Education Policy Speaker Series

Join education policy experts as they speak about their cutting-edge research to improve education outcomes for children across the country.
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EPI's education policy speaker series brings together a diverse slate of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to present on a wide range of educational issue areas relevant to students and faculty at UM.

Past events

Past event

Examining the implementation of Michigan’s Read by Grade Three Law: Literacy coaching, curriculum usage, and literacy instruction

In this presentation, Dr. Wright will share findings from three studies focused on the implementation of Michigan’s Read by Grade Three Law. The first study examines the implementation of literacy coaching in Michigan, the second study focuses on literacy curriculum materials used in elementary classrooms, and the third study examines literacy instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together these studies help us to understand the implementation of a state-wide literacy policy and to consider some of the unforeseen challenges associated with its implementation.
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Past event

The Need for Comprehensive School Safety Policy

Despite the relative rarity of firearm-related violence and injury in U.S. schools, the salience of school shooting events can influence local-, state-, and even federal-level school safety policy. I discuss concerns related to such direction, including: 1) a lack of evidence-based strategies to prevent firearm injury in schools; 2) the disproportionate burden of students exposed to 'school hardening' strategies; and 3) student needs overshadowed by a focus on extreme violence.
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Past event

Why Substitute Teachers Matter and How Policy and Working Conditions Shape Their Decisions

Educator staffing shortages have drawn considerable attention from policymakers and the public in recent years. While much attention is directed towards K-12 teachers, there is growing concern about shortages of substitute teachers because of the negative impact on teachers and administrators when schools regularly have insufficient staff to cover teacher absences and vacancies.
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Past event

Diversifying the STEM pipeline: Evidence from STEM summer programs for underrepresented youth

Underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic workers in STEM fields contributes to racial wage gaps and reduces innovation and economic growth. Billions of dollars a year are spent on "pipeline'' programs to increase diversity in STEM, but there is little rigorous evidence of their efficacy.
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Past event

Developing a measure to assess racial equity-oriented social and emotional learning practices

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.
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Past event

New perspectives on college choice: The role of family, gender, and career planning in the education decisions of college ready students from families with low incomes

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.
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Past event

Who’s caring for the kids? The Earned Income Tax Credit and child care arrangements

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.
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Past event

The on-going evaluation of a volunteer tutoring program for struggling readers

Professor Tepper Jacob's talk will tell the story of an on-going evaluation of the Reading Partners program, a successful one-on-one volunteer tutoring program that serves struggling readers in elementary schools serving students from families with low-income
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Past event

Supporting early intervention in Washtenaw County: Benefits and challenges of partnership-driven research

Catherine Asher will talk about the Youth Policy Lab's project to understand and support the use of Early Intervention Services in Washtenaw County.
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