Resources

Fostering Connectedness in the Pandemic Era: Policy Recommendations to Support Social, Emotional, and Academic Development

These recommendations were developed by the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program, informed by a diverse group of education leaders that included students, families, advocates, district leaders, state chiefs, researchers, think tanks, funders, and policymakers convened on April 29, 2020. This resource is designed to help state education leaders identify potential actions focused on fostering social and emotional development and school connectedness and is not intended to offer one-size-fits-all recommendations.

Supporting a Strong, Stable Principal Workforce: What Matters and What Can Be Done

The importance of school principals, reasons they leave, and policy implications for principal retention and effectiveness are explained in this report, the third in a series conducted by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

The first publication, which presents findings from a literature review, covers the known scope of the principal turnover problem and provides a basis for understanding its mechanisms. The second report offers insights from focus groups of school leaders who shared their experiences and expertise on the challenges of the principalship, as well as strategies to address these challenges. The third and fourth publications (a report and associated brief) summarize results from LPI and NASSP’s national principal survey and focus groups, which delve deeply into the five focus areas that emerged from the initial research and suggests policy strategies to increase principal retention.

Providing Emergency Aid to College Students in a Time of Crisis

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Data: 2018-2019

The State of Preschool 2019

This report, based on data from the 2018-2019 academic year, shows just 34 percent of 4-year-olds and almost 6 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled in state-funded preschool, little change over the last few years. State spending per child was flat since last year after adjusting for inflation. However, seven states made policy changes to gain an additional benchmark for minimum quality standards.

The COVID-19 slide: What summer learning loss can tell us about the potential impact of school closures on student academic achievement

This report provides preliminary estimates of the potential impacts of the extended pause of academic instruction during the coronavirus crisis by leveraging research on summer loss. Projections suggest major academic impacts from COVID closures for students, especially in mathematics.