For more than a decade, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has prioritized apprenticeship expansion by promoting apprenticeship in nontraditional occupations (i.e., outside the construction sector) and by encouraging apprenticeship as a training option to increase the number of apprentices. Two ways to expand apprenticeships are to approve new…

Transforming schools through mastery learning may solve education's existential crisis, offering today's learners the relevance and individualization they need while returning to the most ancient form of assessment, proving that learning has occurred. Mastery learning requires significant change to all the norms and practices of school, altering…

Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (MO SW-PBS), with support from the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), has provided training and support to build local capacity and positively impact student outcomes. Numerous years of descriptive data and a recent peer-reviewed research article both show the effects of…

How much private educational choice is "really" available to families in your state? To measure how much K-12 choice is available, we have created the EdChoice Friedman Index which evaluates three key factors: student eligibility--the percentage of children who can participate in taxpayer-funded private K-12 choice programs; flexible use…

While civics learning was marginalized in an era of standardized testing and fiscal constraints, more states are incentivizing students, schools, and districts to foster civics learning and engagement opportunities through civic diploma seals and school recognition programs. With an eye toward equitable implementation, these early adopters…

"Pathways to Implementation" highlights innovative strategies and effective models in career pathways policy, implementation, and programming, as well as challenges states encounter in this work. This seven-part series addresses the key elements of Bellwether's framework for career pathways policy implementation. Each brief defines the…

Many low-income working parents rely on subsidized child care. The Illinois Child Care Assistance Program supports qualifying families in working or attending school, many of whom may be unable to afford market-rate child care. Examining parents' income and employment patterns can guide policymakers to optimally structure subsidized child care to…

In an era where information is both abundant and increasingly complex, school library media centers (LMCs) serve as hubs for learning, creativity, and critical thought. Yet, little to no data exist describing the state of school LMCs in Minnesota. During the 2023 Minnesota legislative session, Minnesota's Multicounty Multitype Library Systems…

This CAPR brief focuses on multiple measures assessment (MMA) implementation in the state of Arkansas, where a decentralized governance model grants colleges considerable autonomy in determining their assessment and placement policies. Despite strong evidence supporting MMA, challenges remain for its widespread adoption. As the higher education…

Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) often rely on personal identifiers to securely link individual-level data across early childhood, K-12, higher education, and the workforce. However, different sectors use different types of personal identifiers which can make accurately connecting records difficult. Driver's license data offers a single…

More states are thinking about their data systems and how to give decision-makers the information they need. As states work to create successful education and career pathways, they need transparent, well-structured and well-governed data systems. To learn more, our team conducted a 50-State Comparison on state longitudinal data systems to collect…

The North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) contracted the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) to help the state move toward a more equitable and adequate funding formula for North Carolina Prekindergarten (NC Pre-K). The NC Pre-K Program provides free Pre-K to 4-year-old children from families with incomes up…

New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account (EFA) program is restricted to families that make no more than 350% of the federal poverty level. (That's $90,370 for a family of three and $112,525 for a family of four.) Republicans in the state Legislature have proposed removing the income cap and allowing all students to participate in the program.…

Smart Start Illinois is a multiyear plan to provide every child with access to preschool, increase funding to child care providers to raise wages and quality, and reach more vulnerable families with early support. Launched with a $300 million investment in the fiscal year 2024 state budget, Smart Start Illinois has already yielded results. The…

"Pathways to Implementation" highlights innovative strategies and effective models in career pathways policy, implementation, and programming, as well as challenges states encounter in this work. This seven-part series addresses the key elements of Bellwether's framework for career pathways policy implementation. Each brief defines the…