Education Policy Speaker Series

Despite the growing interest in social and emotional learning (SEL) implementation in K-12 settings, few measures exist to assess teachers’ SEL practices. In this talk, we describe the interactive mixed-method approach we took in developing the Racial Equity-oriented Social and Emotional Learning (REQSEL) practices measure.

The Youth Policy Lab is currently engaging in a project to understand and support the use of Early Intervention Services in Washtenaw County, work that was developed in partnership with colleagues at the Washtenaw County Intermediate School District (WISD) Early Childhood department. In this talk, Catherine Asher will discuss how the partnership model has influenced the development of this research project, touching on both advantages and challenges raised by collaborating closely with community partners.

EPI is proud to present a series of education policy talks given by esteemed researchers, policy makers, and / or practitioners.

Postsecondary education plays a vital role in promoting intergenerational mobility in the United States; however, there are large and growing gaps in college attendance, college quality, and college completion rates by family income. As a policy response, colleges and universities have tried to increase economic diversity, and several interventions have been promising.

In this talk, Professors Michelmore and Pilkauskas will discuss their study the effect of one of the largest work-contingent cash transfer programs in the United States – the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – on the child care arrangements of children.

Competence and confidence in reading constitute the foundation for all educational achievement. Students who struggle with reading inevitably struggle with all academic course work, and those who begin school behind their peers rarely catch up without significant intervention.

William Corrin discusses the three concepts of relevance, rigor, and relationships, their interdependence, and how they connect to doing meaningful and sustainable education research.

The visionary policy recommendations presented here are rooted in a multi-year engagement between leaders and practitioners in Washington and the Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality team.

From threatening protestors to cutting diversity office funding on college campuses, one contemporary brand of policymaking has overtly sought to undermine social justice efforts in higher education. Current popular policymaking theories, however, are inadequate to understand this phenomenon, as they undertheorize the role of racialized power in policymaking – e.g., the racialized network of policy elites and their core beliefs.