At Literacy NJ, the decline in our basic literacy services has caused us to reevaluate and reinvent our program. The cornerstone of our new plan is to offer an 8-week vestibule program called Steps to Success for new basic literacy students, focused on goal setting, crucial digital skills, and the development of independent learning strategies. We…

In 2021, TNTP published "Missing Out: Arkansas' Teacher Shortage and How to Fix It," describing teacher shortages in Arkansas, programs the state had in place to address shortages, and the extent to which teachers and potential teachers were aware of and interested in these programs. Since that report was published, Arkansas has…

"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…

"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…

The key to success for many programs depends on effective partnership and collaboration. Indeed, in work-based learning (WBL) partnerships are not only encouraged -- they're mandatory. WBL by definition involves a partnership between business and education, with these two entities comprising the "work" and "learning." However,…

Technical assistance (TA) is a term used to describe efforts provided to an individual or organization to support capacity development (Katz & Wandersman, 2016; West et al, 2012) to promote the adoption of evidence-based practices or affect systems change (Dunst et al., 2019). This capacity development can focus on developing knowledge and…

"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…

Basic Needs Oregon was established in 2021 through House Bill 2835 to ensure that students enrolled at Oregon's public colleges and universities can meet their basic needs--including food, housing, health care, transportation, and emergency financial support--so they can persist and succeed in higher education. Drawing on Basic Needs Oregon…

The effect of public pre-kindergarten (pre-K) on the short-term outcomes of children from disadvantaged backgrounds is well established; however, the mechanisms for this effect are not well understood. Of the many factors that influence how pre-K participants progress during and after kindergarten, one understudied factor is the effect of pre-K…

Automated writing evaluation (AWE) is an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered educational technology designed to assist writing instruction and improve students' writing proficiency. The present study adopted a quasi-experimental design using the inverse probability of treatment weighting method to explore the long-term effects of an AWE system…

This article examines children's health coverage today and explores the ways and means to ensure its financial sustainability and the factors associated with it. As extensively argued, long term negative effects could be on health, education, and financial success as an adult. It also suggests that reductions in children's coverage could have…

This annual publication of "The ABCs of School Choice" is a comprehensive, data-rich guide to every private school choice program in America. This edition of "The ABCs of School Choice" defines each of the six types of school choice: education savings accounts, tax-credit education savings accounts, school vouchers, tax-credit…

The 2025 reconciliation bill, signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, included a provision that allows states to opt into participating in a federal tax credit scholarship program. This program would provide a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit, up to $1,700 annually, for donations to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) to…

The Strong Workforce Program has been instrumental in creating and expanding high-quality career technical education (CTE) programs at California community colleges, preparing students for living-wage careers. This report provides an account of the Strong Workforce Program for 2023-24, including details on its key components, investments and…

As employers look for skilled individuals to fill high-demand jobs, registered apprenticeships provide opportunities for people to engage in dedicated on-the-job training in conjunction with related classroom instruction that directly links to a career path. The benefit of related instruction in tandem to on-the-job training is clear; however, the…