear conclusions, findings are “mixed,” and one Read more about Eight lessons we learned from education research in 2019[…]

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14 Charts That Changed the Way We Looked at America’s Schools in 2019

Kevin Mahnken, writing for The 74, recently selected 14 charts from research conducted in 2019 that have changed the way we look at education in America. These charts help illustrate important studies into school funding disparities, college dropout rates and shifting public opinion. And with a minimum of verbiage, they let the reader know what Read more about 14 Charts That Changed the Way We Looked at America’s Schools in 2019[…]

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The Science of Advocacy: A Little Opposition is a Good Thing

An increasing focus on the science of learning is making a difference in classrooms across the country. To tap the similar potential of bringing a scientific mindset to the complex work of education advocacy, FutureEd has partnered with 50CAN to establish AdvocacyLabs, an initiative combining lessons from rigorous academic research on advocacy with data from Read more about The Science of Advocacy: A Little Opposition is a Good Thing[…]

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