As states continue to navigate the specifics of starting the school year amid a global pandemic, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has communicated an expectation to states, districts, and even educators that student learning will continue despite localized virus realities. In driving forward this message,...
Adding to the ongoing conversations around the use of assessments in the upcoming school year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that the state’s standardized assessment, the STARR exam, will be administered. However, results from the tests will not be used to make decisions about a...
A new report from the Government Accountability Office describes nearly two-thirds of American school buildings as lacking adequate access for students and staff with disabilities. Additionally, the report found that many districts have delayed projects that are critical for facilities to function, including roofing and...
In an online event for the Education Writers Association, Department of Education Assistant Secretary Jim Blew told reporters that the DOE’s “instinct” is to not grant state waivers of federal testing requirements, as established by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. Blew stated, “There...
A “key tucked in the Every Student Succeeds Act” has resulted in a massive “trove” of school-level spending data, reports Daarel Burnette for Education Week. So far, 42 states and the District of Columbia have complied with the ESSA requirement to make public per-pupil expenditure...
For the first time since the Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law in 2015, Virginia’s annual School Quality Profiles report will include per-pupil spending data for each of its public schools, beginning with the 2018-19 school year. “Adding the school-level information to the...
Two new reports from the Data Quality Campaign discuss the need for educational data as officials continue to make many, complex decisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in recovery. The first report focuses directly on the importance of transparency and provides clear ways that education...
In a press release last week, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced the addition of per-pupil spending data for each of the state’s public schools to the annual School Quality Profiles, Virginia’s version of a State Report Card. State school report cards and...
Earlier this month, the Trump Administration demanded that schools reopen full-time in the fall despite the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance to maintain social distancing. However, the federal government has little authority in the reopening of schools as decision-making, in large part, remains...
The State Board of Education approved the optional use of the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) for 4th-grade students for the upcoming fall 2020 term. The goal of the IREAD-3 is to help local education officials make data-driven decisions surrounding the literacy of their...
