The Trump administration's push to scale back the federal role in education could mean more autonomy for states. But this increased decision-making power will also make state K-12 accountability more important than ever. States must ensure education funding is used effectively, especially for those students furthest from opportunity. While some…

This study delves into the changing landscape of graduate enrollment in education programs post-COVID-19 and the "Great Resignation." Despite an overall increase in graduate enrollment, education programs experienced a decline. Using methodology merging institutional data with tuition benefits from other institutions, this research…

One year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced state and school leaders across the nation and around the world to immediately close school buildings, the lasting impact on students is increasingly evident: Months of online learning and limited in-person interaction with educators, coaches and mentors have led to gaps in learning, and unknown…

This study investigates how instructors consider resource cost and availability when compiling assignments in their course syllabi. It uses the academic planning model from Lattuca and Stark to frame the influences on instructional material selection. It employs a critical incident technique method, asking instructors to take into account one…

With Massachusetts' school closure extending until the end of the 2019-20 academic year, Pioneer Institute urges that Massachusetts schools offer meaningful online and virtual learning programs, doing everything possible to eliminate problematic inconsistencies across Bay State school districts. Pioneer further urges Massachusetts to develop and…

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Adult and Community Learning Services Unit and UPD Consulting engaged in a multiyear partnership to provide adult education providers across the state with people-centered, action-oriented training opportunities focused on antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI). This…

The authors document in detail how the entrepreneurship program was created at Babson College in the 1970s. They recount the early history of Babson's program because the school was one of the first, if not the first, to make a huge institutional commitment that led to entrepreneurship becoming a core part of its academic programs. At the time,…

Background: The financial costs and human resource requirements at the school and district level to implement a SARS-CoV-2 screening program are not well known. Methods: A consortium of Massachusetts public K-12 schools was formed to implement and evaluate a range of SARS-CoV-2 screening approaches. Participating districts were surveyed weekly…

Assisted by the COVID-19 Response Fund, nonprofit organizations and their staffs have fed thousands of families culturally relevant food, preserved housing for residents at risk of homelessness, distributed vaccines, strengthened mental health services for survivors of domestic violence, delivered enriching youth programming when schools could not…

Since Fall 2014, the number of students attending private school in Massachusetts has decreased from 150,000 students per year to just 120,000 students in 2019. This number is projected to continue to decrease due to many challenges independent schools are facing in the 21st century. This decrease in enrollment has led to a crisis for private…

Small, private, women's colleges served an important role historically and continue to do so today. The number remaining after the advent of general coeducation at private colleges and universities provide a niche in the diversity of higher education institutions. Many of the women's colleges that remain today undertook significant changes in…

As schools were preparing to welcome students back to school for 2020-2021 school year, Region 1 stakeholders consistently identified concerns related to student mental health. Specific concerns included increased anxiety, depression, and disengagement. In addition, most school staff lacked the necessary infrastructure--policies, resources, and…

This research study focused on the potential factors impacting students with disabilities (SWDs) course placement and graduation rates at Simmons High School (SHS), a large urban school in Massachusetts. Preliminary research found that approximately 50% of SWDs graduate each school year at SHS and are historically marginalized compared to their…

Over the past decades, universities have been at the forefront of establishing ambitious goals for decarbonizing campuses. While there are many variables in how to advance energy efficiency in the campus-built environment, some universities have taken the strategic approach of combining energy efforts with the heavy maintenance and upkeep needs of…

In this brief, the perspectives of special education administrators from Massachusetts and Indiana, who have been engaged in college-based transition services (CBTS), are shared. It summarizes the conversations they had during a fall 2019 Think College webinar and a follow-up discussion in summer 2020. Each administrator has had extensive…