ProGov21 Policy Library

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are tasked with providing a quality education to their students, along with ensuring their safety and welfare, regardless if classes are being held in-person or virtually. Additionally, schools must adjust to the economic ramifications brought...

Oftentimes, schools are ill-equipped to address bias and harassment by students against one another. This failure creates an environment that alienates and ostracizes students, ultimately leading them to leave school. This report discusses various approaches that could be used to...

In the name of public safety, Black children in Oakland are arrested at vastly disproportionate rates. This report reviews national research that shows, among other things, that arrests and contact with the juvenile justice system are significant contributors to high rates of school...

Black children experience unequal treatment beginning at an early age, which contributes to inequalities in learning and development. By the time they enter kindergarten, Black children are on average nearly nine months behind in math and almost seven months behind in reading compared...

Traditionally, employers, workers and students have used academic degrees and diplomas as a proxy for the skills and knowledge needed to perform on the job. There is growing interest in the use of competency-based credentials to complement this approach; however, the current “market”...

Maryland is taking bold steps to increase the number of workers who possess a post-secondary education credential. In particular, Skills2Compete Maryland (S2C Maryland) is a campaign aimed at increasing post-secondary success to strengthen the skills of Maryland’s workforce. This...

By 2026, Texas aims to equip 60 percent of 25–34-year-olds with a high-quality degree or credential. Today, however, only 43.6 percent of residents are equipped with such a credential. High-quality programs at the secondary level help equip today’s students with the skills and experiences...

Incomes, job security, and economic growth increasingly depend on postsecondary credentials with value in the labor market. While a vast number of adults in the labor market engage in noncredit occupational education and training, without common metrics or quality assurance mechanisms,...

In January 2019, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) held a six-day strike in response to challenges facing The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), resulting from LAUSD’s inability to raise local property taxes and the growing charter school sector that draws funding away...

Although childhood trauma can directly impact a child’s ability to learn, most schools overlook this issue. This brief defines trauma and outlines its potential effects on children and learning. It also outlines staff, organizational, and legislative strategies to shape school culture,...

No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) was an offer by the State of Michigan from 2007-2010 of free tuition to low-income and unemployed workers willing to go back to school and earn a market-relevant degree or credential. This study explores the experiences of those who enrolled in NWLB, seeking...

Lead exposure negatively affects childrens’ learning and behavior, and increases government expenditures related to education, health care, and incarceration. The report makes recommendations geared towards preventing elevated lead levels in growing children and inhibiting the development...

The City of Seattle is in the final year of a four-year demonstration phase for its Seattle Preschool Program. The four-year demonstration phase of SPP has three purposes. The first is to demonstrate that the approved structure is viable. The second is to develop a community infrastructure...

This report highlights existing data on Indigenous student academic achievement, school-based mental health supports, and school push-out from school districts across Humboldt County. Educational outcomes for Native American students in Humboldt County are far worse than educational...