Civics education has always reflected the moment America is living through, helping folks develop the skills to participate in and improve their communities. So why have civic knowledge scores been flat for 25 years? At #America250, the stakes couldn't be higher 👉 https://bit.ly/4vbZ3Gt

We're celebrating 250 years of America's democracy — but most U.S. 8th graders can't identify hallmarks of our democracy such as the separation of powers, checks and balances, and the purpose of the Bill of Rights. More on civics education in public schools at #America250: https://bit.ly/4xPOOtT

Declining K–12 enrollment is often framed as a crisis. But Bellwether's @carriehahnel.bsky.social and @wested.org's Jason Willis show how it can be an opening to build more personalized, responsive public schools — if states act strategically. What state leaders can do right now 👇

"Grade level"... "Proficient"... "Meets expectations"... There are a lot of terms used to describe a student's progress, but not a lot of clarity on what they mean 👇

If you work in education policy, school leadership, or ed tech, our AI in education newsletter translates fast-moving AI developments into clear implications for K-12. Subscribe here: bellwether.org/ai-newslette...

We are thrilled to announce the teams from eight states and DC who are members of the first AI Policy Hub State Advocacy Learning Cohort! PIE Network, in partnership with Bellwether, will support this cohort through a six-month learning experience starting this summer.

Enrollment in America's public schools is declining — and 40 states are projected to lose even more students by 2030–31. Short-term fixes won't solve a structural problem. Bellwether + WestEd lay out what states must do instead: bellwether.org/publications... #EducationPolicy #K12 #EduSKy

Is a "proficient" high school graduate ready for the workforce? For math: mostly yes in the states we analyzed. But reading tells a different story. In 13 of the 16 states, proficient students wouldn't meet the reading demands of nursing, software development, or financial management.

"Something I know about #Juneteenth is..." That's a sentence stem. And in the hands of a skilled teacher, it's a powerful tool. Kids need the language before they can engage with the history. We work to close that gap between the #ScienceOfReading research and what happens in the classrooms.

Pennsylvania invests more per student than almost every state. Its funding system was still ruled unconstitutional in 2023. The problem isn't the dollars. It's where they go. New Resource Realities report from Bellwether breaks it down: https://bit.ly/44j611e

Your board's best year yet starts this summer. And this summer starts today. Today at 12 p.m. ET, we're hosting the first-ever National Charter School Board Retreat Summer Kick-Off. Still time to join us. 👇 https://bellwether-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uUjM6dVwQdOIo3JK5JXkOA#/registration

Remember last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act? Student loan borrowers will soon see its impacts in action. Two big policy revisions go into effect on July 1 that will affect more than 35 million borrowers in repayment on their federal student loans. So what do borrowers need to know?

Four questions can lead your charter school board to its best year yet. Bellwether's Charter School Board Retreat Toolkit helps your board answer all four before the school year begins 👉 bellwether.org/blog/ready-set-govern

One student. Two states. Two different "proficiencies." The variation is bigger than most people realize, even many education leaders. Here's what proficiency really means, with examples of reading, math problems, and future careers → https://bellwether.org/publications/proficiency-confusion/

One student. Two states. Two different "proficiencies." The variation is bigger than most people realize, even many education leaders.

What does "proficient" actually mean for your child's future? Join us June 17 for a live conversation with researchers, practitioners, and a parent advocate — drawing on our new report on what proficiency really looks like in practice. Register → https://bit.ly/49Wdc2M

The boards that start strong in September do the work in July. Join us June 18 12 p.m. ET to learn what the best charter board retreats have in common — and how to plan yours. Register here: https://bit.ly/4gdChKj

U.S. test scores are declining. But if "proficient" means something different in every state, how do we know what we're actually measuring? Before we can fix it, we need to see it clearly. → bellwether.org/publications...

New #NAEP data: 9-year-olds made reading & math gains, but 13-year-olds haven't budged in 50 years. Today's middle schoolers were in 2nd & 3rd grade when COVID hit, a disruption still showing up in the data. Bellwether's primer on the #ScienceofReading shows what's at stake: https://bit.ly/4xmCgKa

New #NAEP data: only 14% of 13-year-olds read for fun almost every day, down from 35% forty years ago. #EduSky Meanwhile, RAND finds just two-thirds of middle & high schoolers get one to four full books assigned per year. What the #ScienceofReading movement is getting right & what it's missing 👇

We've spent decades building tests to measure what students know. In the #AI era, that might need a second look. That conversation is happening live #TODAY at 1 p.m. ET. Join us 👇 https://www.linkedin.com/events/7465422110253936640/?viewAsMember=true

This is what it sounds like when principals learn to read. Literacy expert Emily Shisler is training Texas school leaders to simulate how students' brains learn to read — blending sounds, just like kids do. This is the Science of Reading in action. 📚

Behind every standardized test is a psychometrician asking: does this actually measure what we think it does? #AI complicates both that question and the answer. We're talking through it live Wednesday, June 10 — drop your questions below. Save your spot: https://bit.ly/4uNuZBs #EduSky

How do you know when an AI vendor is overselling? 🚩 Some red flags to watch out for from the Superintendent of Farmington Public Schools from a recent Eedi Labs webinar, moderated by Bellwether's Andy Rotherham. #AIeducation #edtech #AIEdu

How do you measure student success when #AI is in the mix? "Ask a Psychometrician" returns June 10 — a live conversation with Bellwether's Andy Rotherham & Michelle Croft on AI and student assessment. Drop your questions in the comments. We'll bring them in. Register here: https://bit.ly/4uNuZBs

If your district is facing school closures, stop and watch this. Words of wisdom from a superintendent who has been through it. His closing line is one worth writing down. Watch the full conversation here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CjM...

How do we use AI to boost student learning in ways that protect and preserve productive struggle? Bellwether's Marissa Mission moderated a timely discussion at the @nssaccelerator.bsky.social conference, with actionable tips for districts and classrooms. ▶️ Watch the full panel here:

This month's work is about who gets access: to school, to strong instruction, and to a sustainable path forward. These questions don't have easy answers — that's why we work through them with education leaders every day. More in our monthly newsletter 👇 https://bellwether.org/newsletter-sign-up/

There's a lot of legislation related to immigrant students' access to education moving through state legislatures right now. Bellwether tracked all of it: bills introduced in each state, every governor's 2026 State of the State address, and the research on what school access means for communities.

No one goes into district leadership to close a school. But that's the reality facing districts across the country right now. Today we’re live on LinkedIn with leaders who've been through it and have lessons to share. #EduSky Join here at 12 p.m. ET → www.linkedin.com/events/74603...

What would it actually mean to roll back Plyler v. Doe, the ruling that guarantees undocumented children access to public school? Here’s what the research says. 🧵

The landmark Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe that guarantees undocumented children access to public school is increasingly under threat. What would it actually mean to overturn it? We dug into the research alongside the legislative landscape. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ReALNI

AI hype ≠ student impact. TODAY at 12pm ET: Bellwether's Andy Rotherham moderates a panel cutting through the #edtech evidence gap, and why many #AI edtech tools fail to move the needle. Join the #AIinEducation convo with Eedi Labs TODAY at 12pm ET. #Edusky Register 👉 https://bit.ly/4eJl1fs

School closures are one of the hardest decisions a district can make—and the stakes are high. We're hosting a LinkedIn Live with district leaders and researchers who've navigated this firsthand, drawing on experiences across CO, OH, PA & TX. Join us on May 28 at 12pm ET → https://bit.ly/4uiskPZ

Sustainable school growth isn't one big decision. It's dozens of smaller ones, and whether they add up. Our latest blog highlights three case studies on how we partner with charter schools and networks to align program, finance, and governance before expansion. Read more: https://bit.ly/4wCUQ0e

Excited and honored for this upcoming opportunity to be in conversation with several district leaders from across the country about school closures. Thank you to @bellwetherorg.bsky.social for inviting me! Register here: www.linkedin.com/events/74603...

One California district needs $500K to finish the school year. A rural Wisconsin district serving 300 kids faces $33K more than budgeted. This is the second major diesel shock in four years, and districts have fewer reserves than ever.

AI-powered learning tools are everywhere. But do they actually move the needle for students? Join Bellwether and Eedi Labs on May 21 for a conversation about what real evidence of impact looks like in a constantly-changing #AI world. #EduSky #AIinEducation Register here 👉 https://bit.ly/4eJl1fs

The science of reading won the policy debate. And Georgia just passed one of the most ambitious #scienceofreading laws in the country. Here's what comes next. #EduSky

For 40 years, Plyler v. Doe has guaranteed undocumented kids the right to attend public school. That protection is increasingly under threat. #EduSky We mapped legislative actions related to Plyler in every state. Here's what we found → https://bit.ly/4eK8EQk

Georgia just passed one of the most ambitious science of reading laws in the country, built on district successes and a state pilot that showed 15% reading improvement in one year, plus lessons drawn directly from Mississippi's turnaround. Here’s what we’re watching: https://bit.ly/4diygBl

Education policy is still moving fast, even if it's not making daily headlines. Andy Rotherham joins the latest Report Card from @aeieducation.bsky.social to dig into the Dept. of Education, campus culture, IES, and the push to get phones out of schools. Listen here → www.aei.org/podcast/educ...

What does it really mean to reimagine the roles of #teachers and leaders? Bellwether’s Titilayo Tinubu Ali contributed to the latest issue of NASBE's State Education Standard, which explores how states can make teaching more manageable and rewarding. 🧵

What is Alabama’s 2025 RAISE Act? And how did it change #schoolfunding in Alabama? 🧵

Charter school leaders are navigating a difficult financial landscape. Enrollment fluctuations can make revenue hard to predict, per-pupil funding hasn’t kept pace with rising costs, and the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds left many schools with leaner budgets and less certainty. (1/5)

Through our work with organizations, we’ve seen a need for access to guidance and resources on how to build capacity to pursue Systemic Impact. Our latest series digs into how nonprofit leaders and philanthropies can utilize this powerful tool in service of shifting policy, practice, and funding.

News coverage of #Education skews towards politics/elections/federal. Finding makes sense-most pple don't know federal $ dwarfed by state/local. #Edtech coverage low, unlike the conference circuit, not about #AI @bellwetherorg.bsky.social @andyjacob.bsky.social bellwether.org/publications...

We’re thrilled to unveil the School Quality Framework (SQF): a next-generation, comprehensive vision for school, network, and district excellence. Learn more in our new blog: bellwether.org/blog/reimagi...

🔹 (For K-12) District and school leaders must understand federal immigration policies to serve their students, families, and communities. Here’s a round-up of what they need to know from @bellwetherorg.bsky.social bellwether.org/publications...

Recent changes in federal immigration policy are already creating uncertainty for students, families, and educators. Our new guide breaks down what school leaders need to know about the remaining federal protections in place to protect their students and communities. bellwether.org/publications...